Comments for Talk About Local http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk Just another Talk about Local weblog Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:08:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 Comment on talk about local at Borderlines Film Festival this Thursday by John Baxter http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/talk-about-local-at-borderlines-film-festival-this-thursday/comment-page-1/#comment-1065 John Baxter Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:08:26 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=676#comment-1065 I was sorry to miss your event on Thursday as part of the Borderlines Festival. I have recently come accroos a lot of people in the 'grey surfer' category who make little use of their broadband connection apart from e-mails. Several recent recruits to braodband are bewildered by the terminology of Twitter, Facebook etc and I think there is a need for a workshop up here in the foothills of the Black Mountains. I have a venue with a BT telephone connection, overhead projection and a large screen. If you can make any suggestions or recommend someone to lead a workshop it would be much appreciated. As such I am acting on my own initiative but I have a few potential helpers should we take it further. I was sorry to miss your event on Thursday as part of the Borderlines Festival. I have recently come accroos a lot of people in the ‘grey surfer’ category who make little use of their broadband connection apart from e-mails. Several recent recruits to braodband are bewildered by the terminology of Twitter, Facebook etc and I think there is a need for a workshop up here in the foothills of the Black Mountains. I have a venue with a BT telephone connection, overhead projection and a large screen.

If you can make any suggestions or recommend someone to lead a workshop it would be much appreciated. As such I am acting on my own initiative but I have a few potential helpers should we take it further.

]]> Comment on Getgood Linkage #1: Heritage by Ray Duffill http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/getgood-linkage-1-heritage/comment-page-1/#comment-1066 Ray Duffill Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:02:37 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=674#comment-1066 "Bloomfield Talks" in Blackpool ran for a year and is an attractive site with good use of podcast and images. This is a typical page http://www.bloomfieldtalks.org/tag/war/ and another: http://www.bloomfieldtalks.org/category/bloomfield/ “Bloomfield Talks” in Blackpool ran for a year and is an attractive site with good use of podcast and images.

This is a typical page http://www.bloomfieldtalks.org/tag/war/ and another: http://www.bloomfieldtalks.org/category/bloomfield/

]]> Comment on #TAL10 by Why I dislike local papers ‹ Michael Rawlins – Just about me http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/tal10/comment-page-1/#comment-1064 Why I dislike local papers ‹ Michael Rawlins – Just about me Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:54:53 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=670#comment-1064 [...] don’t know Paul but I do hope he comes along to the Talk About Local Un-Conference in Leeds in April because I would love to hear him give his version of [...] [...] don’t know Paul but I do hope he comes along to the Talk About Local Un-Conference in Leeds in April because I would love to hear him give his version of [...]

]]> Comment on Hyperlocal government data gets debate on crime going – open data case study by James Munro http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/hyperlocal-government-data-gets-debate-on-crime-going-open-data-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-1057 James Munro Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:21:22 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=660#comment-1057 Bit late responding to this post, but here goes: the key issue here is to distinguish between incidents, calls and ambulance journeys. It has been know for years in the ambulance service that one incident may generate many calls, and indeed also more than one journey (for example, if there are multiple casualties). AFAIK, the trend in recent years has been for the call:incident ratio to rise, at least for public incidents, because of the spread of mobile phones. Dramatic and obvious incidents may result in multiple 999 calls from onlookers. So, before even starting to analyse causes, you should ask a different question: there may have been a rise in calls, but was there a rise in incidents? Bit late responding to this post, but here goes: the key issue here is to distinguish between incidents, calls and ambulance journeys.
It has been know for years in the ambulance service that one incident may generate many calls, and indeed also more than one journey (for example, if there are multiple casualties).
AFAIK, the trend in recent years has been for the call:incident ratio to rise, at least for public incidents, because of the spread of mobile phones. Dramatic and obvious incidents may result in multiple 999 calls from onlookers.
So, before even starting to analyse causes, you should ask a different question: there may have been a rise in calls, but was there a rise in incidents?

]]> Comment on Add TheyWorkForYou.com to your Wordpress blog by TheyWorkForYou.com Wordpress plugin – Philip John http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/add-theyworkforyou-com-to-your-wordpress-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-950 TheyWorkForYou.com Wordpress plugin – Philip John Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:29:37 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=552#comment-950 [...] made a demo video and wrote instructions on how to set the plugin up which have been posted over on the Talk About Local blog, as well as instructions on installing the [...] [...] made a demo video and wrote instructions on how to set the plugin up which have been posted over on the Talk About Local blog, as well as instructions on installing the [...]

]]> Comment on What should government do to help hyperlocal news? C&binet group – post it notes by Why I don’t think journalists need business skills – Philip John http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/governmentandhyperlocal/comment-page-1/#comment-932 Why I don’t think journalists need business skills – Philip John Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:29:14 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=497#comment-932 [...] What should government do to help hyperlocal news? C&binet group – post it notes by Will Perrin [...] [...] What should government do to help hyperlocal news? C&binet group – post it notes by Will Perrin [...]

