1. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Event Amplification Using Social Media Brian Kelly, UKOLN University of Bath Bath, UK, BA2 7AY UKOLN is supported by: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/jisc-services-2010/ This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat) Acceptable Use Policy Recording this talk, taking photos, discussing the content using Twitter, blogs, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised. Acceptable Use Policy Recording this talk, taking photos, discussing the content using Twitter, blogs, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised. Twitter: http://twitter.com/briankelly/ http://twitter.com/ukwebfocus/ Email: b.kelly@ukoln.ac.uk Blog: http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/ [Automated] Twitter: #jiscsm Delicious tag: jisc-services-2010

2. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk The Amplified Conference Term coined by Lorcan Dempsey, OCLC (and former UKOLN director) in a blog post on 25 July 2007 2 History

3. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Wikipedia Article A Wikipedia article 3 History Created by Brian Kelly in August 2008 Also amplification about conference (i.e. marketing)

4. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Real-time peer review: 2003 'Hot' or Not? Welcome to real-time peer review The keynote speaker was clear. He informed his audience during [the WWW 2003 conference] that none other than Tim Berners-Lee … had first referred to embedded menus as hot links. A few minutes later, while the speaker was still in full flow, delegates … learnt that this was not the case, at least as Berners-Lee himself remembers it. He had joined the electronic discussion that was accompanying the lecture and in a brief message … stated: "I didn't call them 'hot'. I just called them links." 4 'Hot' or Not? Welcome to real-time peer review, Paul Shabajee, Times Higher Education Supplement (London), 1 August 2003 History

5. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk THE Article - Concerns Potential Negative Aspects: “about 10 per cent of the audience had laptops - one person was heard to say that the noise of tapping keyboards drowned the speaker out at the back of the room. … it can be very distracting having someone typing quickly and reading beside you, rather than watching the speaker” “There can also be a feeling of being excluded … by not being part of a particular online group” “It is probable that the speakers will find it hardest to adjust. It may be disconcerting to know that members of your audience are, as you speak, using the web to look at your CV, past work and checking any data that seems a bit dubious” 5 History

6. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk THE Article - Conclusions Conclusions: “… these technologies are likely to be beneficial. The added possibilities for collective learning and analysis, comprehensive notes with insights and links, often far more extensive than the speaker might have, are advantages previously unimaginable. Perhaps the richest potential lies in the interaction between members of the audience, particularly if you believe that learning and the generation of knowledge are active, engaging and social processes 6 History Perceptive comments made back in 2003!

7. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere “I had some trouble getting to the (ALT-C 2010) conference due to strikes in London, and ended up listening to the first morning’s keynote through Elluminate on a G3 (sic) connection to my computer on a slow cross country train. That felt a little strange but worked quite well” Graham Attwell, 10 Sep 2010 7 In 2003 we saw internal amplification in conferences. By 2010 we could amplify to people on trains

8. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk What Is an Amplified Event? Initially an amplified events might have been regarded as using a megaphone so that the speaker can be heard more easily 8 We might now regard an amplified event as a means of avoiding the constraints of space and time!

9. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Getting Involved Let’s try out event amplification: Hashtag for seminar: #jiscsm If something inspires you can use #eureka If you don´t understand, disagree,... use #what (or #w) Note non-Twitter users could use an SMS alternative (e.g. Polleverywhere): 9 Notes: 1.Aims to encourage reflection and engagement 2.If no Twitter access available use pen & paper!

10. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk IWMW Experiences (1) IWMW 2005 WiFi available for use at UKOLN’s Institutional Web Management Workshop (IWMW 2005) Time for experimentation: Wiki for note-taking & reports in parallel sessions Instant messaging (Jabber, …) IRC Provided user support pages Provided an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) Provided an evaluation form to see if we should be doing more of this 10 History

11. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk IWMW Experiences (2) London Bombings Day 2 took place on 7/7 – day of London bombings About 20 people found out via IRC channel 11 This experience led to realisation of need to have contingency plans in case of disasters (bombs, floods, volcanic ash, …) or inconveniences (speakers being delayed, illness, …)

12. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk IWMW 2005: Evaluation Evaluation on use of technologies at IWMW 2005 12 As a result of positive feedback amplification of IWMW events has continued and grown. Since 2008 Twitter used as event ‘back channel’

13. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Amplified Events Today By 2010 event amplification the norm for many Web, e-learning & e-research events 13 ALT-C 2009 4,128 #altc-2009 tweets from 671 users over week of 3 day conf. (700 delegates?) NB 6,138 tweets from 658 users in 2010 IWMW 2009 1,531 #iwmw2009 from 165 users tweets over week of 3 day Web conf. (197 delegates) NB 3,029 tweets from 271 users in 2010 JISC 2010 2,010 #jisc10 tweets from 424 users for over week of 1 day policy conf. (~500 delegates?) Developments: Increased ownership of smart phones & netbooks; availability of WiFi; cheaper data tariffs; wider appreciation of benefits; ‘buzz’ around Twitter; … For such events no Twitter tag means users missing out

14. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk IWMW 2010 Policy: “We will treat the remote audience as first class citizens” Motivation: Maximise learning through the sector Add value for little additional costs Explore ways of ‘greening’ event Prepare for implications of economic downturn (lack of funding to attend events) Enhance accessibility of learning 14 Case Study

15. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk IWMW 2010 Technologies Video streaming Live video stream & download capability Twitter technologies Official event hashtag #iwmw10 together with session hashtags #P0-#P9, #A1-A9 & #B1-#B10 Official live blogger and Twitterer Occasional Twitter Wall display Summarizr to provide statistics iTitle for Twitter captioning Slideshare Speakers slides easily accessible & embeddable 15 Case Study

16. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk IWMW 2010 Interface The interface for remote users provided by the University of Sheffield 16 http://www.shef.ac.uk/iwmw/

17. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk The Twitterwall Twitterwall provided: Access to video stream Display of event tweets Ability to post tweets 17

18. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Twitter Developments 18 A Twitter event hashtag & an archive now seem well-established for use at amplified events

19. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Summarizr Developments Summarizr: 3 rd party development Developed by Andy Powell, Eduserv, Bath Makes use of Twapper Keeper APIs 19 Longer session but also controversial Summarizr now also seems well-established for providing Twitter metrics of amplified events

20. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Summarizr Developments Summarizr: Processes geo- location Twitter data provided in Twapper Keeper RSS feed May provide trend analysis May provide evidence of remote participation 20 Note use of geo-location in Twitter low due to (a) privacy concerns; (b) UI complexity; (c) patchy support; …

21. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk #IWMW10 Official Live Blogger 21 Hootsuite used to schedule announcements IWMW 2010 official Twitterer (@iwmwlive): Invited reflections on talks Explained what was happening to remote audience Informed remote audience of problems Summarized plenary talks Responded to questions

22. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Twitter Captioning Twitter captioning service: Developed by Martin Hawksey, RSC Scotland Synchronises video and Twitter stream (via TK) Search of Twitter stream Benefits: Speakers (“why did they tweet that during my talk?”) Accessibility Non-native English speakers? 22

23. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Remote Barcamps Barcamp: “a user generated conference whose content is provided by participants” 23 Remote participants had their own barcamp Review of online barcamp published on blog

24. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Slideshare/Authorstream Slides provided on Slideshare where possible: Remote audience can view slides Slides can be embedded After event widget of all slides provided 24 Benefits to speakers: Metrics on nos. of views Avoids resources being locked in HTML page Benefits to speakers: Metrics on nos. of views Avoids resources being locked in HTML page Note Authorstream supports: Animation & builds Remote control of display (but login required)

25. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Amplifying In 25 Note planned live remote participation didn’t work. Plenary talk at IWMW 2009: Provided by slidecast (Slideshare + audio) as speaker on holiday Opportunity to evaluate “amped-in talks” – well-received Gaps provided to allow facilitated local interaction Slides and live Twitter wall displayed

26. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Amplifying In (3) 26 Panopto used to record rehearsal of talk – could this be used: As backup, in case of illness, travel problems, … For use (revision, sharing, clarification) after live talk As an alternative to live talk?

27. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Amplified Events: Why Not? IWMW 2010 has demonstrated: Various benefits of amplified events Examples of services which can be used Examples of best practices Benefits provided to various stake-holders But: What about the concerns? Does it scale? If it a fad? Will use in other contexts work? I’m convinced! What advice can you give? What concerns do you have? 27 E

28. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk The Barriers What is your biggest concern? A1Audience make think it’s rude A2Speakers feel intimidated A3Online participants may behave inappropriately A4It’s unfair – not everyone can participate A5It’s costly to implement A6It’s difficult to understand and use all the technologies A7I prefer to concentrate on the speaker A8Legal concerns A9Other 28 Tweet #jiscsm #An Additional text e.g. #jiscsm #A6 Help it’s confusing! E How do you gather responses with large or remote audience?

29. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Possible Concerns Some concerns: Privacy “It’s rude” Spam It’s not for me Speaker says no! The services may not be sustainable Legal concerns … 29 Concerns

30. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 30 Privacy, Data Protection, … Digital cameras, mobile photos, camcorders, … are increasing volume of photos / videos being taken and being published online. But what about issues such as: Privacy Data protection Confidentiality …

31. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Addressing Privacy Concerns Infrastructure ‘Quiet Zone’ provided at IWMW 2009 & Eduserv Symposium 2010): No photos or technologies cf. ‘quiet carriage’ on trains 31 Culture of Openness Organisers seen to: Encourage openness Explain benefits Seek to provide opt-out Cost-effective use of tax-payers money!

32. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Inappropriate Content Live Twitter wall displayed during opening & closing talks at Museums & Web 2009 conference Much appreciated #mw2009 tag ‘trended’ Automated spam appeared from @pantygirl! 32 IWMW10 Response: Accept risk: people know about spam; anti-spam measures getting better. Other Approaches: Provide moderated Twitter wall; Twitter displayed on user’s device

33. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk “It’s Rude” Open University’s internal conference held in May 2008 “Three people complained about me liveblogging the Conference. They had found my typing very distracting from the presentations” 24 comments on post 33 My post on need for a framework produced ~13 responses “I was amazed when I read about Doug’s experiences. I’ve blogged events over the last few years, & never had anyone complain”

34. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk “It’s Not For Me” Vive la Différence Different individuals will have different preferences for how they engage with talks at conferences Need to seek to accommodate such differences 34

35. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk It’s Illegal! What about: Accessibility legislation  Costs of captioning; JavaScript requirements Copyright concerns, … Responses: Organisations need to take reasonable measures to ensure that resources are accessible – is not providing content a reasonable approach? – see Developing Countries; Developing Experiences: Approaches to Accessibility for the Real World Copyright is a risk management issue – see “Empowering users and their institutions: A risks and opportunities framework for exploiting the potential of the social web” by Kelly & Oppenheim 35

36. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Speakers’ Concerns Speaker’s may have concerns : Sharing slides (in advance): will people listen? Live broadcasting: who is listening; should I be cautious? Recordings of audio / video: what if I look terrible; sound terrible; make mistakes? The back channel: what if people ask difficult questions; irrelevant questions; …? The message: Will speakers avoid being honest about problems & mistakes? Problems: What if things go wrong? Audience: What if they don’t turn up? Experiences: Speakers since 2008 informed of live streaming in advance. No problems experienced. 36 Concerns

37. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Evidence: JISC Conference Viewing figures for stream of JISC 2010 conference 37 Thoughts: Could you justify not providing access to also 1,000 remote viewers? How do we demonstrate ROI?

38. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk “I Want To Do It!” Some suggestions for best practices: Do it yourself – open up your talks at other’s events Gather evidence Evaluate Learn from experiences of live bloggers Read other’s experiences Participate as a remote participant Share your experiences 38 Best Practices E

39. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk The Opportunities What is your main motivation for providing amplified events? B1Engaging with new audiences B2Maximising the impact of the talks B3Maximising discussions about the talks B4Supporting a green agenda B5Saving costs B6Want to experiment B7Other 39 Text: 077xx xxxxxx with smsvote #Bn E Best Practices Tweet #jiscsm #Bn Comments

40. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Supporting Remote Audience Supporting a remote audience has parallels with supporting people with disabilities Can’t read slides easily Can’t always hear Need for speaker (& event amplifier) to be aware of such issues 40 Slideshare useful for remote audience Note each slide has URL – can be used to get remote audience in sync Best Practices

41. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk An