IslandGovCamp 2012

John Fox

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Ideas contributed by John Fox

• I agree

  2 votes

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  IslandGovCamp Session Ideas »

  Let's earn ourselves a Foursquare Swarm badge this weekend!

  If 50+ registered Foursquare users check into a Foursquare venue simultaneously (within three hours of each other) they will be awarded a Foursquare Swarm badge. That's it ... they don't need to actually do anything - jump through hoops or silly things like that, just declare to the world that they're there. So this weekend we have a real opportunity to tell the world about Island Gov Camp by earning ourselves a hard-to-get ...more »

  If 50+ registered Foursquare users check into a Foursquare venue simultaneously (within three hours of each other) they will be awarded a Foursquare Swarm badge.

  That's it ... they don't need to actually do anything - jump through hoops or silly things like that, just declare to the world that they're there.

  So this weekend we have a real opportunity to tell the world about Island Gov Camp by earning ourselves a hard-to-get swarm badge at Orkney College!

  I would like to encourage *ALL* Island Gov Camp IN-PERSON attendees TO REGISTER WITH Foursquare and try it out this weekend.

  Please do this even if your registration is simply to assist regular users to earn what is actually a very hard to get badge, and on Monday morning you delete the account! But I personally hope that you'll stick with it a while longer ...

  As Foursquare is a location-based resource it means that Island Gov Camp REMOTE attendees are, in purely practical terms, excluded from participating in a swarm badge activity. Yesterday, though, I logged a support request with Foursquare in New York to ask whether it is possible for our remote attendees to somehow be recognised as 'present' at Orkney College if they meet the other swarm-earning criteria.

  I'm awaiting Foursquare's response with quite some interest!

  SO, this is the task list for this idea:

  Attending IN PERSON? Register as a Foursquare user if you aren't one already. Then check-in upon arrival at Orkney College on Saturday. That's all I'm asking you to do!

  REMOTE attending? Standby for further advice!

  Web links:

  www.foursquare.com/sign-up

  http://www.4squarebadges.com/foursquare-badge-list/swarm-badge/

  http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5697/Restaurant-Owner-Increases-Sales-by-110-with-Foursquare-Swarm-Badge-Party.aspx

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  Submitted by John Fox 1 year ago

• I agree

  1 vote

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  IslandGovCamp Session Ideas »

  Isn't it time that government embraced Foursquare?

  At Scot Gov Camp in Edinburgh in August 2010 I led a discussion on Foursquare, predicting that it had the potential to become the next big thing in social media terms. Two years on there's certainly more awareness of Foursquare, and the number of users continues to break records, but government organisations still don't seem to 'get' Foursquare. Millions of times a day, people use Foursquare to check in and share where ...more »

  At Scot Gov Camp in Edinburgh in August 2010 I led a discussion on Foursquare, predicting that it had the potential to become the next big thing in social media terms.

  Two years on there's certainly more awareness of Foursquare, and the number of users continues to break records, but government organisations still don't seem to 'get' Foursquare.

  Millions of times a day, people use Foursquare to check in and share where they are. Whether checking out a new restaurant, meeting up with friends, or visiting a favorite boutique, they are chronicling and sharing their adventures. Designated as a business or brand on Foursquare, a government organisation can be a big part of that experience.

  Foursquare offers a free set of tools to help venues (eg a swimming pool or cafe in a park) attract new customers and keep their best ones coming back.

  If you think of a government organisation as a brand (eg Orkney Islands Council), then Foursquare offers a unique way to stay engaged with followers no matter where they happen to be in the world.

  Check out this merchants case study about the New York Public Library's use of Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/business/merchants/casestudies/nypl

  Critics of Foursquare usually say they don't want everyone knowing where they are at any given time, or that it is all but a thieves' charter ("Hey, I'm down at Tesco, please burgle my house whilst I'm there"). Foursquare allows you to check-in to a venue 'off the grid' which means that your check-in isn't made public.

  To those unfamiliar with Foursquare the idea of earning badges might seem rather childish but badges are a great way of engaging customers and building loyalty to a brand or venue.

  I'd like to have a discussion about Foursquare and its relevance to government to explore how we individually and collectively might improve the state of play.

  Look out for my other idea about earning a Foursquare swarm badge on Saturday.

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  Submitted by John Fox 1 year ago

• I agree

  5 votes

  I disagree
  This idea is active.
  IslandGovCamp Session Ideas »

  How can users overcome the horror that is the new Knowledge Hub?

  I describe it as a horror because I, personally, find it a nightmare to use. I get the distinct impression that my user experience is a common one, and not limited to end users alone. Is the replacement service for the now defunct 'Communities of Practice' a retrograde development? It certainly seems like it to me. I'd be interested in exploring other users' experiences of Knowledge Hub - from an end user and, if we're ...more »

  I describe it as a horror because I, personally, find it a nightmare to use. I get the distinct impression that my user experience is a common one, and not limited to end users alone.

  Is the replacement service for the now defunct 'Communities of Practice' a retrograde development? It certainly seems like it to me.

  I'd be interested in exploring other users' experiences of Knowledge Hub - from an end user and, if we're lucky, the administrator/moderator perspective should such a user be able to participate in a discussion.

  If we're unable to help each other directly then perhaps we can build a body of 'evidence' to feedback to the service provider in the hope that they'll take heed and do something to improve the service for the benefit of all users.

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  9 comments for Idea: How can users overcome the horror that is the new Knowledge Hub?

  Submitted by John Fox 1 year ago

• I agree

  15 votes

  I disagree
  This idea is active.
  IslandGovCamp Session Ideas »

  Digital islands

  Island communities, faced with very real practical, geographical and/or logistical challenges in addition to their natural remoteness, have so much to gain from embracing digital technologies. Digital can improve community interactions, service delivery and economic development potential many times over. Yet anecdotal evidence suggests that local councils are largely ignoring the agenda. Their websites often fail ...more »

  Island communities, faced with very real practical, geographical and/or logistical challenges in addition to their natural remoteness, have so much to gain from embracing digital technologies.

  Digital can improve community interactions, service delivery and economic development potential many times over.

  Yet anecdotal evidence suggests that local councils are largely ignoring the agenda. Their websites often fail to mention that a service can be accessed online,which surely has to be an advantage if the alternative is - at minimum - a return inter-island ferry journey and perhaps the expense of an unnecessary car journey.

  What practical steps might we offer up to help an island authority take a great leap forward?

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  7 comments for Idea: Digital islands

  Submitted by John Fox 1 year ago

• I agree

  8 votes

  I disagree
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  Saturday Evening Ideas »

  Orkney Showcase

  An opportunity for Orkney to showcase its fabulous countryside and coastal attractions to attendees from the big island and elsewhere. With late May comes longer, lighter evenings, thus enabling forays to Orkney's top notch destinations such as Skara Brae, Yesnaby, the Ring of Brodgar, the Churchill Barriers or how about a walking tour of Stromness? It might be an organised and escorted 'tour' or perhaps offer ...more »

  An opportunity for Orkney to showcase its fabulous countryside and coastal attractions to attendees from the big island and elsewhere.

  With late May comes longer, lighter evenings, thus enabling forays to Orkney's top notch destinations such as Skara Brae, Yesnaby, the Ring of Brodgar, the Churchill Barriers or how about a walking tour of Stromness?

  It might be an organised and escorted 'tour' or perhaps offer self-guided directions and notes to participants with their own transport.

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  Submitted by John Fox 1 year ago

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