Media, Politics, Social media, Technology

Are you a leftie if you believe in the power of social media?

Over the weekend I listened to yet another great podcast from The RSA.

Clay Shirky presented on the topic of a ‘cognitive surplus’ for his book Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organising without Organisations. He said that approx100million hours has been invested in the creation of Wikipedia.  By contrast, there are trillions of global hours available within ’surplus’ every year.  The premise for the presentation was that humans are generous creatures and that new technology presents huge potential for altruistic, collaborative behaviour that delivers a greater good.

This idea is the basis for many aspects of the Social Web (for want of a better term, as this is broader than social media).  The notion that efficient networks without geographic boundaries will  act as the vehicle for human endeavour in the pursuit of positive economic, creative and educational outcomes has great appeal.

The idea of a cognitive surplus is also fascinating in the context of widespread budget deficits but don’t expect any major policy announcements from Gillard or Abbott on this topic just yet!

The presentation got me thinking about the question of a political culture within the realm of  the Social Web.  If Social is about sharing, co-operation and contributing to community then is it safe to assume that a left leaning political culture underpins the ‘movement’?

Is it important for the community to acknowledge in some capacity the presence of a common political ethos within the Social Web or the perhaps to acknowledge the lack of one?  Does the Social Web transcend traditional notions of political affiliation or realisation?  Are creativity and collaboration apolitical forces in 2010?

Most importantly, can our positive vision of a Social good delivered by technology and the Web be achieved without a political consensus?

Life

Think It, Do It: A Mantra For Getting Things Done

michael_jordanTwo years ago I sought professional help in order to overcome my chronic personal procrastination.  I worked with a life coach who helped me develop strategies for setting personals goals and achieving them.

Until that point, I had excelled at procrastination – I took the opportunity to avoid taking action better than anyone I knew.  My personal development, health, finances, relationships and direction had definitely suffered. Read more…

Politics

RSA Animate – Crises of Capitalism (David Harvey)

Brilliant brilliant content. Via Cameron Reilly and Richard Laksana.

More on David Harvey.

Politics

Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the Australian Election and a Great Big Fax

Great Big Fax_DY

Julia Gillard, Australia’s new PM and the first woman to hold the top job, has a shortish to do list of big problems to fix prior to the Federal election, which is expected to be held in August of this year.

One of her biggest challenges will be deciding whether Australia needs a great big fax to track and reduce carbon emissions.

It looks as though faxes will be a hot election issue.

Life, Social media

17 reasons why developing and managing a social media program is like having a baby

On becoming a dad almost two weeks ago, I thought it would be appropriate for me to post here to mark the arrival of our boy Noah Thomas and to reflect on an amazing experience.

So here follows 17 reasons why managing a social media program is like having a baby.

  1. Everyone is an expert
  2. It takes time
  3. You can’t rush things
  4. You are not in control
  5. Make sure you have a plan in place for the launch
  6. Be prepared to be flexible
  7. You’ll need to draw on extra resources to pull it off
  8. It’s highly likely that you’ll experience some pain along the way
  9. There will probably be some late nights
  10. Your involvement does not end at the time of launch
  11. Results may not be as pretty as you would like
  12. You have to accept this
  13. It’s a long term commitment
  14. It will be challenging and rewarding
  15. You’ll learn as you go and make adjustments to your strategy
  16. It will require significant investment
  17. ROI may be difficult to quantify

I am sure that there are many more – please add in comments.

And here is Noah.  Ain’t he gorgeous!!

3-5 Days (11)