Sharing, Shaping, Success. a new approach to employment for the Internet Age.
Given the major changes we have seen in the world over the last two years, I have been thinking hard about how the community can get the best benefits from all the sacrifices that have been made over this time.
Although many have gained from what has happened, I believe the majority have lost a lot. Of course many of those that have lost, did start off from a very comfortable position and so, have not been visibly impacted. Much of this comfort came from the effort of our mothers and grandmothers and was invested in the bank of mum and dad. The times that they did this will not be seen again, just as the Victorian age will never return.
These losses are most likely to be seen in a long period of lower consumer activity in all markets. The result will be a lower number of employee roles, each of which has increasingly, and will continue to, become more demanding.
When I started work most individual roles were more specialist, but the number of workers performing each role was greater, and each role was covered by more than one person. This allowed for sick days, holidays and a tea break. Over the years, and with the introduction of automation, this 'slack' has been removed, and has brought the workers more stress, reduced efficiency, more sickness, early retirement and work just 'not being done'.
The irony is that those very workers are now expecting to have to work more years than ever, the retirement age has been reduced over the years, but is now increasing. This means a further reduction in the number of working roles and has resulted in the blocking of these roles by those already in employment.
Although the Country has done pretty well on the surface, it has been like shiny oil on water hiding the sludge building up beneath. As the oil breaks up we see more of the sludge.
Many commentators are likening this time to points in the past, such as when people’s roles moved from being travelling hunters to settled farmers, and from farmers to factory workers. For years there has been talk about us moving into the “Internet Age” but it never seemed to arrive. I think it *was* actually arriving, just with a whimper rather than a bang. The creation of the 'Global' in market and communication terms is a one way change, we will not go back.
At present all the moves of Governments are to 'repair, return, regress' to try and return to the hey days of the last 30 years, but if this *really* is a "revolution for the working population", this won't happen, and it is exactly the time for a 'New Approach to Work', as any attempts to 'go back' are at best mis-guided.
Since I first drafted this post in the New Year, I have spoken to many others about how the ideas may work in practice, and have received a unanimously positive response. What has surprised me the most is that no-one has said "it's been tried before and didn't work because...." or “that won’t work because….”, or even “this is happening already”
My suggestion is that communities create a work-pair of an older and younger member to fill the roles available in all paid employment. This will rapidly double the number of people employed. It will put a framework around uncertain retirement plans for those approaching their 3rd Age, retain the experience of those who have worked so hard over 30 plus years and ease the move of those leaving education, with freshly honed skills, into their 2nd Age. This will produce a Win, Win, Win for the Elder, the Younger and the Employer. And the people of this Country, even, hopefully the World will gain (you’ll notice I’m not one for small ambitions :)
The basis of the plan is job sharing, and of course this is not new, it may not be uncommon, but it is certainly not routine or normal in any sense.
So how is this idea different from existing job share schemes?
This scheme would create an older and younger pair who would form one worker unit. I refer to that unit as a work-pair, but having discussed this with a women’s group I feel that a team of 3 might be better when younger women are making up a work-pair (There is a need to create a vocabulary to describe the scheme components).
Why now?
We have a need to reform work in a way that has not been seen in 80 years. We have tools that we have *never* had before, distributed computers, distributed communications, distributed community. We have used these tools to create a global community of social networks. I believe that the social network is the key to the success of this scheme, and why it’s time has come.
The work-pair would be formed by taking advantage of all we have learnt from the use of social networking over recent years. For example: the use of on-line, virtual and real world get-togethers, co-operation on projects and community activism. For those that are not on-line the Community would extend the social network into the off-line world, being brought to the off-line by those who have the on-line tools.
A key factor in the success of the scheme would be the building of a trust relationship between the partners. Few people agree on everything, and indeed the creation of a work-pair would benefit from the complementary differences within the work-pair. The key element of trust is that the work-pair must resolve any issues that arise within the pairing in a way transparent to the employer.
