GLAM-Wiki 2013

GLAM-Wiki 2013

Do you react to the cover of this document?

Now imagine yourself in the Ephesus of AD45 (the exact parallel needs to slip just a bit later). A new religion has been  just 12 years in the making and you receive an invite to one of its early councils. Wikipedia's first article was published in 2001. In its 12 year growth in this the digital age, its explosion into being a place of world influencing makes the growth of Early Christianity rather slow. Yet there are intense parallels. 

I was fortunate last Saturday to be at the GLAM-Wiki 2013 conference at the British Library. It is where I sensed this parallel. The topic had drawn influential, articulate and energised contributors from ISRAEL to Iceland, onto North America and through Europe in Greece, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands (not comprehensive).

The essence of a new religion is a universal solution. Wikipedia is not claiming to save your soul but its founder's claim is a large one "free access to the sum of all human knowledge". And like a religion, does it claim an aspiration too far, one that may be both impractical and undesirable? Had Wales said "the sum of all public knowledge" there would be a big tick from me. Still something of  a task but an unambiguously desirable one.  However the theology in me baulks at "all human knowledge". Privacy of information for both the private person and the corporate entity is an essential part of functioning. A mysterious God may know the sum of my brain and perhaps I shall need to rely on his mercy at some point. But do I wish the world to know the inner workings of my brain? Do you wish to share yours? Wikileaks (it is not part of the Wiki Foundation) has taken this philosophy into some extreme territory. Has someone pondered on the links between Wikimedia and 1984? An Oyster card could be in the same zone.

Wikipedia (the prime part of Wikimedia) comes with caveats and there are others. Despite which it is here to stay, it will be the measure of on line knowledge for the foreseeable future and the GLAM Sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) MUST master their engagement with it. The obvious challenges added are that the user has to work in  a computer code, no sole authorship exists, articles evolve in negotiation and for a busy public sector worker, this enthusiasm could be frustrating. It is a touchy feely place with a hint of anarchy (but surely not Nihilism). It thrives on openness, a version of outing. It aims to see GLAM's large and small releasing their controls and uploading masses of digitised material irrevocably and free of restraint. There have been spectacularly large examples of this. In fact a variety of licences on the "Commons" do exist, material can with some effort be retracted (if despite all your efforts, another and unhappy copyright holder appears).

I cannot think that a GLAM's engagement with Wikimedia to be successful will be a quick fix. A pump priming residency can get things moving but it is a cultural shift among staff that is needed for the long haul. Staff need to become comfortable with a range of flexible on line tools on top of Wikimedia for the whole package to work. The challenge of not being "promotional" in content or user name may exercise a new editor. There are solutions, finding them and quoting them helps. The new editor will likely discover themselves in a very discursive element often with anonymous people.

This should not be a read as a downer, just some notes of realism, because the rewards for working at it are immense. The multiplication factor of engagement has been shown to be exponential. If it were not so, key institutions like the Brooklin Museum, the British Library, the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum would not in this. For the purposes of where I am working for a while with Wikimedia UK and Tyne & Wear Museums & Archives, there are now plenty of middle sized institutions engaged which offer parallels like Derby Museums #glamderby. For us in North East England it was suggested to me that our area is Wiki light and that therefore there is a yet more open door........................

Houses of Parliament

We are not regulars at Westminster. Fiona and 12 year old Clare had never been there. I went on a Parliamentry lobby back in 1985. Fellow blogger and our MP Guy Opperman stresses how welcome his constituents are to request a "members visit". Essentially this is a privately booked 75 minute free tour of the building. The "members tour" is an industry in itself and only in the summer recess does it morpth into a publicly advertised tour.  Our daughter Clare is 12 so we booked her her first London treat for two nights last week (recommends Harlingford Hotel). Did we pack it in? Both myself and Fiona each had a separate day's work (Wiki and CILIP). We left Prudhoe on the 0630 Thurs and I was back 2137 Sat. In the gap were compressed the RAF Museum at Hendon, Les Miserables at The Queen's (turn up, join the "Returns" queue and pay £67.50 each for a mesmerising experience, all the more for being unplanned), photographing loads of buses, trains and buildings, and the Sylvanian shop in Finsbury Park. London takes time, the Underground was not behaving either day. Clare was exhausted by the time she got back on a train north. She was though electrified with the core visits.

