I really liked the live video and blog set up for today’s Progressive Governance Summit when about 20 world leaders gathered in London to discuss working together to meet the challenges of the 21st century, including climate change, globalisation and poverty.
The site stated that they were running an experimental ‘live blog’, noting the key points being made by the participants, and taking comments from website users. It is believed this is a first for a government website.
I came across it via Twitter where 10 Downing Street posted a link to it. Although I didn’t have much time to watch, I was excited by what I saw and believe it is a great way for organisations to communicate too, that we need much more live interactive communications. Comments were monitored and bloggers were reminded to remain on topic and that it was a non-political site. It was regularly updated with links on the topics being discussed.
This is a great way of observing body language and I noticed a very relaxed Bill Clinton, whose idea it was to hold the first summit in 1999 when he was in office, slip his arm around the back of Gordon Brown’s chair where it remained for a while. It was very chummy.
I look forward to more like this.
Another succesful transfer to word press.
I tried……but failed.
Oh to be a dumb blonde! LOL
Interesting, especialy as you say to beable to see the non verbal communication.
You were excited by Bill Clinton or Gordon Brown? I’m getting worried about you, Ellee.
One of the bloggers on PP’s blog made a v.funny joke at a womans expense, I felt obliged to appear not to get the joke, yet here I am making jokes at a mans expense. Should I blush?
I’m a bit of a geek Pip and I really enjoyed the technology that was being used, they did it really well.
I’m not aware of such a set up here in the USA. I’ll look into it. Sounds very cool.
[…] At short notice, they produced an impressive and engaging microsite built around a live video stream, live blogging and comments, and immediate access to the summit papers. It was a perfect illustration of how lightweight web technology can transform the public experience of political gatherings of this kind; simultaneously demystifying proceedings and adding new layers of understanding—both about the content of the summit and, as Ellee Seymour notes, about the participants. […]
Glad you enjoyed it Ellee. I’ve been to quite a few summits like this, and I’ve never had the kind of insight we got today.
The live blog was fun to do; but it was even more interesting to see the viewers interacting amongst themselves. (Glad you got your audio problems sorted. 🙂 )
We’re really pleased at how it all came together, in only a few days; and I’m personally quite proud we did it (almost) all on free and open-source tools – WordPress, Flickr, the fantastic CoverItLive, and so on. I’ve long been lobbying for more projects like this in government, and this should make a terrific case study.
Gordon Lewinsky?
Simon, I was hoping you would find my post, somehow knew you would. Well done on a great achievement. My audio problem was because I had two pages open from the PGS site and when I closed one of them, it was fine. I know Hansard will be impressed too.
The Open to Persuasion site is a great blog and worth a read, I’m glad they found me and I have added it to my blogroll.
One thought I have is that video blogs like this could be used at political party conferences, or any major business conference, to engage interactively with their wider audiences. I bet it happens later this year, that the major political parties will be doing this.
It sounds like a positive step forward.