Social inclusion and local sites

To Leeds today for the second Talk About Local unconference on local websites - a more relaxed event than the last, exuding a more confident, 'we know what we're doing' getting-on-with-it air. Nice pic of TAL founder William Perrin taken from the Cover It Live coverage here.

I got in a huddle with a few others to explore the contrasts between local sites in low-income neighbourhoods and in more affluent or mixed areas. There were about 10 of us, but it must have been a subject of interest because when we emerged, it turned out a separate group had formed to discuss the same topic. That's a risk with the unconference format I guess.

They were probably a bit posher than us, I'd say. I bet they had comfy seats.

I proposed the session because I'm interested in two possibilities:

• local sites in low income areas are realistic but may require different approaches, including sustained community development;
• local sites in mixed areas will appeal to, and be exploited disproportionately by those accustomed to power and influence - crowding-out those in the neighbourhood who might have the most to gain in terms of increased social capital.

Anyway we're not proud, so here are a few points (in no particular order) that I picked up or which occurred to me during our session:

1. Bad press (labelling) can be a provocation that gives rise to a local site.
2. There still seems to be little perception in the community development field of the potential of local sites. (Some weary head-banging on this...)
3. In a low-income neighbourhood, the other forms of media that are funded by advertising don’t apply to you, so what else have you got that might speak for you?
4. There may be a tendency to under-estimate levels of internet penetration in these neighbourhoods. (Some credit for the high levels was apportioned to Facebook).
5. A degree of inertia about issues locally suggests the need for an intense level of intervention (but see point 2 above).
6. Get people together in a room. The offline is as important as the online. If you live in a neighbourhood where you can't get people together in a room, you betta get some CD and hope you're not stuffed by point 2 above.
7. Beware the tyranny of text: this tech releases video and sound, so use it.
8. The behaviour in social media spaces is something that some people just don’t get. (Like trust – some people become immediately distrustful in online conversation).
9. We may have to make the case for amplifying the voices that otherwise don’t get heard (but see point 2 above...)

I had to leave after lunch but there's a real buzzy feel to this movement now. Back in 2008 I organised an event with CABE which led me to predict that 09 would be the year of local websites. OK, not far wrong.

Comments

[mark]

Hi Kevin

A useful session - thanks for suggesting and facilitating it

I'd add a couple of points:
- it would be useful for 'veterans' like us to ask what we can learn about this from the past? eg when dtp or the internet came along.

- Mostly I think we could predict how long it will take to embed itself in mainstream community development thinking [ie a long time] and treat it as a bonus if it happens sooner...

- it was great to have some people just setting out in the group as this made it more practical. Could we produce a guide to setting up your own website that includes first practical steps. Maybe an updated one like this one I did earlier http://scipdiy.wordpress.com/learn-more/

not sure where this fits into the world of community development - and not sure it fits with TAL?

Mark

[Steven Clift]

Hey all, great session topic. I think it is time to address the question, what if all this empowers the already empowered when it come to local power and influence?

In our U.S. branch, E-Democracy.org has some grant resources from the Ford Foundation to further develop our neighbourhood Issues Forums in high immigrant lower income areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul. See: http://e-democracy.org/inclusion We also host a rural forum in a majority Native American area in Northern Minnesota. So far so good. We are probably the only online community project that actively signs up most of our participants on paper (absolutely required if you believe in inclusion and real outreach). The goal this year with decent diversity in the door so to speak is having the forums reflect the diversity in the dialogue and voices raised.

We've been trying to find potential UK interested in bringing two-way interactivity into the heart of a relatively deprived area. Any suggestions? The last thing you want is one class of people stuck receiving information and services one-way online and another that is comfortable speaking and exercising power online.

I'll be in the UK around July 1, so drop me a line if you would like to connect: http://stevenclift.com/contact