Funny how Les Miserables and the Commons came together! In an age when church institutions struggle largely through their own failings to convince, the 28 year old musical selling out night after night presents the gospel of redeeming love and the nature of freedom. This is the Christian message being proclaimed night after night in the centre of London. Some might not realise this. I knew little enough about the show or the book beforehand. We only went because a friend had taken Clare to see the film and she has not stopped talking about it since.

It was a good warm up act to the Houses of Parliament. For the latter are the triumphant expression of the power of British parliamentary democracy. It would be easy to say the architecture is Victorian Gothic and imperalist. However through all the overwhelming trappings of glory, a human story of struggle shines out, one you realise has been centuries in the making. The tour turned the so familiar building into a human tale. Now maybe perhaps my next move would be to attend a debate, I am already thanks to Guy, in Hansard. Forget any narrow political differences and rejoice to live in a free democracy won only at the cost of a lot of blood, blood which was indeed well on show as we were shown around.

The photo shows Westminster Hall, this is the only place inside where the public may use cameras. It was built in 1097. You can imagine how impressive it was, even though the roof is newer.

Retail woes

A walk around Hexham yesterday and a read of the Courant today revealed how bads things are getting retail wise. I see two enormous factors in play. The on going recession and the accompanying reluctance of people to have a day out from Newcastle. The closure of the bike shop and of Thornton's were new to me. When Tynedale Park was Robbs that acted as a real draw to bring people to the town. Who will drive to Tesco in Hexham to become ensared in a long traffic jam. Silly ole me. The message for Prudhoe is that the developement as currently planned will have exactly the same effect. It will kill the Front Street and ennsare the town in a traffic jam. Only a top class development with innovation on the hillside would really bring prosperity. As the candidates come acalling don't be afraid to raise this. I will not consider voting for anyone as a Prudhoe politician unless they accept the necessity of reviewing the Duke's plan.  I am only aware of one candidate saying this just now.

Tory candidate for our ward

Speaking personally I was very pleased to see Gerry Price our potential Tory county council candidate's glossy flyer come through our door today. I might have liked to see something about public transport but otherwise it struck all the right notes: potholes and dog poo do matter. So does the new school, protecting our green environment and reviewing the Town Centre project. All those were in and for the last the word all viewpoints appeared. Cheers Gerry and Guy Opperman MP.

Bus enthusiasts of the world unite......................

Bus enthusiasts of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your gears. The universality of the pulling power of the Leyland Olympian was shown yesterday. A snowbound Stanhope drew people from Basingstoke and Hong Kong. Perhaps it was all a dream? No for as this bus (not an Olympian) we passed in Bishop Auckland suggests it was but a call to repentence in the face of sin and the universal strangeness of existence. (Blow up the back end). Many more pictures at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=462613347145759&set=a.147962981944132.39656.100001912940850&type=1&theater and surrounds.

Eilleen Burt as a Labour candidate in Prudhoe West Ward

                            (one of our challenges, the delightful but antiquated 1883 access to the A69)



Here is an open letter sent to Prudhoe Town Councillor Eilleen Burt and now County Council candidate for Labour in our ward

Dear Eilleen

Firstly may I congratulate you on announcing your candidacy for the county council Prudhoe West Ward where I live.

I try not to take sides but respect all mainstream viewpoints and debate with them.


You will probably know I help to voluntarily admin
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Take-Pride-in-Prudhoe-2012/244877205624467>

We welcome Prudhoe's politicians engaging in debate there. All we try to do as admins is to keep it polite.

I wonder if you have found <http://robertatforsythe.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/prudhoe-election-year-vision.html> and other things I have written about Prudhoe there.

If you succeed in your campaign. I very much hope you will be able to keep Prudhoe in the limelight and to make it a 21st century town.

For my money that phrase 21st century is so important. The last year has revealed much across Northumberland about how Northumberland Estates operate. Surely not an approach the Labour party condones? Landlordism at its worst?

