I think I should still have that report lying around somewhere, I’ll dig it out as soon as possible and do as you suggest.

I do definitly find myself in the middle of two very different sets of people in my work. There are those who believe that we should be using every form of new technology and social media avaliable without much regard as to its effectiveness, and then there are those (the IT folk) who think, to quote DK from Mediasnackers “it’s all evil”.

The main barriers I seem to be facing from the latter camp are the safety issue (Myspace etc leave young people open to predators etc, we can’t promote this), and setting precedents (if we let you use Myspace/Facebook etc) in your working hours, will we need to let everyone else do the same etc).

Sorry for such a long comment, I could write whole blog posts of my own on this issue! Would be interesting to know what you think.

Thanks again,

Chris

Definitely always happy to chat about ways to get more effective use of communication tools to engage young people and wider citizen groups.

Do you still have the report you wrote? If it’s something you can share it might be interesting to post it over on the YouthWorkOnline.org.uk site – and to explore whether IT depts and decision makers have yet moved on, or what work we need to do to help them understand the potential of the technologies, and to understand that they can engage safely…

Just wanted to drop by to say how much I enjoyed your presentation and workshop yesterday at the 4 Children conference in London.

Didn’t get the chance to speak to you in person yesterday, but I walked away from your sessions, and the day as a whole, brimming with inspiration and raring to get back to work.

If you’d be willing, I’d love to pick your brains some time if you have any suggestions on ways to persuade IT departments about the benefits of SNS.

Back when the whole Myspace craze really boomed a few years back, I wrote a whole report on using the site as a communication tool, only to have it shot down without discussion.

So infuriating!

By then I think we’ll have launched three more apps. – one with Tom at Norfolk and certainly two for Channel 4.

There’s so much to be learned here…

And as the programme is still in draft I may well be looking out for some SNS application builders in the youth sector to come along to one or more sessions…

…something you might be up for?

Tim

Great – good to see the good guys being recognised.