Seven August things to help you convert the skeptics

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re already somewhat sold on the whole idea of the internet and the opportunities it presents for better involving people in decision-making/governance – and that means you almost certainly know and are frustrated by someone who, for whatever reason, doesn’t ‘get it’. If that’s the case, here’s a few things from this month that might help change their mind:

1. Seattle suggests correlation between internet engagement and public participation – 13th August 2009
Stats showing how the three Seattle neigbourhoods with the highest response rates to surveys on city planning all have a much stronger blog presence than other areas of the city. Seems that neighbourhood blogs are a great way to highlight local issues and to increase community involvement.
(via Podnosh)

2. Even smallish, local agencies are getting good people to help them figure out online consultation – 18th August 2009

It’s a surprisingly long way from pretty but http://www.buyingbradfordconnexions.net/ has been put together by Tim Davies, who’s a smart guy and has evidently done this with a lot of intelligence and diligence (if not bundles of cash or panache). The point is that a local Connexions has gone out and got a specialist to help build and run a consultation process that includes online as an important channel. Vindication, I think, is the word.

3. Young Rewired State: if the government isn’t getting there fast enough, do it yourselves – 22nd-23rd August

A free weekend held at Google’s London HQ for the technically-minded between 15 and 18, the aim being to use government data to create websites and applications that are really, genuinely, useful. See what they came up with. The project had some heavy endorsement, including strong support from government departments: sponsors included DCSF, BIS, DCMS, The Guardian, Directgov and 4iP.

4. What bosses think about social media – 25th August 2009

It always helps to understand someone else’s position. Executives may be apprehensive, but 81% agree social media can help build brand reputation. Also, this is about social media specifically and things with a closer association to more traditional, formal processes – like online consultations – will probably have a lower fear factor.

5. General internet usage just keeps on rising – 28th August 2009

No surprises there but statistics always help in an argument, right?

6. Online citizen journalism used by The Guardian (to cut credit crunch costs?) – 28th August 2009
In what can be taken as either a forward-thinking, democratic approach to news reporting or an ingenious way to obtain free content, The Guardian appealed to the public for photos of the main stories from Climate Camp (Blackheath, London) via a Flickr group. Either way, a mainstream paper’s wholehearted adoption of interactive media is a relevant indicator of what can be done via the internet.

7. That twitter thing is all talk, right? – 30th August 2009
The Twitter headline flurry may have died down slightly, but according to Robert Scoble, it’s got staying power, and the possibility for businesses both small and large to use it effectively is greatly undervalued. Could this revolutionise the way organisations talk to people on a daily basis- and the way people respond?

No doubt there are hundreds more examples from August alone, and we’ll be posting another list in September, so look out for it. In the meantime, tell us what you think.