]]> Comment on TAL Unconference by A short note for Mr Stott before he comes to see us all… – Philip John http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/tal-unconference/comment-page-1/#comment-866 A short note for Mr Stott before he comes to see us all… – Philip John Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:28:09 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=335#comment-866 [...] Stott, the government’s Director of Digital Engagement will be attending the Talk About Local Unconference this Saturday to give a talk about the data.gov.uk developer [...] [...] Stott, the government’s Director of Digital Engagement will be attending the Talk About Local Unconference this Saturday to give a talk about the data.gov.uk developer [...]

]]> Comment on Hyperlocal and the future of journalism – Alan Rusbridger Hugh Cudlipp lecture 2010 by Shiny new uses for familiar old things « Jon Udell http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/cudlipp/comment-page-1/#comment-1053 Shiny new uses for familiar old things « Jon Udell Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:01:56 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=647#comment-1053 [...] Old things are full of latent value that we’ve yet to discover and unlock. Why? It takes a long time for real understanding to sink in. In Net infrastructure, consider how long it’s taken us to grok what HTTP, REST, HTML, and JavaScript really are and can do. In education, look at the high-value uses that Sal Khan and Dan Meyer find for low-tech screencasting and blogging tools. In journalism and civic life, read what Alan Rusbridger says about Will Perrin’s compelling — and yet so last-century — use of Typepad to activate communities. [...] [...] Old things are full of latent value that we’ve yet to discover and unlock. Why? It takes a long time for real understanding to sink in. In Net infrastructure, consider how long it’s taken us to grok what HTTP, REST, HTML, and JavaScript really are and can do. In education, look at the high-value uses that Sal Khan and Dan Meyer find for low-tech screencasting and blogging tools. In journalism and civic life, read what Alan Rusbridger says about Will Perrin’s compelling — and yet so last-century — use of Typepad to activate communities. [...]

]]> Comment on Council newspapers not VFM apparently – Audit Commission by Debbie http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/council-newspapers-not-vfm-apparently-audit-commission/comment-page-1/#comment-1047 Debbie Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:07:47 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=640#comment-1047 I live in Wales and all the Council information goes out bilingually (English and Welsh) which adds massively to the costs, so making any Council Newletters published in Wales even less value for money. It's not just the Newsletters, it's all the forms you need to fill in, all the information leaflets - absolutely everything - which must just about double the cost. However, having actually worked for a Local Authority, I know for a fact that the Welsh media stuff gets very little use at all. In the libraries in Wales, each individual library must have a section of Welsh language books in fiction and non-fiction (covering a range of topics). There are more and more of these Welsh language books being published nowadays, so as more new books are delivered to the libraries, older material has to be withdrawn from stock on a regular basis to make space for the new stock. Most of the Welsh language books that are withdrawn and discarded have never actually been used. This is because so few people actually borrow the Welsh language material, whether it is fiction or non-fiction. Welsh speakers who use the libraries, will generally borrow mostly English language books (especially fiction as they say that it makes for lighter, more enjoyable reading). Many of the avid Welsh speakers do not actually use libraries as they are not happy with the amount of English language stock kept - so they do not use the libraries on principal. As a Welsh speaker and a library user (I don't borrow the Welsh stuff), I know for a fact that most of the Welsh language books are discarded within about 2 years having never been used. What a shocking waste of public money this seems. I live in Wales and all the Council information goes out bilingually (English and Welsh) which adds massively to the costs, so making any Council Newletters published in Wales even less value for money. It’s not just the Newsletters, it’s all the forms you need to fill in, all the information leaflets – absolutely everything – which must just about double the cost. However, having actually worked for a Local Authority, I know for a fact that the Welsh media stuff gets very little use at all. In the libraries in Wales, each individual library must have a section of Welsh language books in fiction and non-fiction (covering a range of topics). There are more and more of these Welsh language books being published nowadays, so as more new books are delivered to the libraries, older material has to be withdrawn from stock on a regular basis to make space for the new stock. Most of the Welsh language books that are withdrawn and discarded have never actually been used. This is because so few people actually borrow the Welsh language material, whether it is fiction or non-fiction. Welsh speakers who use the libraries, will generally borrow mostly English language books (especially fiction as they say that it makes for lighter, more enjoyable reading). Many of the avid Welsh speakers do not actually use libraries as they are not happy with the amount of English language stock kept – so they do not use the libraries on principal. As a Welsh speaker and a library user (I don’t borrow the Welsh stuff), I know for a fact that most of the Welsh language books are discarded within about 2 years having never been used. What a shocking waste of public money this seems.

]]> Comment on #TAL10 by An experiment with ScribbleLive « Rosie Niven http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/tal10/comment-page-1/#comment-1063 An experiment with ScribbleLive « Rosie Niven Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:35:41 +0000 http://talkaboutlocal.org/?p=670#comment-1063 [...] AM: TalkAboutLocal twitpic.com – And the envelope has been opened! talkaboutlocal.org [...] [...] AM: TalkAboutLocal twitpic.com – And the envelope has been opened! talkaboutlocal.org [...]

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