Designing for Civil Society

Australian WSIS statement shock: understandable!

Thanks to Larry Stillman in his comment on the previous post for referencing the Australian Civil Society statement to the World Summit on the Information Society. I met Larry and some colleagues from Monash University when in Australia earlier in the year... so it is no surprise to find the statement - like them - user-friendly, clear and understandable. I couldn't get to their colloquium in Prato but hope to meet up again at the Brighton, UK, conference in March 2004. Or there's Prato (near Florence) again in September 2004. Who said the Internet could reduce the need for international travel? But then, I think the main purpose of community technology/informatics or whatever you choose to call it is to meet interesting people - really.
On that front, I'll be in San Francisco after Christmas, mostly on holiday, but if there's anyone like-minded interested in lunch Monday 29th, let me know david@partnerships.org.uk. Next year's resolution, be more ecologically conscious, cut travel.... join Tom Coates debate on whether you do really, really have to meet face to face.

Technology and Everyday Life: user-friendly version please

No sooner had I posted news of the HCI event Design for Life conference call than I found (via the CIRN list) that the European Media Technology and Everyday Life Network - objective to "investigate the realities and dynamics of the User Friendly Information Society" - has published its research. I know it's an easy shot at academics to complain about the impenetrability of their papers to other mortals, but when it is our taxes, and the subject is user friendliness, it would seem reasonable to ask for more understandable summaries. One of the main themes is inclusion and exclusion in the Information Society. Hmmm. How about accessible research findings as a start?

Design for Life conference call

Next year's annual conference of the British Human-Computer Interaction Group is on the theme Design for Life. It will be at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK 6-10 September 2004, and includes social and community applications of computing.
The overview reads: "Join researchers, practitioners and educators from around the world at HCI2004 where we will be exploring the theme of Design for Life. As designers, evaluators and implementers of interactive systems we have great responsibility. The systems we design impact upon the lives of the people who use them - for good or ill."

mySociety chooses top five projects

MySociety have now selected their top five projects:

- FaxYourRepresentative - FaxYourMP.com goes 21st century
- GiveItAway - Lowering the barriers to giving stuff away, instead of throwing it away.
- NotApathetic - Don't want to vote, but also not apathetic? Let them know why.
- PledgeBank - Want to help a cause, but worried that your effort will make no difference?
- YourConstituencyMailingList - Want to hear from your MP & discuss what they say?

via iWire
Previous on mySociety

Girvan Online puts Advent Online

I went to meet some of the volunteers running Girvan Online yesterday to exchange ideas about community web sites. We got quite excited by the idea of blog clusters among other things. More on that next year. Meanwhile, I'm not much of an expert on Advent, but I really liked their project to involve local primary schools and parents by developing an Advent Calendar online. Googling Advent calendars reveals that like much else about Christmas celebration they were invented in the 19th century. Other examples of seasonal online engagement welcome....

All in UK should be connected by 2008, says Minister

The UK Government yesterday set a new target for online access - everyone should have it in their home by 2008 through a variety of devices. Trade and industry Minister Patricia Hewitt published the fourth UK online annual report, and announced creation of a Digital Inclusion Panel to ensure everyone is connected.
She applauded progress in setting up 6000 local online centres, and added: “While it is great news that so many people have access to the internet, we must continue to bridge the digital divide. The Digital Inclusion Panel will play a key role in helping us ensure that every home in the UK should have a connection to online services through a digital network by 2008 – whether through a personal computer, DTV, mobile phone or other device.” Press release here.

No place for technology in UK Civil Renewal?

The UK Government launched a consultation document on Building Civil Renewal last week listing key components of community level infrastructure... a community association or network, a physical 'hub', capacity building workers, small grants. However, I couldn't see any mention of how new information and communication technologies might contribute through community networks as promoted by Communities Online and others, or indeed the deployment of social software systems to build social capital.

Community networking conference, Brighton UK March 2004

The Community Informatics Research Network that met recently in Prato, Italy, has now announced details of a conference in Brighton, UK, next year. Australian-based Larry Stillman posted to a number of lists, and I have taken the slight liberty of putting details into a document - download conference details
The conference is funded under a research programme, so inevitably it sounds a bit academic, with a formal call for papers by mid February. However, the organising group is impressive, and I should think there'll be space for a good mix of policy and practice. They are looking for contributions on:
· Community networking case studies
· Community network analysis as a methodology and theory
· Community Informatics as an emerging research agenda
· The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the role of Civil Society
· Communication and Development - theory and practice
· A human-centred approach to community technology - moving beyond causality to purposiveness
· Indigenous knowledge and cultural diversity
· Grass-roots community innovation and action
The main contact is Peter Day of the University of Brighton p.day@btinternet.com
As I wrote recently, there's some interesting development in Brighton and Hove, so I hope the home team gets a good show.

Pub hubs bring rural broadband

'I'm off down the village pub to meet some real people' used to be the excusable cry of the telecommuter. It may not be an escape much longer.... or may turn into 'I'm off to do some work'. Britain's oldest brewer Shepherd Neame, and Telabria, are piloting wireless hotspots in three Kent pubs, with a view to bringing wireless broadband to surrounding rural communities. Not a wholly new idea, but better beer than most. Will we get a fresh round of concerns about laptop ettiquette? Get your computer off my beer mat...keep your beer out of my keyboard...'I came in here to get away from the telly and technology'
Thanks to Ruralnet xPRESS Digest

More on Free Software from WSIS

Thanks to Chris Bailey for adding to WSIS reports. Reposted with permission from the Social-movement-informatics list

Richard Stallman from the Free Software Foundation insisted that his identity photo for his pass into the official WSIS proceedings be taken with him sticking his tongue out! He said he felt that was the appropriate response to the way in which WSIS had treated the issue of Free Software. Stallman was cut short after just 2 minutes in an attempt to get a discussion on Free Software onto the agenda at an official WSIS roundtable on “Creating Digital Opportunities”.
“There are very powerful forces trying to stop the spread of Free Software” Stallman explained to a side meeting at WSIS of 250 people, open to all, not just WSIS delegates, entitled “Free Software, Free Society”.