Digital Britain Unconference

Digital Britain Unconference Manchester

Download the final UK-wide report and summary here

Manchester held its Digital Britain Unconference in the evening of 12 May 2009.

You can see video highlights here plus audio of intro and content sessions

The event was organised by Manchester Digital – the independent trade association for the digital sector.

Some 40 people attended the evening coming from digital businesses, public sector, third sector and as individuals. Most, but not all, were MD members.

It was agreed to split into three themed groups – each with a facilitator and note taker. Each group worked out their own set of key points, edited by the note taker on screen so all could see.

The themes were chosen to reflect the particular interests of the Manchester Digital membership:

1.       Next generation broadband and universal access to broadband

2.       Skills for the digital industry

3.       Content and intellectual property and how it is paid for

After the group sessions everyone re-convened as a big group and made final adjustments to the aggregated document.

It appears below as we left it after 2 hours – not a polished text, but containing what it was we thought.

While some had different priorities, all who attended backed the document in a unanimous vote.

This text has been integrated with the outcomes of other Digital Britain Unconferences that have taken place across the UK and handed to the government.

You can see the final consolidated submission summary here and the full report here

Manchester Contribution

Content Group

• Need infrastructure to be able to access content. Content will drive need for better infrastructure. The infrastructure is more than just broadband, for example cloud computing and mobile.
• Sharing, reuse, mashup - two way interaction. The report has a very old fashioned outlook. We all produce content. Digital Rights Management (DRM) is unworkable in its current format.
• Government data on individuals should be owned by the individual, in a common format, and sharable at the individual's discretion.
• Funding of content, models other than advertising. Alternative models of advertising should be investigated to encourage the creation and sharing of content by brands, end users and the general public. More input from content producers and building applications from consumers.
• Encouraging the creation and sharing of content within schools.
• The report is too biased towards the broadcast media and should take into account public services.  Improving public services. NHS, MySociety, local councils, directgov, local GPs, etc.
• Government should simplify IP, particularly for small businesses. Moving towards a free model, like Creative Commons. Business models need to change due to digital copying, rather than government trying to enforce stricter copyright restrictions.

Broadband Group

• Broadband should be treated as a utility where everyone has a right to broadband access. A 2mb standard for the UK is unacceptable and not considered sufficient for immediate needs.
• We need lots more bandwidth and we will continue to need lots more bandwidth
• Local government needs to develop a strategy that treats broadband access as an urgent priority at local level
• Early adopters can drive this by demonstrating the potential uses of this technology in areas where it appears
• Legitimate for the government to act, given the counter-incentives that the incumbent network providers suffer from (sunk costs in the copper network)
• Proof and evidence required for the economic benefits provided by this infrastructure, especially outside of the obvious urban centres
• Efforts needed to create demand by demonstrating the potential uses.  Blue sky thinking is vital for this.  We need to be clear about who will benefit.
• Now is a good time to push this project, both for Keynesian reasons and because the economic crisis means that we need new business models.  Now is a good time to sell the benefits of change, as businesses are open to change in how they operate.
• This is not just a project that can be justified on a cost-benefit analysis, it is also something that requires vision and ambition.  It is worth doing for its own sake.
• Vision and leadership is important, and the people who drive this project forward will be creating something of value for generations.  It should be thought of in the same manner as the canals, the railways or the Apollo moon missions.
• Maintain existing network neutrality giving open access to all.

Skills Group

• Apprenticeship skills type training – learning on the job
• Training whilst working rather than full time education
• Creation of training contracts with both education and placement driven degrees
• Abolishment of performance based funding for education bodies
• Local business and industry representatives to have greater control over training funding
• Development of best practice and standards within the industry to be followed by  “all”
• Development of creative and technical skills within suitable environments
• Create a culture of innovation and creativity from an early age
• Creation of a Chartered Institute for the Digital Industry driven by industry practitioners. Would have connections with by not be driven by education (primary, secondary, higher and further), public sector (for funding and support), business support organisations etc
• Development of better training courses that can be studied whilst working  - small bite sizes courses, possibly e-learning driven