Comments on: Power of Information: New taskforce and speech http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/ The inside track since 2003 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:10:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Daniel Rae http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-102023 Daniel Rae Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:30:21 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-102023 Just came across your blog Mr Watson and it's great to see someone in politics with a passion for technology and the internet. There is a mass disillusionment in the UK with regards to politics and government, but having representatives like yourself who are ready to be innovative and radical by using technology in politics is refreshing! The future of government has got to use social media to gather the "buzz" and feeling of the people, who are represented by MPs. Technology must be used for voting - having to use your own time to visit a polling booth to write an X in a box is surely something that should be replaced in the 21st century! As well as having "thinktanks" filled with experts, have social networks where everyday people can voice their opinion - we do need a "mystarbucksidea" for new and improved policies! Regards, Daniel Just came across your blog Mr Watson and it’s great to see someone in politics with a passion for technology and the internet. There is a mass disillusionment in the UK with regards to politics and government, but having representatives like yourself who are ready to be innovative and radical by using technology in politics is refreshing!

The future of government has got to use social media to gather the “buzz” and feeling of the people, who are represented by MPs.

Technology must be used for voting – having to use your own time to visit a polling booth to write an X in a box is surely something that should be replaced in the 21st century!

As well as having “thinktanks” filled with experts, have social networks where everyday people can voice their opinion – we do need a “mystarbucksidea” for new and improved policies!

Regards,

Daniel

]]> By: E-democracy2.0 :: E-Democracy - inizitive in Italia :: April :: 2009 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-72059 E-democracy2.0 :: E-Democracy - inizitive in Italia :: April :: 2009 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:45:14 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-72059 [...] link anche un pò datato ma che fa sempre piacere rispolverare quando si parla di e-Democracy! The Power of information è il report scritto da Ed Mayo e Tom Steinberg Power of information - Tom Watson La [...] [...] link anche un pò datato ma che fa sempre piacere rispolverare quando si parla di e-Democracy! The Power of information è il report scritto da Ed Mayo e Tom Steinberg Power of information – Tom Watson La [...]

]]> By: Politics and social media http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-63137 Politics and social media Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:51:48 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-63137 [...] I hope Mr.Watson is an excellent chap, working hard to appropriately promote or decry the causes he thinks would best serve his constituents, but as [...] [...] I hope Mr.Watson is an excellent chap, working hard to appropriately promote or decry the causes he thinks would best serve his constituents, but as [...]

]]> By: Some smart, networked thinking that won’t sit easily with the preservation of medieval circulation fiefdoms. Very interesting. » Out With A Bang http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-61471 Some smart, networked thinking that won’t sit easily with the preservation of medieval circulation fiefdoms. Very interesting. » Out With A Bang Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:01:48 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-61471 [...] http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/ [...] [...] http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/ [...]

]]> By: E-demokracija.si » E-peticije v Veliki Britaniji uporablja že deset odstotkov državljanov http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-49393 E-demokracija.si » E-peticije v Veliki Britaniji uporablja že deset odstotkov državljanov Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:30:18 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-49393 [...] You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. « Britanci z e-demokracijo nad lokalno politično apatijo Raziskava:E-zdravstvo v Sloveniji nad povprečjem EU » [...] [...] You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. « Britanci z e-demokracijo nad lokalno politično apatijo Raziskava:E-zdravstvo v Sloveniji nad povprečjem EU » [...]

]]> By: Simon Berry http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-47072 Simon Berry Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:50:31 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-47072 Hello Tom I just wanted to introduce myself. I have just started a secondment with CLG to help with the new technologies aspects of the Empowerment White Paper. I am using a multi-user blog as my workbench here: http://www.web24gov.org.uk I also blog here: http://www.simonberry.net (personal) and here: http://simonberry.ruralnet.org.uk Hopefully our paths will cross during my secondment. Simon Hello Tom

I just wanted to introduce myself. I have just started a secondment with CLG to help with the new technologies aspects of the Empowerment White Paper. I am using a multi-user blog as my workbench here: http://www.web24gov.org.uk

I also blog here:
http://www.simonberry.net (personal) and here:
http://simonberry.ruralnet.org.uk

Hopefully our paths will cross during my secondment.

Simon

]]> By: Rob Cottingham » links for 2008-04-16 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-41793 Rob Cottingham » links for 2008-04-16 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:32:27 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-41793 [...] Tom Watson MP » Blog Archive » Power of Information: New taskforce and speech For anyone who thinks politicians lack vision when it comes to technology, and that they’re only in the social media game for manipulation, this speech is the antidote. Any chance he’d emigrate to Canada? (tags: collaboration politics government society web2.0 technology speech tom_watson uk) [...] [...] Tom Watson MP » Blog Archive » Power of Information: New taskforce and speech For anyone who thinks politicians lack vision when it comes to technology, and that they’re only in the social media game for manipulation, this speech is the antidote. Any chance he’d emigrate to Canada? (tags: collaboration politics government society web2.0 technology speech tom_watson uk) [...]

]]> By: Howard Greenstein’s Website » Blog Archive » Dinner with a Member of UK Parliment http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-41599 Howard Greenstein’s Website » Blog Archive » Dinner with a Member of UK Parliment Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:39:15 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-41599 [...] My US friend Tom Watson of Changing our World and On Philanthropy invited Pamela and I to join a group of friends to meet MP Tom Watson, Cabinet Office Minister from the UK.MP Watson’s office recently released a report on the Power of Information, documented here in his blog. [...] [...] My US friend Tom Watson of Changing our World and On Philanthropy invited Pamela and I to join a group of friends to meet MP Tom Watson, Cabinet Office Minister from the UK.MP Watson’s office recently released a report on the Power of Information, documented here in his blog. [...]

]]> By: Tom Kaneko http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-41284 Tom Kaneko Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:43:50 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-41284 I'm very encouraged to hear that there are even MPs with visions similar to mine. Keep up the good work! I am in the middle of developing web-based software that uses the intelligence of thousands to come up with policy and actions through a consensus decision making process. I had the idea, and having an entrepreneurial attitude, I'm now working on it. Having had no programming experience I am teaching myself just for this one project! My vision for the project is quite broad, and grandiose in places. If Wikipedia is a place of knowledge, I envision the project to be a place of wisdom. I believe that the same software can be used in government circles to create better policies by using more efficient, open consultation methods. I believe its implications are an end to 'competitive' politics, and be replaced with cooperative forms of government. Excuse my zealous description of the project's potential effects, without the substance to back it up! But I am working on it, and I feel that I need friends to help me approach completion. Among the many concerns I have, I was wondering if you knew of any way to receive funding for projects such as this one. Funding isn't absolutely necessary, but it would certainly speed up the process. I’m very encouraged to hear that there are even MPs with visions similar to mine. Keep up the good work!

I am in the middle of developing web-based software that uses the intelligence of thousands to come up with policy and actions through a consensus decision making process. I had the idea, and having an entrepreneurial attitude, I’m now working on it. Having had no programming experience I am teaching myself just for this one project!

My vision for the project is quite broad, and grandiose in places. If Wikipedia is a place of knowledge, I envision the project to be a place of wisdom. I believe that the same software can be used in government circles to create better policies by using more efficient, open consultation methods. I believe its implications are an end to ‘competitive’ politics, and be replaced with cooperative forms of government.

Excuse my zealous description of the project’s potential effects, without the substance to back it up! But I am working on it, and I feel that I need friends to help me approach completion.

Among the many concerns I have, I was wondering if you knew of any way to receive funding for projects such as this one. Funding isn’t absolutely necessary, but it would certainly speed up the process.

]]> By: Rose22 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-40978 Rose22 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:04:27 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1945#comment-40978 Tom, as a member of NetMums, MumsNet, BabyCentre and more social networking sites/ chat rooms, I'd say one of the joys of the sites is that they are peers interacting rather than sources of official information. If we are discussing breastfeeding, there are midwives, NCT breastfeeding counsellors and health visitors in the debate but they are there as equals (usually as mums themselves) not dispensing advice from on high. I've used this example for a reason and am currently writing an entry on my own blog that sets out more detail. I'm all for Whitehall communicating in the fora and language that we use in real life but not a nanny state intrusion into what the BBC correspondent on the article that brought me to your site rightly describes as being more like a gathering of friends in a coffee shop than a Wembley stadium rally. I'm very keen to know how the busy stressed out civil and public servants I know are going to find time to interact in a way that's relevant - there are more than 50 active chatrooms on babycentre alone... Worth noting too that while politicans have participated in online chats and debates on these sites, the format is crucial - not ways of dispensing a view from them but a conversation that requires listening to the other participants and what's important to them. If this point is not taken onboard I fear this sort of e-government initiative will feel like an intrusion into the private sphere more than the well-intentioned project that it undoubtedly is. Tom, as a member of NetMums, MumsNet, BabyCentre and more social networking sites/ chat rooms, I’d say one of the joys of the sites is that they are peers interacting rather than sources of official information.
If we are discussing breastfeeding, there are midwives, NCT breastfeeding counsellors and health visitors in the debate but they are there as equals (usually as mums themselves) not dispensing advice from on high. I’ve used this example for a reason and am currently writing an entry on my own blog that sets out more detail.
I’m all for Whitehall communicating in the fora and language that we use in real life but not a nanny state intrusion into what the BBC correspondent on the article that brought me to your site rightly describes as being more like a gathering of friends in a coffee shop than a Wembley stadium rally.
I’m very keen to know how the busy stressed out civil and public servants I know are going to find time to interact in a way that’s relevant – there are more than 50 active chatrooms on babycentre alone…
Worth noting too that while politicans have participated in online chats and debates on these sites, the format is crucial – not ways of dispensing a view from them but a conversation that requires listening to the other participants and what’s important to them. If this point is not taken onboard I fear this sort of e-government initiative will feel like an intrusion into the private sphere more than the well-intentioned project that it undoubtedly is.

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