2 weeks to go…
Blimey, where does the time go… just 2 weeks ’till the big day!?
Ideas needed!
In the meantime, I’m setting you a wee bit of homework 
As you know, we’re building stuff as well as talking this year. And, so we can get the day off to a flying start, we need to be able to focus on a particular/issue problem. So, get voting (or add your own ideas). Preferably by teatime on Monday (12th). That’ll give us time to look out some relevant data sources to use on the day.
Thanks!
While I’m on, I’d just like to thank Aberdeen University for hosting the event and also our very generous sponsors moreopen and Learning Pool. Check out their websites – we couldn’t do ScotGovCamp without them!
Getting there
Remember to check out our Google Map for travel sharing opportunities.
Mini-ScotGovCamp in Glasgow
Sorry if you were holding out for the promised Glasgow event during Social Media Week, but we’ve not been able to make this happen. There are still a few tickets available for the main shindig though.
Barcamp with a twist of hacking
This year’s ScotGovCamp (Aberdeen on 24 September) builds on the success of our 2010 event by adding a hackday strand. [TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE - JUST!]
Traditional hackdays are free-form events where developers and others, such as enthusiasts, campaigners or journalists, come together and discuss potential projects to work on. The discussion can take up most of the morning as ideas are explored and data sources are investigated. Only once that discussion has taken place do groups form and the work begin.
We thought that we’d try something different for ScotGovCamp. If we can move the idea bit forward, ahead of the hackday, we can use the day itself more efficiently – building something all day rather than discussing options. So…we have a forum where you can suggest ideas for the hackday and vote on them up to 10 September. Once we have a ‘winner’ that gives us two weeks to identify data sources, leaving the day clear to work on building stuff.
BTW, feel free to move between the two strands – the hackday and the govcamp – on the day. We hope that the hackday will produce applications of relevance to the barcamp discussions, and that the winning topic for the hackday will generate discussion at the barcamp. All we ask is that when booking tickets you choose the strand where you anticipate most of your time will be spent.
Get two fabulous events for the price of one!
ScotGovCamp 2011 will be held in the MacRobert Building at the University of Aberdeen on Saturday 24 September. [TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!]
So what’s this GovCamp thing all about then?
GovCamps are self organised unconferences for people that work in and around government. They’re free; have no set, pre-defined agenda; focus on attendee participation; integrate with online stuff and are relentlessly positive, constructive and creative. GovCamps enable folk interested in developing innovation and technology in government to come together in an informal setting to share their ideas. And eat pizza.
What’s on the agenda
Nothing yet! (see above). Last year we talked about:
open data
G cloud
Digital Scotland
Foursquare
Big Society
linked data
law and computers
barriers to engagement
lots of other stuff
ScotGovHack
This year, we’re trying something a wee bit different. Alongside the more ‘traditional’ discussion/presentation sessions there will be parallel hacking sessions – during which we can actually make some stuff! You can get involved in one or t’other, or dip in and out of both. (But just so we get an idea of the numbers for who wants to do what – it’d be helpful if you could choose the appropriate ticket type!)
Getting there
Add yourself to our Google Map to see if anyone else is going in your direction. There may be opportunities for car sharing, etc.
Keep in touch!
Stake out these places for updates before, during and after:
- this blog!
- the Scottish GovCamp group on the UKGovCamp site
- Twitter – hashtag: #sgc2
- the Scotland Web 2 community on the IS/LGID CoP platform (login required)
Tickets
Grab your ticket now – they sold out pretty quick last year!
ScotGovCamp 2011
New University of Aberdeen library in construction
Right boys and girls! I am awfully chuffed* to be able to confirm that ScotGovCamp 2011 will be held in the MacRobert Building at the University of Aberdeen on Saturday 24 September.
I’ll be posting more detail here shortly, and the first tranche of tickets should be available later in the week.
