Things which caught my eye elsewhere on the web

A Free Internet, If We Can Keep It | Freedom to Tinker

Given a difficult technology policy problem, lawyers will tend to seek technology solutions and technologists will tend to seek legal solutions.

An open letter to the business – BankerVision

The best thing to do is treat your IT colleagues like glorified order takers. Like, for example, you’re in some really expensive restaurant. You want them to show up, and ask you what you want, and go away and get it. You want them to do it often enough that you never want for anything, but not so often you get annoyed by all the attention. I mean, the best IT person is the one that just does what they’re told, right? Even better if they’re like that perfect waiter in the perfect restaurant that knows what you want without even being told.

The coffee bar and the barcamp « Tom Calver’s musings

It will be hard for people to change their mindset, because it’s not what they’re used to. But if we can show how these less formal- and coincidentally much less costly- events deliver more benefit, then eventually even the hardened cynics will get the message. And what should drive home the message is the sheer enthusiasm of the barcamp attendees. They’ve been visibly  inspired by the event. And I can’t remember the last time I saw that in anyone who attended a traditional, expensive conference. The trick will be converting that enthusiasm into organisational change.

The tough issues in user involvement – Social by Social

While we might believe that it is blindingly obvious that involving the people who use services as early as possible – to make sure we develop the right thing – this may be particularly challenging in a digital context.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Your EIGHT step guide to getting started… « The Dan Slee Blog

You’ve read about social media. You may have thought it was a fad. Now you’ve been waking up at 3am with the gnawing thought that you’ll have to do something. something.

Strategic Plans Lose Favor

“Strategy, as we knew it, is dead,” he contends. “Corporate clients decided that increased flexibility and accelerated decision making are much more important than simply predicting the future.”
[h/t @NickJonesCOI]

Showing a better way – honestlyreal

And as far as I’m aware, the fundamental problem with innovation in public services is this confusion between what constitutes ideas, and what constitutes service implementation. And why I’ve come up with some alternative approaches to crack the innovation problem; more on this later.

And why people so often misunderstand the difference between good ideas and things that actually work. For that you need to build bridges, and remove roadblocks – a metaphor which will be the subject of my next post.

Choosenick! » Great bit of service design from Tesco in this bit of direct marketing…

Great bit of service design from Tesco in this bit of direct marketing that came through my letterbox – linking in-store and online elegantly and easily using a loyalty card. Helps customers move online, makes things easy, great graphics too! Simple. Love it.