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The Web Management Community: Beyond IWMW and JISCMail Lists

Brian Kelly

UKOLN

University of Bath

Bath, UK

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/iwmw-2011/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/iwmw-2011/

This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat)

Acceptable Use PolicyRecording this talk, taking photos, discussing the talk using Twitter, blogs, etc. is permitted but please try to minimise distractions to others.

Acceptable Use PolicyRecording this talk, taking photos, discussing the talk using Twitter, blogs, etc. is permitted but please try to minimise distractions to others.

Twitter:#iwmw11

#a4

Blog: Twitter:http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/ @briankelly

Room Palmer G.04

BackgroundWeb management community:

• In existence ~15+ years (web-support & website-info-mgt JISCMail lists established in mid-1990s)

• IWMW launched in 1997• Opportunity for those involved in the provision of

institutional Web service to meet face-to-face & discuss shared problems and solutions

• “Therapy for Webmasters who thought Web was cool till they discovered how political it was”

• Helping to support a community of practice enabling those working in the sector to tap into a wide community of practitioners who are willing to share best practices & provide help and advice

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Community of PracticeAccording to Wikipedia a community of practice (CoP) is:

“a group of people who share an interest, a craft, and/or a profession. The group can evolve naturally because of the members' common interest in a particular domain or area, or it can be created specifically with the goal of gaining knowledge related to their field. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members learn from each other, and have an opportunity to develop themselves personally and professionally.

CoPs can exist online, such as within discussion boards and newsgroups, or in real life, such as in a lunch room at work, in a field setting, on a factory floor, or elsewhere in the environment.”3

AimsThis session aims to provide participants with an opportunity to:

• Re-evaluate the various communications and collaboration channels which can help to support those working in the sector

• Identify emerging patterns of usage and best practices

• Identify possible new approaches for collaboration in a changing funding environment (“when the axe-man cometh!”)

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Draft TimetableTime Topic

15.30 Introduction

14.40 Looking at the past

16.00 Where are we now?

16.20 Looking to the future

16.45 Conclusions and action plans

17.00 Finish

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Assumption: Being a part of an active Community of Practice brings benefits; we want the CoP to continue to thrive in order to address future uncertainties

What Did We Have?

Newcomers to Web management should have found and participated in:

• The web-support (techie queries) and website-info-mgt (policies issues) JISCMail lists

• The IWMW annual event• What else?

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Answers to be addressed in breakout groups

How Have They Changed?

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Evidence tells us:• JISCMail usage has declined

over past 7 years• We didn’t discuss strategy or

policy issues• We see significant (?) nos. of

cross-posts advertising events; job vacancies; etc.

IWMW events:• Have grown in numbers with 199 in 2009• Slight reduction in numbers this year to ~160• Future uncertain?

Breakout Group 1

Learning from the past• What do we want from a community?• What did JISCMail provide and what were

its weaknesses?• What has IWMW provided and what are

its weakneses• What are the essential aspects which we

want to preserve in the future?

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Appoint a reporter who will report back.

15.50-16.00

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What Do We Have Today?

Previously we had a small number of community tools. Today we have a wider selection – and new opportunities and challenges

• What communication and collaboration tools are we using today?

• What new opportunities are available: To evaluate approaches for deployment within

institution To facilitate engagement with peers

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Example of New Services

Many communications and collaborative services are now available

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Breakout Group 2

Reflecting on the Present• What communication and collaboration

tools are we using today?• What are their strengths?• What are their weaknesses?• How do we exploit the strengths and

minimise the weaknesses?

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Appoint a reporter who will report back.

16.10-16.20

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Aggregating Our Community

Institutional Web Team: Blog aggregator

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Browsing content from Web team blogs

UKOLN’s Web management team blog aggregator is being launched at IWMW 2011

Aggregating Our Community

Institutional Web Team: blog aggregator

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Searching for content from Web team blogs

Aggregating Our Community

Web management blog aggregator

Feedback on the service:• Is it of use?• Is it usable?• How should it develop?

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Potential for Google+

Could Google+ have a role in supporting the community

Google+

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Is there a demand for:• Asynchronous

discussions• Synchronous chat

(Twitter?)• Video chat

Google+

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Didn’t attend IWMW? Can we replay videos and discuss ideas?

Collaborative Activities

We have the technologies! What are the areas in which we have shared interests?

• Responding to cookie legislation• Implementing BS 8878 • Demonstrating the value of our Web

services• Developing social media strategies• Developing Mobile Web strategies• Developing metrics for identifying value• …

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What else?

Breakout Group 3

Looking to the Future• What areas of work can we do

collectively?• Can we ensure that ad hoc activities are

implemented?

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Appoint a reporter who will report back.

16.35-16.45

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Conclusions• What can we conclude?• What action plans do you have for when you

return to work?

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Questions

Any questions or comments?