The work-pair would apply for jobs as one, not two, people. Their application should be assessed and an interview conducted as usual for a singleton. The employers focus should be on the work to be carried out, the measures and results expected, not on managing the presence of each of the work-pair.
Example 1: an older experienced flat roof felter is paired with a younger novice who has the strength and stamina the older man once had. The older man has seen many simple mistakes lead to fires and accidents that gives flat roofing a bad record. These two, by forming a work-pair, do a roof in less than half the time of one man, with higher quality and speeding the build process, bringing a better experience to those that commissioned the job, who will be prepared to use this contractor again and hopefully in preference to those with lower quotes.
Example 2: an older office administrator is paired with two younger women who recently left college. The younger pair are comfortable with the latest computer software, whereas the older knows all the un-written processes of the office. They are all happy to work on the keyboard, but each is concerned over RSI and would prefer to take a break from that work during the day. One younger is a mum and needs to collect and deliver children, the older has family in France and would love to visit them more regularly. I don't need to spell out the benefits of this scenario, particularly at a time when 'maternity leave' is back on the working agenda.
Some work types can be carried out remotely and this gives the opportunity of parallel working, potentially doubling the productivity of the work-pair over a singleton. Where the role requires worker presence, this would be arranged by the work-pair to ensure the times are covered, 24x7x365 as required. The employer should not be concerned with this scheduling. This would particularly suit an older/younger pairing as holiday arrangements, weekend commitments, etc. are likely to intersect rather than collide.
Such a work-pair would be more productive than one individual and the work-role could be expanded to take advantage of this. I would estimate that (1+1)/2=1.25 as a minimum. This greater productivity is needed to cover some of the extra costs of a work-pair, but there should be sufficient extra for each of the work-pair to be remunerated at a higher level than a singleton. As a minimum I would expect that each of the work-pair should earn ¾ of the singleton wage. Remuneration covers more than wages and in other areas the work-pair will gain in ways a singleton could never.
A community push will be needed to improve the legislative regime for the scheme.
National Insurance is levied on the worker and not the role, this needs re-thinking. Employers are as much behind this change as anyone, so we are pushing at an open door there.
The reduction in ‘un-productive people’ will be welcomed by any sensible government, so we are pushing at another open door there.
How about the other challenges?
What are the interests vested in the status-quo?
What do the others impacted think?
What are the other problems?
Now is your chance to join the conversation!
I want to hear your ideas, I need you to spread the word, to discuss the hurdles, to help find the solutions.
Let's show the world that Social Community Networks, work!
v2: typo corrections only.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Saturday, December 26, 2009
10 Things Local Authories Could Do to Reduce Costs & Improve Services in 2010
Being deeply involved with the Social, Business and Communication processes that exploit the Internet; my thinking for 2010 is influenced by my thoughts when looking back over 2009. Although no expert I put my brain waves down here and invite your views.
The 'crash of 09' have had a major impact on me personally, but it seems that in-spite of all the talk about the need for change in, Banking, Finance, State Bodies, Employment, and Education, I don't see many new strategies. Reductions in the number of employee's seems to be the only strategy, and I believe this is bad for everybody.
So here are my Ten Suggestions to Local Authorities in 2010.
1. Dump Marketing Spend:
A lot of promotion is undertaken by councils and other state bodies. Much is wrapped in talk of requirements to 'inform', 'consultant' and 'educate', when it is really only self-promotion. I don't have insights into why this happens, but I see is all the time. This money should go to genuine 'inform', 'consultant' and 'educate' campaigns. The aims must be set before the campaign, and afterwards the results must be measured and published. Get small projects to build on each other, rather than big bang ideas that never achieve the original goal.
2. Publish information 100% electronically:
After years of prevarication this should be year to set a timeline to implement paper-free processes. Every process that is planned to use paper should have a lifecycle plan to move it to a paper-free one. Given suggestion #1 these types should be the first to move. From #3 'inform', 'consultant' and 'educate' publications should use school and university resources to design and produce the material.
3. Involve the Community:
There are many keen groups in the electorate that would get involved in ways that would improve the effectiveness of 'money spent'. These groups can provide resources for consulting, design, production, and manpower for action.
4. Use social media to build links.
The Community does not need to be ‘local’ in a geographic sense. The use of social media allows like thinking and common interest groups to be formed nationwide and even worldwide. The groups should highlight best practice and new innovations that can be implemented locally, easily and quickly. Opportunities for shared services such as website provision and maintenance will come out of such groups. Social Networks also enable #2, #3 and #4
5. Use internet for referenda, polls and feedback.
Implement a much tighter loop when involving the Community, existing processes often involve a "draft, survey, final process". This does not achieve true involvement with the community as it takes too much time and the Community has on "moved on" before any results are seen. The process should move to "survey, draft, survey, draft, vote on final". Use of the Internet, Web and Mobile communications is needed to meet speed and cost requirements of such a process. Currently much information is passed to the community via third parties, modern communications will increasingly provide a direct bi-directional link. Where individuals do not have direct access to the Internet, they will need to be linked to this information stream. This could be done using 'advocates' that have mobile access and attend such get-togethers as senior coffee mornings, church meetings, PTA meetings, etc.
6. Use GPS and Geo-Location technology and data to enhance and improve service supply:
Many new phones come with built in Geo-location and Application functionality, this should utilised to provide a more automated, faster and accurate service whenever location is important to the service.
8. Use the youth to plan the future:
The youth have the availability, inclination and desire to travel, learn and experiment. Later people have more ties, less stamina and reduced desire to travel, but while many still want to learn and experiment. Many want to reap the rewards of earlier investments. State service hubs must take advantage of these differences.
9. Use the seniors to inform the Youth:
Seniors have many years of experience, have been through economic and business cycles many times, they have done things the youth wish to do, and wish to do the things the youth are doing. This knowledge needs to be passed on to the youth and the interchange of knowledge may become a two way process. Their experience can inform business processes to help reduce waste, obsolete processes, and improve their effectiveness.
10. Finally:
Resolve that in 2010 a sea change will be seen by rate payers, providing improved services at reduced cost to local tax payers and creating hi-speed and bi-directional links to the local community, and to involve the wider community in ways that can impact locally in a win-win sense.
The 'crash of 09' have had a major impact on me personally, but it seems that in-spite of all the talk about the need for change in, Banking, Finance, State Bodies, Employment, and Education, I don't see many new strategies. Reductions in the number of employee's seems to be the only strategy, and I believe this is bad for everybody.
So here are my Ten Suggestions to Local Authorities in 2010.
1. Dump Marketing Spend:
A lot of promotion is undertaken by councils and other state bodies. Much is wrapped in talk of requirements to 'inform', 'consultant' and 'educate', when it is really only self-promotion. I don't have insights into why this happens, but I see is all the time. This money should go to genuine 'inform', 'consultant' and 'educate' campaigns. The aims must be set before the campaign, and afterwards the results must be measured and published. Get small projects to build on each other, rather than big bang ideas that never achieve the original goal.
2. Publish information 100% electronically:
After years of prevarication this should be year to set a timeline to implement paper-free processes. Every process that is planned to use paper should have a lifecycle plan to move it to a paper-free one. Given suggestion #1 these types should be the first to move. From #3 'inform', 'consultant' and 'educate' publications should use school and university resources to design and produce the material.
3. Involve the Community:
There are many keen groups in the electorate that would get involved in ways that would improve the effectiveness of 'money spent'. These groups can provide resources for consulting, design, production, and manpower for action.