What will you offer the local community by way of engagement with its landowner to review the town centre development whilst it appears in hiatus to change it to something meeting broader appreciation?

I passionately think the sites needs development but it needs a 21st century project and the one on offer is from the 1980s. Who would design a new supermarket that does NOTHING to get public transport to the front door? One of many many deficiencies.

Other subjects I take an interest in include public transport and the landscape. Prudhoe has a wealth of surrounds and history. It is a glorious place to live and it can be better. A vision for green infrastructure is being drawn to the PCP's attention on the 16 April. Will you speak up for that?

Only in the last few weeks have I been shown a hidden colliery landscape of the 1870s still in existence in Prudhoe and on county land. This should be an asset. It is a remarkable survival.

People like Peter Nevin have done a lot for Prudhoe's public transport. Despite which changes in March will mean that the south and west of the town are very poorly served. How could Ferndene appear with no public transport?

Peter wants to see the interchange completed with more parking and decent waiting areas. He knows how it can be done. I support him. Will you?

I should say I am a member of the Tyne Valley Line Rail Users Group (only a fiver payable by Pay Pal), a board member of Tyne Valley Line Community Rail Partnership and on the PCP Transport Working Group.

I hope before the election Prudhoe debates its future. Will you be making arrangements to set up a public debate or hustings in The Spetchells?

I always welcome converse and debate either on line or in person. And should you knock on our door you can come prepared with answers to my questions.

The Right Time

SUMMARY OF A Network Rail press release
"*Subject:**BBC TV focus on rail - an update*
Further to email below, the confirmed transmission dates for “The Railway Keeping Britain on Track” are as follows:
· King's Cross - BBC2 9pm Tues 12th Feb 2013
· Summer Madness (Leeds) - BBC2 9pm Tues 19th Feb 2013
· Standing Room Only (Reading) - BBC2 9pm Tues 26th Feb 2013
· West Coast Main Line - BBC2 9pm Tues 5th March 2013
· Railway on My Doorstep (Communities) - BBC2 9pm Tues 12th March 2013
· Scotland - BBC2 9pm Tues 19th March 2013

A six-part series of one-hour programmes titled: “The Railways: Keeping Britain on Track” on BBC2. Network Rail, TOCs, BTP and our suppliers and contractors have all been involved in making this observational documentary, which will shine a light on the people who help keep the railway running, and the challenges they face. This series has been almost two years in the making following an initial meeting with Network Rail’s media team. We had been approached by a number of documentary makers and decided that the time was right to take a calculated risk and let the BBC in behind our doors to give the general public, stakeholders and funders, an insiders’ view on the size and complexity of our railway and the challenges we face. This decision was endorsed by David Higgins and Tom Kelly and fitted with our open and transparent agenda.

Whilst initial introductions were made to a number of people across the business, the TV production team were free to contact and film with anyone that was happy to be involved, although there was regular contact between the media team and producers throughout. Dozens of people across the industry from signallers and station teams to route managing directors and programme managers contributed to more than 90 hours of filming in our stations, depots, on track, in offices, construction sites, route controls and signal boxes across the nation. The series is narrated by Kevin Whately of of Lewis and Inspector Morse fame.

Given the safety restrictions of filming on the railway, we arranged for the team to attend a Personal Track Safety course to acquire the necessary permits to film trackside and supplied them with the safety clothing such as hard hats and hi vis jackets etc. We made sure they had contacts with our national and route control
teams and access to key people in NetworkOperations who manage access to the railways. Whilst safety restrictions meant they could not have free reign on the railways or construction sites, every effort was made to give them access to film where they wanted to. Having watched the episodes in advance, I think viewers will get a real and valuable insight into the challenges that railway staff face on a daily basis. It’s clear that people working in this industry are dedicated, passionate about the railway and their jobs and about good customer service. The series may also make it clear to those watching, some of the underlying reasons for journey delays".

Robert Forsythe I wholeheartedly welcome this. Something did strike me. "the time was right to take a calculated risk and let the BBC in behind our doors" and it "fitted with our open and transparent agenda". There is never a right time to have an open and transparent agenda. You either have it or you don't!