British Council 2.0: Searching...

Response to ‘The Machine is Us/ing Us’

danielfogg — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:20:21 +0000

A classic example of videoblogging (I’m sure there’s another word for this). This guy obviously liked the ‘Machine is Us/ing Us’ video on YouTube, so figuring why type when you can speak, he’s stook his own ‘amateur’ analysis and opinion on YouTube, linked and tagged it up, and it’s right there next to the original for all YouTube users to view. The ‘unprofessional’ style he’s using to deliver his message, far removed from the stage-managed over-produced presentations we see daily on television, gives his opinion an increasingly popular authenticity which is hard not to appreciate.

John over at JTGC is feeling a similar vibe.

“…instead of this pressure to capture high-quality moving images, we can generate in-house material that’s rich with ideas.”

This is the right idea for an organisation of our sort dealing in public diplomacy. Getting professional is fine, when targeting a professional audience. But when your audience is the man on the street, this personably approach is far more suited.

If the link is broken, you can view it on YouTube

‘The Machine is Us/ing Us’

danielfogg — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 13:14:54 +0000

If the link is broken, you can view it on YouTube.

What’s a Blogroll?

danielfogg — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 13:08:55 +0000

A blogroll is a collection of links to other websites, typically blogs, which are usually found in the side collumn of a blog. The blogroll usually shows two things; the blogs or websites which the blogger (person writing the blog: me) will visit and read on a regular basis, secondly the blogroll represents a list of individuals and opinions that the blogger wants to associate him/herself with, due to their ideas, style, argument strength or popularity.

It’s important to note the difference between a blogroll and normal website links. The Register is a webiste which I read regularly, and share the opinions of, and hence in my blogroll, as is Bill Thompson’s blog. The BritishCouncil.org site is in my links because I work for the British Council, it is an organisation I am obviously affiliated with, and I would like visitors to the site to check it out. Unsurprisingly however, I don’t read the BritishCouncil.org website regularly, and hence it is not in my blogroll.

So that’s what a blogroll is!

For a more comprehensive example of a blogroll, check out the long list on Unspeak.net (down the bottom of the right hand collumn).

GLT WebCast

danielfogg — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:43:23 +0000

I’ve just added a page in the top right hand corner called BC Web Events. On this page is a link to Ian Jindal‘s recent lecture to the GLT on Web 2.0, the growth of the internet and engagment with younger generations. It’s a fascinating lecture, so if you’ve got a spare minute (or more like an hour) check it out. Any comments would be well received.

This page is password protected, and open to British Council staff only. Access can be gained through use of the BC intranet password. I apologise to all non-British Council readers and bloggers, copywrite issues prevent me from allowing you access to the webcast.

Web 2.0: What it looks like…

danielfogg — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:10:47 +0000

There’s Change in the Air…

danielfogg — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:05:55 +0000

For some time now the phrase ‘Web 2.0‘ has been floating around the British Council (hit wikipedia links for more info). But if you draw a blank whenever you hear that word airily thrown around, then don’t fret, as your lack of conceptual understanding won’t be matched by your inexperience of Web 2.0 technology. For instance; you might not know what social-networking is, but you will certianly have heard of or be a signed-up member of MySpace or FaceBook.

This blog will help to finally make the connection for you. We will lead discussion on the changing cyber-landscape and its affects on the British Council, offer links in all our posts to explain terms, direct you to jargon-lite articles on the subject of the evolving web, and act as a host site for postcasts, vodcasts, and webcasts (live versions of the other two) of both internal and external events…. and more! Tech-heads take note, there will be content of a narrower nature included on here too, and any comments you can make to help lead the debate for others are very welcome!

For the time being, keep checking the site as it will continue to grow over the coming weeks.