Urban Forum
presentation
by David Wilcox April 1995
This presentation by David Wilcox at
the annual meeting of the UK Urban Forum led to the first
Communities
Online conference at BT
Centre in October 1995 and later to the development of
UK
Communities Online.
My background
Journalism
- Over ten years mainly Evening
Standard
- Writing about planning, housing
transport, property
Few to many
communication.
Consultancy and training
- Helped design and set up
development trusts
- Worked on national support
programmes
- Wrote Guide to Effective
Participation
- Ran workshops, seminars,
conferences
Few to few
relationships.
Networking
- Bedfordshire sustainable
communities network
- Glasgow economic development
network
- Community forests
network
Many to many
relationships.
Electronic networking
The scope for many to many
communication.
Partnerships for tomorrow
Some loose
definitions
Community
- People and organisations relating
through locality or common interests. Stakeholders in a
system.
Participation
- Methods to give different
stakeholders more or less influence in processes of debate,
decision making or action.
Partnership
- A relationship for interests to
decide and act together.
Network
- People and organisations
exchanging information.
Internet
- Millions computers communicating
with each other.
The issue
- Sustainable communities require
collaboration
- Current methods aren't working
well
- Can electronic networking
help?
Partnership today
Fashionable because
of:
External pressure for
partnership
- More agencies, less
money
- 'Tick the partnership
box'
Internal pressure for
participation
- Fewer staff, new approaches
needed
- Fluid teams and workgroups
forming
Greater commitment to
'community'
- Meet real needs
- Get closer to the
customer
- Develop capacity
- Empower people
Maybe!
Rhetoric and reality
The gap
The good intentions
- 'Give the community a
say'
- 'Create a shared
vision'
- 'Work through existing
organisations'
- 'Act as an enabler'
- 'Develop a network'
The frequent reality
- Participation is
tokenism
- Partnerships are dominated by the
strongest
- Networks don't get things
done
Conclusions
- 'Partnership' is almost
meaningless
- Can disempower community
interests
- Demands internal change
first
- Old activists become new
bureaucrats
Can electronic networking
help?
Frequently asked questions
What are the mainly forms of
electronic networking?
Bulletin Boards, commercial services, Internet.
What do you need?
Computer, modem and software.
What does it cost?
Free BBS - just the call. Commercial - maybe £6 per month plus
phone plus timer charges. Internet - £10-£15 per month plus
local phone charges.
Who owns or manages?
BBS - system operator. Commercial - major corporations. Internet -
no-one.
What can you do?
One to one e-mail: all - with limits
Many to many discussion groups: all - with limits
Many to many mailing lists: Internet
File libraries: all
Hypertext pages: Internet
What are the benefit?
Speed, economy and informality of one-to-one e-mail.
Minimum-cost mass-distribution of messages.
Documents on tap, with ability to rework material.
International, cross sector, professional communities.
What are the snags?
Very few people are online. Potential for information
elitism.
Ways forward
National networking
- First notice of events sent by
email
- Open mailing list allows shared
comments
- 'Virtual' task groups e-mail and
swop files
- All papers as files which can be
downloaded
- Internet site provides
international access
A local network system
- Workshops, seminars and
conferences to map out the tasks
- Small task groups to carry them
out - face to face and e-mail
- Report back events to set
deadlines
- A newsletter and information
sheets for general use
- E-mail and mailing lists for
speed and economy
- Internet pages as an electronic
shop windowAn information system to organise - database
etc.
- Links to libraries for public
access
David Wilcox
13 Pelham Square
Brighton BN1 4ET
Tel +44 (0)1273 677377
Fax +44 (0)1273 677379
dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk
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