Collaborative Individualism Emerges At Reboot Britain
This week’s NESTA sponsored Reboot Britain conference brought together a mix of government, business, banks, technology, media people from the UK, and visitors from the USA that saw left leaning Labour/Liberal Democrat political views engage and collaborate with conservative Tory representatives. The crowd’s reaction saw the many of those who are normally distrustful of government, financial institutions and conservative politics try to mingle more with what they historically view as the “other side” of the spectrum.
Opening remarks from conservative Jeremy Hunt MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, had him lovingly embrace the Internet, new technology and the governments increasing integration of it into public services. He praised the transformative nature of new technology’s impact in delivering high quality factual content to the world from ordinary citizens, with Wikipedia, and talked about a new effort to publish and provide archives of government documents online for access to all. Hunt said that politics has been stuck in a rut toward progress, with its stance to first fight online, then ignore it, and only now begin to embrace it. People have flipped politics on its head by rushing online to express views and grassroots organizse around issues in powerful ways that have not beeen witnessed before, making for the emergence of a new movement composed of “collaborative individualism.”
“Huge change is possible with the Internet and the Internet also makes possible some very unpleasant things,” he said. “The Internet is a powerful way to connect voters and as a politician I have to engage more intelligently with my constituents.”
Hunt’s speech received mixed reaction and a bix of cheeky tweet banter from a crowd of professionals who live on the bleeding edge of the technological world, think liberally and radically, and often wonder why the conservatives, and the government, with its recent release of the Digital Britain report, have taken so long to embrace new technology that the left and leaders like Al Gore have been pushing the agenda toward for years. Now, it seems, the people have collectively forced politics to adapt or be left behind.
Visiting Reboot Britain was a digital celebrity group of Americans called the Travelling Geeks, who mingled with the guests and presented panel sessions throughout the day, including Craig Newmark, the nerd who many people feel changed the world with Craigslist.org.
“The Internet makes public service people feel they can come out of the darkness, and feel liberated and my hidden agenda is helping people in government affect change, and talk, and accelerate collaboration across the Atlantic,” he said. On the good side, most people want to be a positive influence, and on the evil side, noisy, idiotic spammers and trolls with extremist views pollute the channels of communication and need moderation to combat this ugly side.
To combat the ugly side of the Internet, people need a friendly “nudge” to do good, and regulations toward social media use among public service employees needs to be relaxed so that they can feel safe freely expressing views and using the tools to improve things, citing the example of Newmark’s favourite project FixMyStreet.
I caught up with Newmark after his talk, and you can listen to his commentary here on this Audioboo.
Pock marking the day was an insulting and demeaning panel presentation asking “Is the Web Female?” that attracted a majority of female attendants, only to sucker-punch them with horrible commentary from two of the American panelists who behaved like the scary, exclusionary popular girls in a Beverly Hills 90210 high school class. While lifestreamer Megan Asha and technology journalist Sarah Lacy may be respected digital influencers in US circles they did themselves, nor the women in the audience, any favours by describing how women behave online as being “catty, gossipy” and wanting to shop a lot. The comments provoked anger among the audience:
“Disappointed is the web female session seemingly stymied by pointless focus on imaginary gender characteristics. A waste.” tweeted @josiefraser
“A few minutes of listening to ‘is the web female’ debate and you lose the will to live.” tweeted @hollandshurst.
“Finally giving up on ‘Is the Web Female’, which is relying on a narrow, depressing & slightly weird definition of “female” tweeted @justinpickard
Panelist Joanne Jacobs balanced out the nasty catty female debate by smashing stereotype demographics and openly confessing that she often gender-switches online to allow herself more freedom with masculine-style expression. MT Rainey brought home the concept that the web is neither male or female but simply a place where humanity gathers.
The day’s closing address saw Howard Reingold outline ways to improve digital inclusion with digital literacy, and more activism.
“Boring blogs and Twitter accounts show that participating just isn’t good enough, being an active citizen is a start but from passive consumption you have to move toward participation,” he said. Reingold called for the end of crap content, miss-information, spam, porn spam and helping more people develop their own “crap detectors.”
Master of ceremonies for the day was Policy Unplugged’s Steve Moore who remarked at closing that he was thrilled to watch #rebootbritain trending above the dominant topic King of Pop Michael Jackson’s death on Twitter.
Feeling gossipy, catty and like shopping so guess I should get online and surf the Web today,
-Lisa
All Comments
Well I had to duck in and out of Reboot Britain, because I had nasty work stuff to deal with – so was rather frantically trying to cram in what I could. I missed the opening, made the social innovation camp – for a bit, was kicked out of the Craig Newmark thing for sitting on the floor by some jobsworth, enjoyed Martha Lane Fox’s chat about digital inclusion (because it was practical, not hectoring) and spent the rest of the time talking to the people I really needed to see and… stuff. I am absolutely conferenced out, especially nagging ones about digital engagement – this was not so much, or it did not seem to be (but I was grateful not to be there all day, I started in a thunderous mood – no good to anyone).
