Comments on: Local Government — does the ‘Government’ bit matter? http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/blog/636/local-government-%e2%80%94-does-the-government-bit-matter/ Social media, consultancy, training and advice from a flâneur of the internets. Blogger, writer, broadcaster and runner of Birmingham: It's Not Shit. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:05:02 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: william perrin http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/blog/636/local-government-%e2%80%94-does-the-government-bit-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-1150 william perrin Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:27:50 +0000 http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/?p=636#comment-1150 defintiely go with getsatisfaction - worth considering the recipients view (the council) it at least gives them a machine with rules etc that they can relate to. that gives a public body important confidence the ability of others to help also assists something called NI14 a requirement on the council to reduce 'avoidable contact', that is make sense the first time so that people don't have to contact you. for a good example of professional crowdsourcing of tricky problems see the glorious discussion forum here on benefits cases http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/dc/dcboard.php it is just a forum but you can call it crowdsourcing i guess defintiely go with getsatisfaction – worth considering the recipients view (the council) it at least gives them a machine with rules etc that they can relate to. that gives a public body important confidence

the ability of others to help also assists something called NI14 a requirement on the council to reduce ‘avoidable contact’, that is make sense the first time so that people don’t have to contact you.

for a good example of professional crowdsourcing of tricky problems see the glorious discussion forum here on benefits cases
http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/dc/dcboard.php

it is just a forum but you can call it crowdsourcing i guess

]]> By: Andy Mabbett http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/blog/636/local-government-%e2%80%94-does-the-government-bit-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-1149 Andy Mabbett Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:25:35 +0000 http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/?p=636#comment-1149 P.S. You can put a "HearFromYourMP" on your own website: http://www.hearfromyourmp.com/link P.S. You can put a “HearFromYourMP” on your own website: http://www.hearfromyourmp.com/link

]]> By: Andy Mabbett http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/blog/636/local-government-%e2%80%94-does-the-government-bit-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-1148 Andy Mabbett Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:20:45 +0000 http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/?p=636#comment-1148 Birmingham (Disclosure: that's where I work, as website manager) is governed, in part, as <a href="http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/goinglocal" rel="nofollow">10 Constituencies</a>. Maybe that's a suitable level of granularity? The MySociety tool, HearFromYourMP, works in steps of 25, not 50, but that's my bad - 50 is what I said, from memory, on Saturday. Birmingham (Disclosure: that’s where I work, as website manager) is governed, in part, as 10 Constituencies. Maybe that’s a suitable level of granularity?

The MySociety tool, HearFromYourMP, works in steps of 25, not 50, but that’s my bad – 50 is what I said, from memory, on Saturday.

]]> By: LocalGovCamp coverage — LocalGovCamp http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/blog/636/local-government-%e2%80%94-does-the-government-bit-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-1147 LocalGovCamp coverage — LocalGovCamp Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:14:52 +0000 http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/?p=636#comment-1147 [...] Jon Bounds [...] [...] Jon Bounds [...]

]]> By: Philip Parkin http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/blog/636/local-government-%e2%80%94-does-the-government-bit-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-1146 Philip Parkin Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:02:27 +0000 http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/?p=636#comment-1146 It's a shame that no BCC 'members' were at LocalGovCamp, and I say that as a councillor myself. It's a fairly crap excuse, but it was a Saturday and I wasn't in Birmingham. Next time there's a similar event on (and pref in the evening), then I'll do my best to be there. There are some councillors, amazingly, who don't even use email. There's also a growing minority who are relatively tech savvy and with the right kind of approach I think they'd be interested. It’s a shame that no BCC ‘members’ were at LocalGovCamp, and I say that as a councillor myself. It’s a fairly crap excuse, but it was a Saturday and I wasn’t in Birmingham. Next time there’s a similar event on (and pref in the evening), then I’ll do my best to be there. There are some councillors, amazingly, who don’t even use email. There’s also a growing minority who are relatively tech savvy and with the right kind of approach I think they’d be interested.

]]> By: Jon Bounds http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/blog/636/local-government-%e2%80%94-does-the-government-bit-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-1145 Jon Bounds Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:52:21 +0000 http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/?p=636#comment-1145 No, I don't think it is different, except that it focuses debate around issues a little more — and is easier to get information in and out. Plus it's not owned by anyone, but people with "power to change" can identify themselves as such a little easier. I think it pushes stuff to the top in a way a mailing list doesn't, but theoretically it's no different to a meeting in a room to which elected officials are openly invited to but may or may not turn up. No, I don’t think it is different, except that it focuses debate around issues a little more — and is easier to get information in and out.

Plus it’s not owned by anyone, but people with “power to change” can identify themselves as such a little easier. I think it pushes stuff to the top in a way a mailing list doesn’t, but theoretically it’s no different to a meeting in a room to which elected officials are openly invited to but may or may not turn up.

]]> By: Pete Ashton http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/blog/636/local-government-%e2%80%94-does-the-government-bit-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-1144 Pete Ashton Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:40:59 +0000 http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/?p=636#comment-1144 By "is it any different" I mean can the same principles of engagement be applied, not you might as well use a mailing list instead of GS. By “is it any different” I mean can the same principles of engagement be applied, not you might as well use a mailing list instead of GS.

]]> By: Pete Ashton http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/blog/636/local-government-%e2%80%94-does-the-government-bit-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-1143 Pete Ashton Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:39:07 +0000 http://www.jonbounds.co.uk/?p=636#comment-1143 Half-thought. The motivation for using stuff like Get Satisfaction is that even if the company isn't listening others might be and can answer your problems or help flesh out the idea / complaint. It's a gathering tool as much as a feedback tool. GS is sort of just a forum really with customer service widgets. Is it any different to Martin Mullaney's Moseley mailing list? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/moseley/ Half-thought. The motivation for using stuff like Get Satisfaction is that even if the company isn’t listening others might be and can answer your problems or help flesh out the idea / complaint. It’s a gathering tool as much as a feedback tool.

GS is sort of just a forum really with customer service widgets. Is it any different to Martin Mullaney’s Moseley mailing list?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/moseley/

]]>