let's be social

Google have given me 12 more invites, I had already promised a few to people, so I am finding out if they have had an invite from someone else or not yet so they don’t get wasted, but I will give the rest away *to people I know*.

As Google made you jump through hoops to get on the original list, I think I will ask for a haiku too

Leave a funny/meaningful/random haiku in the comments. Ones I like most will get an invite (I have at least 6 to give away, maybe as many as 10). (Tell me your Twitter name in case it’s not evident who you are from your Wordpress account)

If you’re a totally random stranger who I have never heard of, then don’t waste your time, I will not be picking you.

The SMS for Acocks Green will be on the 4th of November from 5:30-7pm, and held in the Inn On The Green pub, located on the main roundabout in the Village.


View Inn On The Green in a larger map

Let us know in the comments if you will be able to attend.

Directgov has launched a beta of Safer Streets in Solihull (along with Brighton & Hove, and Luton) and while this is not Social Media in it’s strictest sense, it is still using crowd sourced public opinion, and collaborative tools to engage with communities.

The info can be found here http://saferstreets.direct.gov.uk/

The map itself can be found here http://saferstreets.direct.gov.uk/Default.aspx?pilotarea=solihull

And an area to submit feedback can be found here http://innovate.direct.gov.uk/blog/safer-streets-beta-launches

Over time this should build up a very good picture in Solihull where people feel unsafe, and hopefully this will lead to the local authorities doing something to change things for the better.

I realise some of these are simply qualitative measures, but quality of life should not be something that requires statistical evidence that something bad happened before improvements are made.

Have a look, and let us know what you think.

See the Solihull Social Media Café for more info, or click the link on the menu bar at the top.

I am really happy this has finally come together, let’s hope word gets around that this is happening!

I’d love to see people from the Birmingham SMC come along, if the social media scene in Solihull is interesting or relevant to you. I am also hoping to push this internally as something the Council, and it’s partners should take part in, as it will help with engagement for us all if this proves to be popular.

Please tweet about us, leave comments if you will be coming, and generally make some noise about the event and I will see you all there!

Dates for WMCSMS Solihull – November & December

Visit the WMCSMS blog to see more details, but the next SMS for Solihull’s Councillors will be on the 10th of November, and 3rd of December.

As usual, free coffee, biscuits, and parking around the Council House itself.

6-7:30pm Civic Suite

November the 10th in Room 4

December the 3rd in Room 1

[googlemaps http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=101345853077325692828.00047494e05e75d93d874&ll=52.411451,-1.777747&spn=0.002291,0.00456&z=17&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

Bit quiet tonight, but a good balance of surgeons to patients, thank you to David Viner, Paul Hadley, and Gavin Wray for volunteering to help out! Head over to the WMCSMS blog to see some cliched photos of people looking interested at a laptop screen

October WMCSMS

Bit quiet tonight, but a good balance of surgeons to patients, thank you to David Viner, Paul Hadley, and Gavin Wray for volunteering to help out!

Lots of good conversations going on, coffee being drunk, and nods of understanding.

I love these sessions!

I have finally sorted out a venue (The cafe/gallery at the Solihull Arts Complex), sponsorship (Land Rover Coffee), and WiFi (which will only work for the SMC mornings at the moment).

We’re hoping to run these from 10:00-12:00 on the second Thursday of the month with the first being the 12th of November.

The venue is really nice and spacious, and the art installations change from time to time, so there are lots of things to see, and talk about, as well as the social media aspect. There’s a more traditional layout cafe downstairs, and if you need a quieter chat and somewhere to sit down with your laptop, that’s the ideal place.

Once again though, the WiFi will only be available on the days the SMC is hosted, as this is a trial of a partner network we’ll be testing. If that all works, we may have pioneered public WiFi in the cafe as a permanent feature in coming months.

I’ll post more info once this is 100% confirmed

@karenstrunks has suggested we do this on the 15th as it’s her birthday, so why not indeed! So we have the date, the time is likely 7ish, the place is Manzills, next to the Police Station on Digbeth High St.