However, I did want to go to the female web thing; I couldn’t, but I had imagined that it would be more about the nature of digital communities being more *female* in the way they collaborate and commune, rather than some bloody awful stereotype – so I am very very pleased that I did not go.
I have to confess to being a leeeeeetle bit horrified that the travelling geeks are be lauded as some triumphant march into the UK, feted and celebrated by government people as well as the entrepreneurs and people who have not yet made it to Silicon Valley. I am, oh this is not going to win me any friends, a bit bewildered and perturbed, and am actively going out of my way to avoid them tbh (but I did want to hear Craig speak
). Similarly, I am interested in what Howard Rheingold has to say and would have stayed for that closing – if I was not having to race home to my nanny who finishes at 7pm and it was her first day <- yikes, being female again. (Sorry travelling geeks, I am sure that you are all lovely, this is nothing personal; it’s a group thing).
But seriously, if there is any pedalling of the old: girls go online to shop and play… then I will feel completely vindicated in my avoidance of all things travelling geek-y
You are not alone in having your fur ruffle about the American digital “swat” team that parachuted into Reboot Britain. Yes, they were all very open, helpful and shared really good information, but the unfortunate display at the “Is the Web female?” session got the British women in attendance asking why the panel had Americans on it.
I am American, and purposely did not comment, as I did feel it was truly a British day. However, I feel strongly that I certainly have every right to express my opinion about all things digital in Britain, having now been a big supporter, and cheerleader for so many digital entrepreneurs here, and vocal commentator about getting digital in the UK, for five years now.
I was so upset by my American colleagues representation, and I think they made a mistake. I had to apologize to my friends in the room who were really offended.
It is not actually the fact that the travelling geeks are American, to be honest, nor that they have banded together to ‘collaborate and share learnings’ http://tg2009.com/about/ that is a great idea. It is the slightly skewed way they have been feted here in government as the ones who need to come and tell us how to do it. Granted, good speakers can make a massive difference to shoving some energy behind an idea – but I have not yet heard anything from those who tweet when listening/meeting the TGs, that suggests they are understanding what we are doing, and championing the great stuff! Seems far more to me about sharing their own way of doing things. ANyway, the premise of what they are doing is good http://tg2009.com/about/ just….
I’ll stop!
Women use the web to empower their careers and roles as parents. Moms in particular are short on time and use the web to find information and connect with like-minded women. Motherhood can be very isolating and the web allows moms to connect. The web empowers career women to find the tools they need to manage their careers and families. Yes, women shop, but OMG, there is so much more going on online!
I wish I’d been at the event, glad I missed the travesty that the “Is the web female?” discussion clearly was. I think it’s a mistake to try to divide web-users along gender lines. The web is there, men and women are enjoying exploring all it offers. People explore the web for different reasons – to get information, to converse and connect, to play games, to innovate. The web is fantastic to help more isolated groups and individuals connect, mothers among them. The web is very exciting, there’s so much going on – and yes, so much more than shopping.
Thanks Lisa for another insightful, well-crafted and piece of writing.
If you really want to see how to reboot britain check out the Cockpit Arts “Maker Difference” campaign at http://www.cockpitarts.com/makerdifference .
I was gutted I couldn’t make Reboot Britain but after reading Lisa’s post, and the subsequent comments, on the “female” web discussion I’m even more distressed I wasn’t able to be in the room. Although this is only on the proviso I could have smuggled some rotten tomatoes into the room. Which, on reflection, is unlikely. (Or at least would have been followed by my removal from the building. Would it have been worth it, I wonder?)
In any event, I would like to reassure the people at large that not all women use the web solely as an amplifier for cattiness, gossip and retail therapy. Perhaps it is fair to say that those who do, do not require the web for these activities but merely extend their normal routines by using the tools available. In much the same way, I extend my activities with the tools available on the web: I research, acquire skills and gain knowledge; I exchange information; I comment on things I read; I book tickets for theatre and music; And yes, I also buy shoes and books. However, I don’t think that these activities are gender biased (I just checked, my all male flat mate uses the web for much the same including the shoe buying).
I look forward to a day in the future where such a panel discussion would be thrown out of a technology forum as demeaning and undeserving of attention. The web is neither female nor male. Neither black nor white. Neither British nor American. The web is human.
Collaborative Individualism Hmmmmm I LIKE That…..
But surely, it’s an oxymoronic contradiction in terms ?