Seems pretty damn relevant and important to the people logging on from the UK, if you ask me!
*Edward Saperia* Creative Director Original Content London<http://www.originalcontentlondon.com> email <[email protected]> • facebook<http://www.facebook.com/edsaperia> • twitter <http://www.twitter.com/edsaperia> • 07796955572 133-135 Bethnal Green Road, E2 7DG On 29 May 2014 15:18, Stevie Benton <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks Ed. I'm not sure if we could, but it might be worth a try. Does > anyone know who the best contact for that would be? > > > On 29 May 2014 15:15, Edward Saperia <[email protected]> wrote: > >> This is brilliant, I'll share it with all my might. Do you think we could >> get it up as a UK geolocated Centralnotice? >> >> *Edward Saperia* >> Chief Coordinator Wikimania London <http://www.wikimanialondon.org> >> email <[email protected]> • >> facebook<http://www.facebook.com/edsaperia> >> • twitter <http://www.twitter.com/edsaperia> • 07796955572 >> 133-135 Bethnal Green Road, E2 7DG >> >> >> On 29 May 2014 15:06, Stevie Benton <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> Hello everyone, >>> >>> tl:dr -* Wikimedia UK >>> <https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Main_Page> and Demos >>> <http://www.demos.co.uk/> are encouraging Wikimedians to participate in an >>> attempt to crowdsource a submission to a call for evidence on digital >>> democracy from the Speaker of the House of Commons. You can find the >>> consultation page here >>> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Connecting_knowledge_to_power:_the_future_of_digital_democracy_in_the_UK> >>> and >>> we look forward to hearing from you.* >>> >>> The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, has established a >>> Commission >>> on Digital >>> Democracy<http://www.parliament.uk/business/commons/the-speaker/speakers-commission-on-digital-democracy/>. >>> It will report to Parliament in early 2015 with recommendations on how >>> Parliament can use technology to better represent and engage with the >>> electorate, make laws and hold the powerful to account. As part of their >>> work, the Commission have issued a series of calls for evidence. These are >>> open invitations for members of the public, either as individuals or >>> groups, to submit responses to a series of questions. They have attracted >>> responses from unions, academics, non-governmental institutions and private >>> individuals. The first theme was ‘making laws in a digital age’, and the >>> second on ‘digital scrutiny’. The Commission plans to shortly publish the >>> final three themes. >>> >>> There is a growing sense that the growth of the Internet has not paid >>> the democratic dividends that it could. Turnout in formal political >>> elections is steadily decreasing, and trust and support in the institutions >>> and offices of mainstream political life are low and falling. Despite many >>> innovative attempts from both within and outside of Government, the daily >>> reality of democratic engagement for most people in the UK would be >>> familiar to generations of British citizens who predate Facebook or email. >>> The rise of the Internet has, broadly, done little to challenge >>> concentrations of power or structures of unequal representation >>> >>> Demos <http://www.demos.co.uk/> is one of Britain’s leading cross-party >>> think tank and it has an overarching mission to bring politics closer to >>> people. They contacted Wikimedia UK to propose an experiment: can an online >>> community be used to source a response to this call? Can the ethos, >>> community and technology like that of Wikipedia be used to engage >>> Wikipedians to come together and collaborate to create a reply? In >>> particular, Carl Miller, Research Director of the Demos Centre for the >>> Analysis of Social Media, wrote this piece for >>> Wired<http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-05/22/digital-democracy> in >>> which he describes Wikipedia as a masterclass in digital democracy. >>> >>> This conversation has led to what is an experimental attempt to do just >>> that. In theory there are many lessons that any attempt to increase >>> engagement with digital democracy can learn from Wikimedia projects, >>> especially Wikipedia. These include the participatory nature of content >>> development and the nature of content (and policy) being arrived at by >>> consensus. Wikipedians are from a wide array of backgrounds and represent a >>> broad spectrum of views. This could lend itself to effective drafting of >>> the kind of evidence that the Speaker is looking for. Wikimedia UK and >>> Demos would like to establish whether this is indeed the case. In >>> particular, we are seeking answers to the following questions: >>> >>> - >>> >>> How can technology help Parliament and other agencies to scrutinise >>> the work of government? >>> - >>> >>> How can technology help citizens scrutinise the Government and the >>> work of Parliament? >>> - >>> >>> What kinds of data should Parliament and Government release to the >>> public to make itself more open to outside scrutiny? >>> >>> Everyone is encouraged to try to answer these questions collaboratively, >>> in much the same way Wikipedia articles are approached - using the space >>> below for content and talk page for discussion. Stevie Benton from >>> Wikimedia UK <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stevie_Benton_(WMUK)> and >>> Carl Miller from Demos will happily answer any questions on the talk page >>> but are equally happy to let the process take its course. >>> >>> At this point there is no fixed deadline for evidence on the theme of >>> digital scrutiny. However, the Speaker’s Commission will be publishing >>> publishing a single call for evidence covering our last three themes (yet >>> to be announced). The conversation and crowdsourced evidence will be >>> reviewed at the end of June with a view to either continuing the process or >>> submitting as is. If there is appetite among the community, and if the >>> first attempt is successful, there may be further attempts to develop >>> submissions to the later three themes. >>> >>> At the end of the process Demos and Wikimedia UK will prepare a report >>> on the process and the effectiveness of this kind of approach to >>> crowdsourcing policy and evidence. This paper will be released under an >>> open licence. It is a real opportunity for Wikimedians to influence the >>> debate about digital democracy and both Wikimedia UK and Demos thank you >>> for engaging with this idea. >>> >>> You can find the consultation page >>> here<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Connecting_knowledge_to_power:_the_future_of_digital_democracy_in_the_UK> >>> and >>> we look forward to hearing from you. >>> Thanks and regards, >>> >>> Stevie >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Stevie Benton >>> Head of External Relations >>> Wikimedia UK+44 (0) 20 7065 0993 / +44 (0) 7803 505 173 >>> @StevieBenton >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and >>> Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered >>> Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. >>> United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia >>> movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who >>> operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> *Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control >>> over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.* >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimedia UK mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l >>> WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia UK mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l >> WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk >> > > > > -- > > Stevie Benton > Head of External Relations > Wikimedia UK+44 (0) 20 7065 0993 / +44 (0) 7803 505 173 > @StevieBenton > > > Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and > Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered > Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. > United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia > movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who > operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). > > *Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control over > Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.* > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia UK mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk >
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