4. Use social media to build links.
The Community does not need to be ‘local’ in a geographic sense. The use of social media allows like thinking and common interest groups to be formed nationwide and even worldwide. The groups should highlight best practice and new innovations that can be implemented locally, easily and quickly. Opportunities for shared services such as website provision and maintenance will come out of such groups. Social Networks also enable #2, #3 and #4
5. Use internet for referenda, polls and feedback.
Implement a much tighter loop when involving the Community, existing processes often involve a "draft, survey, final process". This does not achieve true involvement with the community as it takes too much time and the Community has on "moved on" before any results are seen. The process should move to "survey, draft, survey, draft, vote on final". Use of the Internet, Web and Mobile communications is needed to meet speed and cost requirements of such a process. Currently much information is passed to the community via third parties, modern communications will increasingly provide a direct bi-directional link. Where individuals do not have direct access to the Internet, they will need to be linked to this information stream. This could be done using 'advocates' that have mobile access and attend such get-togethers as senior coffee mornings, church meetings, PTA meetings, etc.
6. Use GPS and Geo-Location technology and data to enhance and improve service supply:
Many new phones come with built in Geo-location and Application functionality, this should utilised to provide a more automated, faster and accurate service whenever location is important to the service.
8. Use the youth to plan the future:
The youth have the availability, inclination and desire to travel, learn and experiment. Later people have more ties, less stamina and reduced desire to travel, but while many still want to learn and experiment. Many want to reap the rewards of earlier investments. State service hubs must take advantage of these differences.
9. Use the seniors to inform the Youth:
Seniors have many years of experience, have been through economic and business cycles many times, they have done things the youth wish to do, and wish to do the things the youth are doing. This knowledge needs to be passed on to the youth and the interchange of knowledge may become a two way process. Their experience can inform business processes to help reduce waste, obsolete processes, and improve their effectiveness.
10. Finally:
Resolve that in 2010 a sea change will be seen by rate payers, providing improved services at reduced cost to local tax payers and creating hi-speed and bi-directional links to the local community, and to involve the wider community in ways that can impact locally in a win-win sense.
Monday, December 21, 2009
HC Party ToDo No.1 - Climate Change ETS and how to Milk it.
At the HomeCamp Party I was talking with James (@monkchips), and a small group, discussing my experience of technology over my various work places from the past. Having been around for a while the cycles of life have travelled past me several times, a bit like Hales Comet. Themes such as the regular company re-org's which swing from Horizontal to Vertical organisation and back, Booms and Busts, and the popularity of Miniskirts, and then a backlash of Maxi ones have revealed their cyclic nature to me.
It is easy to think, in these days of info everywhere, all digitised and archived, that everything that was known in the past is still known, and those that have come along since have that knowledge already. What came out of the chat we were having is that this is just not the case.
A particularly interesting job that I had early in my career was working for the Milk Marketing Board in their main milk testing laboratory.
While I was describing my work a feeling of deja-vu wafted around us.
James’ eyes lit up *** Milk is just like Energy *** he exclaimed, and he asked me to write a post on the subject and so here it is. I use Farmer and Milk Producer interchangeably in this post.
So how did this revelation coalesce?
Milk is a commodity that is 'sort of natural' like energy, and like many natural things it must be harvested and processed before being available to the consumer.
Milk is a necessity of life and the only choice the consumer has is how much and what brand to use. Even then, brand availability may be restricted in particular markets.
The processor of milk is a separate business from the producer, and a supply chain links the producer and the consumer.
The price that the producer gets for their product is determined by the processors along the chain, it is also influenced by market price and market ‘adjustments’.
Milk Producers were paid a price per litre that was applied to the bulk tank supply of the milk, the price was modified by factors of Fat, Protein and Sugar content. The Milk Producers were not provided with information about the component content of the aggregate product until payment time.
Consumers pay a fixed price rate for their energy, the cost to the supplier is modified by factors of Source (wind, gas, coal, nuclear, wave, solar). Consumers are not provided with information about the component content of the aggregate product even at payment time.
What changes distorted the market for milk?
The Milk Marketing Board (MMB) was a pseudo state agency funded in part by milk processors and producers.
The role of the MMB was to manage the supply of milk for the good of the UK consumer, and to do this they managed the market between Milk Producer and the Milk Processor. Supply security was an important element of the management given the experiences of the UK during the 2nd World War.
