Collaboration Technology 2.0

Over the last six months I have become more and more interested in how political web 2.0 polemics will play in the run up to our general election next May(?).

Political and politicised blogging has increased in leaps and bounds over the last 12 months (Derek Draper being a famous casualty of blogger Guido Fawkes), The Prime Mentalist (ooh I am pinning my colours to the mast) infamous YouTube spoof   - no I forgot it was supposed to be serious and the levels of Twittery that have reach extraordinary levels but it this getting in the consciousness of the connected electorate?

Does the average British give a sod about the blogs of the 'great and the good' and is the Millennial generation taking any notice of web or are they sticking to the reporting to be found in the 'Metro'?

The most active voice I could ascertain in the 'resign' petition on No 10's own website, this e-Petition has now got in excess of 68,000 signatories with Facebook Groups trailing along way behind with a couple of thousand members of for or anti groups about the maximum..

With the expense revelations (mostly) behind us it will be interesting to see what breaks through the web or conventicle media and how the blog/twitter sphere reacts to it.

And when campaigning really starts in earnest lets us see how the first British election that could be really affacted by web technology plays out.

While Gordon Brown's "Digital Britain Report" came and went with little fanfare, I discovered an interesting US statistic relevant to how important the web is to the US economy.

"The Internet employs 1.2 million people directly to conduct advertising and commerce, build and maintain the infrastructure, and facilitate its use. Each Internet job supports approximately 1.54 additional jobs elsewhere in the economy, for a total of 3.05 million, or roughly 2%, of employed Americans. The dollar value of their wages is about $300 billion or around 2% of U.S. GDP.

I am trying to discover the UK's stats

Ian (nice to have you back) White's blog First Loser reminded me of a technology piece on the BBC's Digital Planet "Save our Sounds" about everyday noises that are becoming extinct.

For example, a 300 baud modem's handshake, A dot matrix printer, the whirring noise of a 5.25 inch floppy etc, even the click of an SLR camera. The British Library are looking, or listening out for clips.

Any geek out there with kit you've been dying to fire-up but don't have a reason - now's your chance.

Walking can be a great collaborative endevour, Yesterday, by the Grand Union Canal, I went for walk with a butterfly expert, I'm a hedgerow buff. We both learnt a lot from each other. He's also a photographer and I saw "light in a new light".

A painted lady

Digital Britain - The logo - a disconnected USB key - probably now lost, stolen or left on a train.

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I was debating with a headhunter over the weekend the benefits of one's professional network in times of trouble i.e. when you're looking for work or help. The headhunter's view is - work your network.

Well, recently a female IT journalist who had been a commissioning editor, and thus putting food into the mouths of a large clutch of IT journalists, moved into public relations; at her first press conference for a new IT client to which she had invited all the journos she knew, and to which most had accepted, three turned up.

Now, you may say journalists are a different breed, but this is the first of a number of tales about the effectiveness or not of networks. Any view anyone has about working ones professional network are most welcome.

Here are 3 multimedia YouTube ditties that I penned about the ongoing political scandal.
If you have time, please take a look. They're only a couple of minutes long.

I've put these up here as they a part of the blog thread I'm writing over the Weekend about using and maximising your personal and professional network

Dishonourable Powder Plot - Parts 1, 2 and 3
Part -1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj6V2g5zV8I
Part -2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImmQO3YOaw
Part -3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUhrRyGmytc