Cameron Neylon

A few days ago the [UK Government
report](http://www.slideshare.net/kcorrick/digital-britain-final-report)
on the future of Britain's digital infrastructure, co-ordinated by Lord
Carter, was released. I haven't had time to read the whole report, I
haven't even really had time to skim it completely. But two things
really leapt out at me.

On page four:

> "If, as expected, the volume of digital content will increase 10x to
> 100x over the next 3 to 5 years then we are on the verge of a big bang
> in the communications industry that will provide the UK with enormous
> economic and industrial opportunities"

And on page 18:

> "Already today around 7.5% of total UK music album purchases are
> digital and a smaller but rapidly increasing percentage of film and
> television consumption is streamed online or
> downloaded...User-generated and social content will be very
> significant but should not be the main or only content" -- this
> [brought to my
> attention](http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/respect-copyright-and-subvert-it/)
> by [Brian Kelly](http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com).

The first extract, is to me symptomatic of a serious, even catastrophic
lack of ambition and understanding of how the web is changing. If the
UK's digital content only increases by 10-100 fold over the next three
years then we will be living in a country lagging behind those that will
be experiencing huge economic benefits from getting the web right for
their citizens.

But that is just a lack of understanding at core. The Government's lack
of appreciation for how fast this content is growing isn't really an
issue because the Government isn't an effective content producer online.
It would be great if it were, pushing out data, making things happen but
they will probably catch up one day, when forced to by events. What is
disturbing to me is that second passage. "User generated and social
content **should not be** the main or only content"? It probably already
is the main content on the open web, at least by volume, and the volume
and traffic rates of user generated content are rising exponentially.
But putting that aside, the report appears to be saying that basically
the content generated by British citizens, is not, and will not be "good
enough"; that it has no real value. Lord Carter hasn't just said that he
doesn't believe that enough useful content could be produced by
"non-professionals", but that it *shouldn't* be produced.

The [Digital Britain
Unconferences](http://digitalbritainunconference.wordpress.com/) were a
brilliant demonstration of how the web can enable democracy by bringing
interested people together to debate and respond to specific issues.
Rapid, high quality, and grass roots it showed the future of how
government's could actually interact effectively with their citizens.
The potential for economic benefits from the web are not in broadcast,
are not in professional production, but are in many to many
communication and sharing. Selling a few more videos will not get us out
of this recession. Letting millions of people add a small amount of
value, or have more efficient interactions, could. This report fails to
reflect that opportunity. It is a failure of understanding and a failure
of imagination. The only saving grace is that, aside from the need for
physical infrastructure, the Government is becoming increasingly
irrelvant to the debate anyway. The world will move on, and the web will
enable it, faster or slower than we expect, and in ways that will be
suprising. It will just go that much slower in the UK.


A few days ago the UK Government report on the future of Britain’s digital infrastructure, co-ordinated by Lord Carter, was released. I haven’t had time to read the whole report, I haven’t even really had time to skim it completely. But two things really leapt out at me.  On page four:  And on page 18:  The first extract, is to me symptomatic of a serious, even catastrophic lack of ambition and understanding of how the web is changing.

Why the Digital Britain report is a missed opportunity

On Friday (yes, that's this Friday) [a series of
Unconferences](http://digitalbritainunconference.wordpress.com) that has
been pulled together in response to the Digital Britain
[Report](http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/5944.aspx)
and [Forum](http://digitalbritainforum.org.uk/) will kick of with one
being held at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, near Didcot. The
object of the meeting is to contribute to a coherent and succinct
response to the current interim report and to try and get across to
Government what a *truly* Digital Britain would look like. There is
[another unconference scheduled in Leeds](http://dbucyh.eventbrite.com/)
and it is expected that more will follow.

If you are interested in attending the Oxfordshire meeting please
[register at the Eventbrite
page](http://dbuc09-oxfordshire.eventbrite.com/). Registrations will
close on Wednesday evening because I need to finalise the list for
security the day before the meeting. I will send directions to
registered attendees first thing on Thursday morning. In terms of the
conduct of the unconference itself please bear in mind [the
admonishment](http://www.broadstuff.com/archives/1668-Digital-Britain-Unconference.html)
of [Alan Patrick](http://broadstuff.com/):

> One request I'd make -- the other organisers are too polite to say it,
> but I will -- one of the things that the Digital Britain team has made
> clear is that they will want feedback that is "positive, concise,
> based in reality and sent in as soon as possible". That "based in
> reality" bit (that mainly means economics) puts a responsibility on us
> all to ensure all of us as attendees are briefed and educated on the
> subject before attending the unconference -- ie come prepared, no
> numpties please, as that will dilute the hard work of others.

For information see the links on the right hand side of the [main
unconference series
website](http://digitalbritainunconference.wordpress.com), or search on
"Digital Britain"


On Friday (yes, that’s this Friday) a series of Unconferences that has been pulled together in response to the Digital Britain Report and Forum will kick of with one being held at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, near Didcot. The object of the meeting is to contribute to a coherent and succinct response to the current interim report and to try and get across to Government what a
<em>
 truly
</em>
Digital Britain would look like.

Postagens de Rogue Scholar

Why the Digital Britain report is a missed opportunity

Digital Britain Unconference Oxfordshire – Friday 1 May – RAL