[I've also been chatting with the nice folks at IRISS about holding a mini GovCamp in Glasgow during Social Media Week, which is the previous week (17 - 23 September). This would probably be an evening event and we would be limited to about 30 people. Again, more to follow.]
* not least cos it means I can ogle the new library (which might be open by then!)
GraniteCamp anyone?
Right. First off, an apology. I’ve been promising to say something about ScotGovCamp 2011 (#SGC2) for ages. I have had good reason for holding back…honest. But I still can’t talk about that. Sorry. I’m not trying to be ‘all mysterious’ – I really am unable to elaborate at the moment.
But…what I can say is (drum roll please) that SGC2 may well be taking place in Aberdeen on 24 September. Plans are at an early stage, so the date and the location may still change – but there are lots of good folk in and around the granite city keen to make it happen.
I can also say that we might try to add a hack day element to the event this time.
So, thank you for your patience folks. Hopefully I’ll have more details for you soon.
(And, obviously, do let me know if you think Aberdeen/24 September/hack day-ifying is/are completely idiotic idea/s!!!)
Taking a break
This blog will be taking a short hiatus.
The Scottish Parliament election takes place on 5 May. There are implications for the work of the Scottish Government and it’s civil servants during the official ‘election period’ – which starts today. These arise from the special character of Government business during an election campaign, and from the need to maintain the impartiality of the Civil Service and avoid criticism of inappropriate use of official resources. There’s more information on the Scottish Government website if you want the full ins and outs.
Although this is not in any way an official government blog…it’s main contributor (me!) is a civil servant and I’m not taking any chances!
Once we’re back – mid May-ish – it’ll be full steam ahead with planning ScotGovCamp 2, so get your thinking caps as I’ll be looking for ideas! And assistance…
In the meantime…you might want to go along to Social Innovation Camp Scotland, which takes place at the Informatics Forum on 17 – 19 June. Or if you’re a data geek, there’s a National Hack the Government Day event in Aberdeen on 26 March.
Public sector blogging in Scotland
[NB. Cross posted from my own blog at http://mea-mea-culpa.blogspot.com]
I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this you think that people blogging about their work is a GOOD THING. And possibly also that blogging AT WORK about more personal stuff is also a GOOD THING. If, however, you’re not convinced, have a read of this and this. And if you’re still not convinced – why on earth are you reading this blog?!
I’ve been blogging about my work (with the occasional post about more personal stuff) for about four years now. I’m still not very good at it, but I think the fact that I’m doing it at all is a GOOD THING. For me, even if it’s not for anyone else. And for me other people blogging about their work in the public sector has been a VERY GOOD THING – I’ve learnt a hell of a lot from the blogs I read.
Because it’s a GOOD THING we need more folk doing it. There are some very good blogs with a public sector focus written in Scotland. Here are some that I’m aware of – in no particular order (and with apologies to any I’ve missed out):
- http://benplouviez.wordpress.com/
- http://corrinnedouglas.wordpress.com/
- http://www.prettysimple.co.uk/blog/
- http://royhair.com/
- http://scotgovcamp.wordpress.com
But we can do better! So I’ve being having a think about how we might get more public sector folk in Scotland blogging. (And I’m talking here about blogging outside the walled garden of the Communities of Practice space – lovely though that garden is.)
Blogger extraordinaire Mr Dave Briggs recently wrote a post about Public Sector Bloggers, which aggregates content from UK public sector blogs (very few are written this side of the border), and mentioned it’s growing unwieldiness (cos of the increase in blogs). Suggestions for the future development of the site include better categorisation and the addition of blogging guidance.
But…I’m wondering if a Public Sector Bloggers type resource specifically for Scotland/Scottish bloggers would be something worth developing?
What do you think? Would existing Scottish public sector bloggers be keen to have their posts aggregated in this way? Would it be a useful resource for encouraging people to blog? Or could we just make more of the existing Public Sector Bloggers site?
I’d also be interested in suggestions for other ways to encourage more blogging in the public sector in Scotland.