Over this time the Producer end moved from milk into churns taken to creamery daily, to chilled, wheeled tanks taken every 3 days, to larger wheeled tank for 10 days production and then to bulk tanks collected from the farm. These moves were prompted by, and in turn caused, the consolidation and increased herd numbers per farm, more automation and new technology.
The MMB service I worked with was providing data about Fat, Protein and Sugar content on a per cow per day basis to the milk producer. This ‘added value’ data allowed the farmer to manage the milk resource (i.e. the cow) within the Milk Production business.
Why do this?
Fresh milk is difficult to store, it can be processed into dried and UHT forms, but this is expensive and was un-popular in the UK.
Fat content is important to the Creamery (Processor), Gold Top milk was high in fat (~4%), Silver Top was lower in fat (~2%) and for cheese, double cream etc, fat is removed, leaving low fat milk (ironically sold at a premium compared to Silver) and the Fat for additional products (also sold at a premium).
The constituent parts of milk depend on three variable factors, the cow, the grass & the feed. The grass depends on location, season, fertilizer, weeds, etc. The cows output depends on breed, health, feed, age, etc.
If Daisy produces 10x the milk quantity at 3.1% Fat, while Ermintrude’s milk is 4.2% is it better to exclude or include Daisy’s milk in the bulk tank?
The answer is, of course “it depends”. Being a geek, even then, I had to work on a matrix arithmetic programme (using a Commodore PET BASIC) to get the answer In fact, it is the same problem faced by food oil processors, to use palm oil or peanut oil, etc, etc? But that is another story.
Back to Milk…..
Around the same time that milk supply management moved to EU level, the MMB was dissolved, maybe pressure from the commercial market was a major factor or maybe it was mostly political, I do not know which was most significant.
Because milk production was subsided by the EU, the market distortions this introduced had to be managed by the EU. The EU sets overall rules, but the application of these rules is left to each EU State.
As milk was considered a ‘staple’ and a minimum supply was always to be available, the EU introduced a subsidy to producers. Milk production subsidies are not unique to the EU, I understand that Switzerland set the subsidy to give milk producers the same income as a factory worker, and then had to introduce punitive import restrictions, which limited a person to importing less than a litre per day, very difficult for a country with so many EU borders. The USA, Australia and New Zealand offer similar support schemes too.
In the EU milk Quotas were introduced to control supply when the world market price fell too low. Together with import restrictions, this would control the minimum price. Quota was given, free of charge, to the milk producers at the time of introduction, the size was based on the size of herd. I believe the calculation period varied between EU States, but was based on previous number of years returns giving the number of cows per farm. There was a notice period before the introduction that allowed milk producers to ‘prepare’ for the Quota system. This notice period inevitably created an uneven calculation system that enabled ‘planning’ or even gaming to occur.
To deal with the milk producers retiring, transferring of farms to siblings, the sale of farms, etc, the quotas were made transferable, and thus a market in Quota trading was created and where there is a market there is a broker.
This led to Quota leasing, sales and purchasing, not only from retiring farmers, but from those who were attracted by a high market price for Quota compared to their milk price, some to leave and some to enter the milk production business.
Because different milk producers get a price determined by their buyer not the market, the price is often lower for the small producer, the producer in a remote location, and producers in an area where there is only one buyer.
Well, that is as far I have got, I hope this post stimulates the comparisons to the energy trading systems that were brought to James’ mind in such a flash. I will be interested to see your comments.
(Disclaimer: These are 'facts' purely from my experience, the reader should verify the truth of anything I have said for themselves before reusing them)
It is easy to think, in these days of info everywhere, all digitised and archived, that everything that was known in the past is still known, and those that have come along since have that knowledge already. What came out of the chat we were having is that this is just not the case.
A particularly interesting job that I had early in my career was working for the Milk Marketing Board in their main milk testing laboratory.
While I was describing my work a feeling of deja-vu wafted around us.
James’ eyes lit up *** Milk is just like Energy *** he exclaimed, and he asked me to write a post on the subject and so here it is. I use Farmer and Milk Producer interchangeably in this post.
