Ofcom publishes March media literacy e-bulletin

Ofcom has published the March edition of the Media Literacy e-bulletin. In addition to articles on UK media literacy initiatives, international developments and work in the Nations, there are details of new research reports and some important dates for your diary – including Silver Surfers’ Day.

One in three people over 50 don’t use the internet, which puts them at greater risk of social, financial and political exclusion. This edition highlights how NIACE, in partnership with GMTV and supported by Ofcom, is calling on all UK families to encourage these people to improve their computer skills and learn how to use the internet.

The e-bulletin can be found at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/media_literacy/medlitpub/bulletins/issue19.pdf

Twitter primarily used as a business tool

Twitter has become primarily a business tool used by people in their late twenties to early fifties, according to new data from market research firm Nielsen.
The micro-blogging site has grown by 1,382 per cent since last year, from 475,000 unique visitors in February 2008 to seven million in February 2009.

The Nielsen data shows that the majority of Twitter users are not teenagers or college students, as on many other social networking sites, but are from older generations.
Some 42 per cent of the site's users in February this year were aged between 35 and 49, while 20 per cent were between 25 and 34.
Nielsen also found that 62 per cent of Twitter users visit the site while at work, and 35 per cent from home.
The ability for users to access Twitter from a mobile phone is "a driving factor in the social network's success", according to Nielsen. In January this year, 735,000 unique visitors accessed the Twitter site through their mobile

http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/twitters-tweet-smell-of-success/

Collaborative blog for digital engagement set up

Helen Milner from UK Online has set up a collaborative blog for all those interested in digital engagement to share ideas and agree priorities for action around digital engagement.
http://digitalengagement.org/

Consortium awarded contract to deliver project to bridge the digital divide in Wales

A consortium led by the Wales Co-operative Centre has been awarded the contract to deliver Communities 2.0 a new initiative to tackle digital exclusion in Wales, Deputy Minister for Regeneration Leighton Andrews announced today.
The Wales Co-operative Centre will work in partnership with the University of Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire County Council, Novas Scarman, and the Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services to deliver the six year project from April 1st 2009.
The programme, which will build on the Welsh Assembly Government’s highly successful Communities @One initiative, will provide community groups, social enterprises and individuals with support to use technologies and to help people in the most disadvantaged areas of Wales engage with new technology in ways that are directly relevant to their lives.
Mr Andrews said:
I look forward to working with the consortium to deliver Communities 2.0. I hope we will develop a more co-ordinated approach to digital inclusion and to work with community groups and voluntary organisations to help them engage with technologies. We will also help new and existing social enterprises to engage with ICT by providing training, mentoring and business support.
Simon Harris, Chief Executive of the Wales Co-operative Centre said:
On behalf of the consortium, I wish to express our delight at being awarded the Communities 2.0 contract. We look forward to building on previous work to bridge the digital divide in Wales, while meeting fresh challenges of supporting community groups, voluntary organisations, social enterprises and individuals to maximise the economic and social potential of ICT.

UK engage in citizen activities online

Almost half of the UK has used the net to find information about government or local council services in the last year, a report has revealed.
According to Ofcom research, 60 per cent of the general population say that the internet has made it easier to contact an MP or sign a petition.
The internet is most popular for giving views, getting in touch with elected representatives, joining organisations and taking part in surveys and consultations.
However, only 15 per cent of people from areas of deprivation have used similar information or services online.
Barriers to participation included a lack of confidence in speaking up, lack of internet access and a feeling that citizen participation activity on the internet wouldn't have much effect.
A recent government Digital Britain report addressing the UK's digital future called for all UK homes to have access to broadband and faster download speeds by 2012.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/features/edemocracy

New text messaging service launched in Flintshire

A new text messaging service has now been launched in Flintshire. The ‘TXT Flintshire’ text messaging service is for young people, parents and those who work with them. Through this free service, those signed up will be able to receive up to date news and information on events happening in Flintshire that might interest them.
Emma Jones, Information and Involvement Officer with the Children & Young People’s Partnership (CYPP), said: “The service has been developed as a direct result of what young people have asked for at past Youth Conferences and meetings.
“The CYPP work to make sure that children and young people have a voice in the development of services in Flintshire, and the new text messaging service will be another tool help make this happen”.
Eli of the Flintshire Youth Forum, said: “That’s brilliant. That will be really useful as sometimes we don’t know about things that are going on.”
The service was launched at an event at Deeside College on Thursday,12 March. In the run up to the launch a competition was held and young people were invited to design a logo for the new service. Richard Readey, aged 15 from Sychdyn came up with the winning design and has won a brand new mobile phone.
For more information about the service, visit www.youngflintshire.co.uk or contact Emma Jones on 01352 704147.

