There is some wonderful hyperlocal stuff going on in the UK. People are up to all sorts of things on the web from working out what bands are on, when the quiz night is down the pub, rounding up local news, to fighting campaigns on planning decisions, to city-wide discussions or telling people about the jumble sale at the school, or even tackling local corruption and bad governance. The net result is empowered, effective people and local communities that define their place online, know what is going on and have a powerful voice.
Lots of people are coming on board to help out – from folk getting on with it themselves to new start ups, bits of government to big newspaper groups. There are all sorts of approaches from people out to make a million, to people purely committed to public service, to people doing clever tech things, to people trying to find the future for their media company.
The three of us are involved in very different hyperlocal projects. We are committed to a wonderful diverse hyperlocal future for the UK. We want to make sure the energy created as people jostle for position is positive and collaborative, coming together to meet all our aims and more importantly support the a digital future for all.
So where are we going with this? Well we want to know if hyperlocal people in the UK are up for some sort of ‘UK Hyperlocal Alliance’ (working title) dedicated to a positive future for hyperlocal content in the UK. This isn’t an attempt to form a trade body or a union or a lobby group, just a simple web resource where we can sign up to a simple statement of intent, get in touch with each other and tell our stories.
Let us know by commenting on this post – if we get say 20 people who will go with it, then we shall listen and take things forward. We shall try to keep things free and simple.
Look forward to hearing from you.
William Perrin – Talk About Local
Dominic Campbell – FutureGov
Kalvir Sandhu – Hophive
Always happy to help!
You know I’ll be in.
PledgeBank!
Count me in.
Oh yes, I’m in!
I’d like to help – maybe get some of the Open Street Map ppl involved too.
Definitely … now is the right time. Reawakens memories of UK Communities Online network in the late 90s. I’ll see if some of the old crew are around to lend support and maybe lessons learned.
“This isn’t an attempt to form a trade body or a union or a lobby group, just a simple web resource where we can sign up to a simple statement of intent, get in touch with each other and tell our stories.”
“We shall try to keep things free and simple. ”
Agree with keep it simple…. but there will be pressure to organise, incorporate, take funding, share out jobs. Tuttle is organising consultancy … Colalife is planning to incoporate.
Ooops, you just wanted yes. YES!
Count me in too!
Happy to help if I can.
Big fat yes
Hyper-Local Alliance – or the Very Independent Publishers Club – it’s all the same to me…
I’m game.
The simple and short answer is – yes, I’d love to be involved in this growing and exciting phase in the use of the internet.
speaking on behalf of the Transition web project, yes. We are putting quite some time and energy into a sharing engine for pure p2p distribution and re-distribution of stuff in a solidly de-centralised manner. Would be happy to help, and keen to hear more about what you’re up to.
Yes we can! (Sorry.) I am behind this and am happy to do whatever I can to support an alliance. I don’t really like the word “hyperlocal” though – can’t we just reclaim the word “local” back from local authorities?
yes definitely
I’ve been involved in setting up and using (hyper) local Usenet groups and mailing lists for about 14 years. I’m in.
oh and I’m working with the people at People’s Voice Media/Community Reporters – will def see what they say http://peoplesvoicemedia.co.uk/community-reporters-program
Well I am a Hyperlocal evangelist too. I run TowcesterNews for two years, sell the advertising, get the content, take the pictures and above all engage. It is great, the site is now getting between 5500 and 6500 visitors a week.
I effectively run it as a daily local newspaper and I am a big fan of Twitter. http://www.twitter.com/towcesternews – count me in
Yes would love to be involved
Yes, please count me in, very important in both my work and personal activities
Count me in at Harringay Online
Absolutely agree and is something I’ve been advocating. You can count me in.
Interested here
Absolutely yes.
Always happy to help out – make a real go of this!
[...] Join us in a UK hyperlocal alliance… « Talk About Local (alpha) "The three of us are involved in very different hyperlocal projects. We are committed a wonderful diverse hyperlocal future for the UK. We want to make sure the energy created as people jostle for position is positive and collaborative, coming together to meet all our aims and more importantly support the a digital future for all." [...]
definitely interested in being involved
[...] RT @MrRickWaghorn @DaylightGambler: @TowcesterNews seen this ultralocalvoice.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/alliance/ [...]
Count me in too – and I must tell Eileen Conn in Peckham about this (she just got an MBE, or was it an OBE, for her grassroots hyper-local efforts!).
I’d already been talking with her about exactly this kind of project…
Cheers,
Matthew
Apologies for the late comment with this. Count me in. With bells on.
[...] Join us in a UK hyperlocal alliance… « Talk About Local – Will Perrin wants to know if there’s sufficient support for this: …we want to know if hyperlocal people in the UK are up for some sort of ‘UK Hyperlocal Alliance’ (working title) dedicated to a positive future for hyperlocal content in the UK. This isn’t an attempt to form a trade body or a union or a lobby group, just a simple web resource where we can sign up to a simple statement of intent, get in touch with each other and tell our stories. [...]
Really interested in this. I’d like to think that should there be a need for lobbying or joint action amongst local bloggers then this group could be a route to making this happen. May the ‘Power of Birmingham’ be with you!
Dave
Yes, definitely want to be involved!
(Catching up) I’m in. Best to go into these things mob-handed I feel.
[...] Dom and Kalv are starting something that has the potential to become really rather cool. So where are we going with this? Well we want [...]
Just starting, but we’ll get there. So interested in this. Paul
Great idea and I’d love to be involved.
Interested to know more…
Very keen to get involved – our Work at Community Links around digital engagement is at a fairly early stage – but we are an organisation with many community projects which could connect. My own background in running a community press connected to a national network of publishers (The Federation of Worker Writers and Community Publishers) could also contribute to establishing a national alliance. Thanks for the Invitation!
This was kindof what I was driving at in this post http://digitalengagement.org/2009/04/21/local-hubs-for-local-people/
Not that well apparently as some points seemed misunderstood.
So, yes, count me in.
[...] project to train and support local activists setting up websites is inviting people to join in a UK hyperlocal alliance. It is being led by Will Perrin, Dominic Campbell and Kalvir Sandhu. Earlier news [...]
Definitely. Yes. Just setting up my first hyperlocal site now.
Yes, sounds good.
Me too!
We’re in (speaking for Patient Opinion)!
We got some mashable content now – RSS/Atom feeds for your local health services – and plan to add something a bit more geographic to the site for your hyperlocal use.
Yes, I’d like to hear more!
Sound’s interesting, put me down as a definite “yes” !
[...] an interesting post over at Ultra Local Voice which floats the possibility of a new “UK Hyperlocal Alliance”. There’s a heck of a lot of small community publishers out there busy doing their own thing – [...]
As someone who is really working in physical (if not virtual) isolation, then this is a wonderful idea! I’ve already picked up some useful ideas!
Hyperlocal is a reality in London and you should speak to this group: http://www.londonvoices.com
I’m a very active member of a local message board. Happy to spread the word…