So how did this revelation coalesce?
Milk is a commodity that is 'sort of natural' like energy, and like many natural things it must be harvested and processed before being available to the consumer.
Milk is a necessity of life and the only choice the consumer has is how much and what brand to use. Even then, brand availability may be restricted in particular markets.
The processor of milk is a separate business from the producer, and a supply chain links the producer and the consumer.
The price that the producer gets for their product is determined by the processors along the chain, it is also influenced by market price and market ‘adjustments’.
Milk Producers were paid a price per litre that was applied to the bulk tank supply of the milk, the price was modified by factors of Fat, Protein and Sugar content. The Milk Producers were not provided with information about the component content of the aggregate product until payment time.
Consumers pay a fixed price rate for their energy, the cost to the supplier is modified by factors of Source (wind, gas, coal, nuclear, wave, solar). Consumers are not provided with information about the component content of the aggregate product even at payment time.
What changes distorted the market for milk?
The Milk Marketing Board (MMB) was a pseudo state agency funded in part by milk processors and producers.
The role of the MMB was to manage the supply of milk for the good of the UK consumer, and to do this they managed the market between Milk Producer and the Milk Processor. Supply security was an important element of the management given the experiences of the UK during the 2nd World War.
Over this time the Producer end moved from milk into churns taken to creamery daily, to chilled, wheeled tanks taken every 3 days, to larger wheeled tank for 10 days production and then to bulk tanks collected from the farm. These moves were prompted by, and in turn caused, the consolidation and increased herd numbers per farm, more automation and new technology.
The MMB service I worked with was providing data about Fat, Protein and Sugar content on a per cow per day basis to the milk producer. This ‘added value’ data allowed the farmer to manage the milk resource (i.e. the cow) within the Milk Production business.
Why do this?
Fresh milk is difficult to store, it can be processed into dried and UHT forms, but this is expensive and was un-popular in the UK.
Fat content is important to the Creamery (Processor), Gold Top milk was high in fat (~4%), Silver Top was lower in fat (~2%) and for cheese, double cream etc, fat is removed, leaving low fat milk (ironically sold at a premium compared to Silver) and the Fat for additional products (also sold at a premium).
The constituent parts of milk depend on three variable factors, the cow, the grass & the feed. The grass depends on location, season, fertilizer, weeds, etc. The cows output depends on breed, health, feed, age, etc.
If Daisy produces 10x the milk quantity at 3.1% Fat, while Ermintrude’s milk is 4.2% is it better to exclude or include Daisy’s milk in the bulk tank?
The answer is, of course “it depends”. Being a geek, even then, I had to work on a matrix arithmetic programme (using a Commodore PET BASIC) to get the answer In fact, it is the same problem faced by food oil processors, to use palm oil or peanut oil, etc, etc? But that is another story.
Back to Milk…..
Around the same time that milk supply management moved to EU level, the MMB was dissolved, maybe pressure from the commercial market was a major factor or maybe it was mostly political, I do not know which was most significant.
Because milk production was subsided by the EU, the market distortions this introduced had to be managed by the EU. The EU sets overall rules, but the application of these rules is left to each EU State.
As milk was considered a ‘staple’ and a minimum supply was always to be available, the EU introduced a subsidy to producers. Milk production subsidies are not unique to the EU, I understand that Switzerland set the subsidy to give milk producers the same income as a factory worker, and then had to introduce punitive import restrictions, which limited a person to importing less than a litre per day, very difficult for a country with so many EU borders. The USA, Australia and New Zealand offer similar support schemes too.
In the EU milk Quotas were introduced to control supply when the world market price fell too low. Together with import restrictions, this would control the minimum price. Quota was given, free of charge, to the milk producers at the time of introduction, the size was based on the size of herd. I believe the calculation period varied between EU States, but was based on previous number of years returns giving the number of cows per farm. There was a notice period before the introduction that allowed milk producers to ‘prepare’ for the Quota system. This notice period inevitably created an uneven calculation system that enabled ‘planning’ or even gaming to occur.