Ministers spend thousands on virtual site which is not promoted online

A 3D innovation centre has been designed by a government department which is so proud of its creation it has not even been advertised on its own web site

The Second Life innovation centre cost £20,000 to build, and it costs a further £12,000 a year to maintain, according to figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The DWP said the innovation was a "virtual area" for government and private companies to showcase technological innovations.

Yet a search for Second Life on the DWP web site brings no results as it is not promoted online. The expenditure follows the criticism of the £160,000 the Cabinet Office is spending on developing its "twittercraft" technology.
Nick Hurd, a Tory MP who has questioned the amount of taxpayers money being spent on the site, said it was insensitive amid rising unemployment. "At a time when a million people face losing their jobs this year it's proof that the government really is living in its own fantasy world," said Mr Hurd.
Around 15 million people have apparently signed up to the virtual world but the number of active users is thought to be considerably lower, in the hundreds of thousands

Housing Association bridges digital divide!

Solihull Community Housing (SCH) has been shortlisted for a national award for their initiative to provide free or subsidised broadband to council tenants living in high-rise blocks. The National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) is the body running the awards, and the NFA's 69 member organisations oversee more than one million council-owned properties across England.
SCH's broadband project has been recognised in the 'most innovative project' category. This project plans to bridge the 'digital divide' between those in more affluent areas of Solihull and those in deprived areas by delivering free or subsidised broadband to residents in council-owned multi-storey housing blocks using cutting-edge wireless technology. As part of the project, residents who don't already own a computer can receive a free recycled computer from a local charity called ReCOM that helps disabled and disadvantaged people get access to information technology equipment.
Residents who will benefit include long-term unemployed people, low paid workers, single parent families with young children and those with disabilities. It will also create a wireless hotspot area that Solihull Council can use to help attract local businesses to a part of north Solihull designated a deprived area.
SCH will find out whether they have won the award at a ceremony in York on 1 April as part of the NFA's annual conference.
Matt Cooney, chief executive of SCH said, 'The idea of the broadband initiative is to help residents access the online services many of us take for granted, to provide them with opportunities to develop new skills and increase their chances of getting jobs and training. We are delighted that our commitment to improving our tenants' quality of life and future prospects has been recognised by the NFA.'
Sarah King, a resident who has already had free broadband installed, says, 'Getting this computer has made my life a lot easier. I can do my shopping; I can pay my bills and my son can do his homework. We can just look up anything we need to… plus I have enrolled on a college course as well.'

Prince’s Trust creates Facebook fundraising game

A Prince’s Trust team has developed a golf game on Facebook as part of its Million Makers fundraising push that aims to raise £1m for disadvantaged young people.
Any registered Facebook user can donate money to the cause and play the.Sugar Caddy game. It is the first time the Prince’s Trust has used Facebook in such a way.
Digital and advertising agency Omobono provided free expert advice for the project which has nearly 500 active users since going live in November.
Million Makers is an enterprise challenge that sees corporate teams across the UK develop an idea and business plan to compete against each other to raise the most money from a £3,000 investment. There is a prize for the group that makes the most profit. http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/support_us/million_makers.aspx

Welsh Assembly Government response to Carter Report – Digital Britain

The Welsh Assembly Government has today submitted its response to the UK’s Government’s Digital Britain Interim Report.Some of the key conclusions of the response include the need to ensure universal access to broadband; to stimulate investment in next-generation broadband; to increase DAB radio coverage; to ensure a strong competitor for the BBC in the provision of news and general English language programming for Wales and develop measures to increase the availability of the mobile network.
The Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport Ieuan Wyn Jones discussed the Welsh Assembly Government response during a meeting with Lord Carter, the UK Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting. Read more at http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/24047