I came across a site recently where a Northampton, Massachusetts Planning Committee meeting was videoed and put online (I think for the first time). I got sucked in somehow. What struck me most was the criticism afterwards someone made on the site about what they’d seen. Holding the committee accountable for their (lack of) procedural care. Basically the committee had put out an agenda for a public meeting but had actually spent most of the time debating a subject that hadn’t been on the agenda – which would just not have come to light through the official minutes. Consequence was that any one who had a interest in that subject would not have known to attend the meeting and take part in it.

As the videoing was obviously a new initiative, those on the committee clearly forgot about the camera and made a few rather injudicious comments about (unnamed) folk in the town or on other committees, which might have been lost in the minutes and would have therefore been ephemeral, but which are now preserved for playback! Courageously – and presumably for ethical reasons, these were left in (comments weren’t too harsh but in a small town, ouch!). At the end of the meeting the chair said ‘did you get all that’ – he’d obviously just remembered it was running. It sounds so dull but was fascinating as a study of personalities, small town politics, communications and the wired world and its effects. I’m going to have to tune in to the next episode to see how things resolve and whether the particpants behave differently (more aware of the camera) and whether they’ve sorted out the agenda issue / whether more people turn up to the meetings! But only one more episode. I’m not that sad.