To deal with the milk producers retiring, transferring of farms to siblings, the sale of farms, etc, the quotas were made transferable, and thus a market in Quota trading was created and where there is a market there is a broker.
This led to Quota leasing, sales and purchasing, not only from retiring farmers, but from those who were attracted by a high market price for Quota compared to their milk price, some to leave and some to enter the milk production business.
Because different milk producers get a price determined by their buyer not the market, the price is often lower for the small producer, the producer in a remote location, and producers in an area where there is only one buyer.
Well, that is as far I have got, I hope this post stimulates the comparisons to the energy trading systems that were brought to James’ mind in such a flash. I will be interested to see your comments.
(Disclaimer: These are 'facts' purely from my experience, the reader should verify the truth of anything I have said for themselves before reusing them)
Friday, December 11, 2009
Full Disclosure On Twitter
Two twitter themes in one day!
A subject that came up recently in discussions on Twitter, and related to another FIR show, was how to do disclosure of potential "conflicts of interest" in Tweets.
The trigger for the discussion was the legal changes that came into force in the US on 1st Dec 2009 and, as I have heard it reported, require bloggers in the US to declare any payments from and in connection with companies and products mentioned in blog posts.
I am sure there a many ideas on the 'best way' to do this flagging, but this is mine. I haven't seen any other suggestion, but I will be looking further into this later.
My suggestion is to use the Tag #D and to ensure your profile URL points to a web page with the usual Contact info, T&C's, Privacy Policy, and a Declaration of Interests. It could also be extended to #D1 etc to reference a particular subsection of the DOI.
A subject that came up recently in discussions on Twitter, and related to another FIR show, was how to do disclosure of potential "conflicts of interest" in Tweets.
The trigger for the discussion was the legal changes that came into force in the US on 1st Dec 2009 and, as I have heard it reported, require bloggers in the US to declare any payments from and in connection with companies and products mentioned in blog posts.
I am sure there a many ideas on the 'best way' to do this flagging, but this is mine. I haven't seen any other suggestion, but I will be looking further into this later.
My suggestion is to use the Tag #D and to ensure your profile URL points to a web page with the usual Contact info, T&C's, Privacy Policy, and a Declaration of Interests. It could also be extended to #D1 etc to reference a particular subsection of the DOI.
Don't Just Send That Tweet
After listening to Neville Hobson & Shel Holtz discussing the problems that tweeting without pre-thinking on their www.ForImmediateRelease.biz show FIR, a song by Artisan came into my mind but with the wrong lyrics.
Here are the lyrics I came up with, They are voiced by Vicky MacApple in a recording I have put up on ipadio.com/phlogs/mikethebee/2009/12/10/Dont-Send-That-Tweet.
Maybe someone musical could come up with an open replacement for the tune I was thinking of, or someone with a voice could give a human voice. If you do then please let me know.
Lyrics by MikeTheBee
CC:BY,SA
To the tune of Tom Paxton's "Don't Slay That Potato"
Ooooh noo, dont just send that tweet,
think on before you press go.
is it a nice one, is it just sweet,
is it just nasty, or sent in the heat.
does it enlighten, does it inspire,
or will it depress, or just add to the fire.
Will it inform, and win you some friends,
or will just anger and send round the bends.
Ooooh noo, dont just send that tweet,
think on before you press go.
letters are slow, but twitter is quick,
don't let that speed, lessen your wit.
packing your tweets with soft,sloppy slush,
isn't the answer to tweet in a rush.
think and consider, as you would if mailed it,
that is that last chance, to know that you've nailed it.
Ooooh noo, dont just send that tweet,
think on before you press go,
after you press it it is just to late,
now is the last time to have the debate.
Ooooh noo, dont just send that tweet,
think...on....before...you...press...gohhh,
Here are the lyrics I came up with, They are voiced by Vicky MacApple in a recording I have put up on ipadio.com/phlogs/mikethebee/2009/12/10/Dont-Send-That-Tweet.
