Today I watched a webcast of the Media140 OzPolitics event held in Canberra. Media140 is an independent organisation committed to the application of the real time web (social media and related tools) to politics, business, NGOs and communities. Like a specialised TED, they have run a number of symposiums and events globally to explore the issues, ideas and social change arising from the new communications.
What made this session different from the usual range of social media training, conference and talks was (aside from Julian Morrow’s MCing of the afternoon), was the range and experience of the panelists and presenters. Using politics as a (paradocixaly) unifying theme, the event explored:
– Lessons from Obama’s Campaign
– Dissection of real time web use in the Australian Federal Election
– The UK 2010 election (a fantastic presentation from UK Academic Dr Clare Wardle)
– GetUp case study and NGO/activist engagement with realtime web.
There was a good cross section of experienced voices in the room, and there were some quite substantial differences of opinion – particularly about whether the ‘realtime web’ is good or bad for democracy/reportage/politics/engagement. The differing stances are predictably driven by the perceived gains or losses arising from the shift in voice and participative nature of this new environment.
Big themes today included:
Control versus participation
Realtime web asks for participation, and democratises information. Media, politicians and businesses who strive for control (of the message) in this environment are missing the fundamental difference inherent in the new environment.
Its only the beginning
These are early days for the technologies and the usage patterns. Looking at the extreme growth in the use of twitter for example (which still doesn’t approach the daily volume of SMS used globally) it is apparent that while there are patterns of use, communication and behaviour now, these will evolve as more people adopt the technology – it will change language and behaviour.
Know your purpose
Whatever realtime tools become available and however they are changing the discourse, some principles don’t change. Check your sources. Do your research. Go where the fish are.
The quote that stood out for me was from social activist David Hood: Rather than being too broad, “be a social media acupuncturist. Apply pressure only where you need to for results”.
All of it was fiercely tweeted (#media140), particularly by those in the room, as documented by Crikey cartoonist First Dog on the Moon.
Audio from the sessions is being posted at http://audioboo.fm/media140 .
ABC Radio Canberra has done a stoic job transcribing some of the panels.
http://blogs.abc.net.au/canberra/canberra-media140/
Digital
Meaning Business, Redux
Over the past two years, the Meaning Business blog took an extended break. You could go so far as to say it was dead.
In that time, the communication world has grown increasingly connected, extending the use and reuse of social media at a breakneck speed. Since last writing, microblogging through twitter and other sources has boomed, the number of facebook users has tripled. The number of voices has increased. At the same time, the economic, political and social landscape has changed.
Change brings new ideas, and I like to explore and cross the boundaries between communication, business, organisational development, the arts, politics and other sources of new thinking.
In resurrecting the Meaning Business blog I am aiming to share what I find useful from experience, seek and share ideas that have been useful, new themes and topics that stand out from the immense volume of information available to us. I have been inspired by a number of conversations with colleagues and peers in communication over the past few months and hope to create the same dialogue here.
Meaning Business joins the Ragan social network
Since it’s launch earlier this year I have been watching Ragan’s new networking site, myragan with interest.
Following the amazing number of new joins in the first days, the site now seems to have settled down to provide a good selection of tools, resources and dialogues.
My profile over there:
http://www.myragan.com/Ragan/jonathanchamp
As an aside, the launch of the site coincided with a review of internet policies by the organisation I am working with currently – and prompted debate as to the barring of social networking sites that have a primary business or professional purpose. The result is that our firewall does allow access to the site, but not to the videos.
Meaning Business 