let's be social

For a first event it seemed to go quite well, there were 13 visitors in total, although most were from various parts of Solihull Council and it’s partners (I have been promoting this internally as well as on Twitter and this blog).

I’d really like to see some more people attending next time, it’s on the 10th of December, 10am-12pm once more, so please add it to your diary to remind you

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Thanks to David Viner, Gavin Wray, Paul Hadley, and Kate Hughes for volunteering to be the surgeons.

We had Cllrs Bell, Reeve, and Hawkins at this SMS, and all were deeply engrossed in conversation with their surgeons.

Visit the blog for more info

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!

My 8 invites have all gone to these lucky people, who will each receive 8 invites of their own (I assume)

@andrewfairbairn

@philipjohn

@muck1ngfupp3t

@bounder

@russelltanner

@stevecs

@the_anke

@sarahlay

That’s 8 credits in the karma bank

Join us at the Bullring shopping centre, Birmingham city centre, on Saturday the 10th of October, 3-6ish, for Bullring Playtest where we try and put some of our crazy-talk into practice. We don’t have any refined games here, this is for trying stuff out and seeing what we end up with. Meet us at 3pm by the bull, or just inside the entrance behind it if it’s raining.

See more at http://barg.org.uk/make/announcing_the_bullring_playtest/

From October WMCSMS in Solihull on the 6th

This will be the 2nd SMS for Solihull Councillors, and we’re expecting more people this time, so please visit the blog and leave a comment if you will be able to come along as a surgeon, or just interested in being part of the conversation about why blog or use social media/networks, and how it’s helped you etc.

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

6-7:30pm Civic Suite

View Solihull Council in a larger map

And if you have an iPhone or iPod touch, Ping! seems to be a good way of doing it for free.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303612602&mt=8

I gave it a whirl and it seems quite good, I just need to get more people using it. (hint hint)

So please give it a try, I think you will like it, the only drawback of applications like this is that there are so many, and apathy kicks in before enough people start using it en masse. Tell people you know about it too, and drop me a message to chimerax