Maybe someone musical could come up with an open replacement for the tune I was thinking of, or someone with a voice could give a human voice. If you do then please let me know.
Lyrics by MikeTheBee
CC:BY,SA
To the tune of Tom Paxton's "Don't Slay That Potato"
Ooooh noo, dont just send that tweet,
think on before you press go.
is it a nice one, is it just sweet,
is it just nasty, or sent in the heat.
does it enlighten, does it inspire,
or will it depress, or just add to the fire.
Will it inform, and win you some friends,
or will just anger and send round the bends.
Ooooh noo, dont just send that tweet,
think on before you press go.
letters are slow, but twitter is quick,
don't let that speed, lessen your wit.
packing your tweets with soft,sloppy slush,
isn't the answer to tweet in a rush.
think and consider, as you would if mailed it,
that is that last chance, to know that you've nailed it.
Ooooh noo, dont just send that tweet,
think on before you press go,
after you press it it is just to late,
now is the last time to have the debate.
Ooooh noo, dont just send that tweet,
think...on....before...you...press...gohhh,
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
More to it than Metering
I was just listening to @tomraftery on GreenMonk TV, he referenced a story about PG&E in the US and seriously failings in the Smart-meter roll-out.
It revolves around the excessive consumer bills that arose in the summer months due to HVAC units running in peak hours, as of course they would, we cannot store "coolness" very easily yet.
Tom pointed out that Utilities have never been good at communication, which is true, some marketing stuff, but nothing about tariffing or technology.
So I am adding this post to alert the need for Smart-meter roll-out to have a comms element, comms to the user, not just to the computer. Lots of opportunities here. Should be a good topic for a HomeCamp workshop.
It revolves around the excessive consumer bills that arose in the summer months due to HVAC units running in peak hours, as of course they would, we cannot store "coolness" very easily yet.
Tom pointed out that Utilities have never been good at communication, which is true, some marketing stuff, but nothing about tariffing or technology.
So I am adding this post to alert the need for Smart-meter roll-out to have a comms element, comms to the user, not just to the computer. Lots of opportunities here. Should be a good topic for a HomeCamp workshop.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
UK Smart Meter Target Annouced
Having been pre-announced several times, the official announcement seems to have now been made, although I haven't found it the Government statement yet, the press is full of the details.
It is interesting that it will cover gas and electricity and will require the inclusion of an indoor monitor unit.
As I mentioned in my last post I hope that the opportunity will be taken to make this a positive experience for household energy services in the UK rather than all the focus being on the cost and lack of real benefits to the householder.
The last major change on this scale was the change from "town gas" to "natural gas" that required new meters, cooker burners and fires because of the higher delivery pressure. Although I was young and it was so many years ago, I remember it as a time of disruption throughout the country, with yellow pipes everywhere for years. No direct householder benefits came from all the expense, but the loss of use of portable equipment and months of disruption, was felt by my family.
Even at that time the industry was aware that adding a remote sender would be a good addition, but indecision and opportunity ownership problems prevented the sensors being included.
I am hoping that this time such a loss will not happen. I am not yet convinced, but will be watching for any chance I get to spread the HomeCamp Message.
It is interesting that it will cover gas and electricity and will require the inclusion of an indoor monitor unit.
As I mentioned in my last post I hope that the opportunity will be taken to make this a positive experience for household energy services in the UK rather than all the focus being on the cost and lack of real benefits to the householder.
The last major change on this scale was the change from "town gas" to "natural gas" that required new meters, cooker burners and fires because of the higher delivery pressure. Although I was young and it was so many years ago, I remember it as a time of disruption throughout the country, with yellow pipes everywhere for years. No direct householder benefits came from all the expense, but the loss of use of portable equipment and months of disruption, was felt by my family.
Even at that time the industry was aware that adding a remote sender would be a good addition, but indecision and opportunity ownership problems prevented the sensors being included.
I am hoping that this time such a loss will not happen. I am not yet convinced, but will be watching for any chance I get to spread the HomeCamp Message.
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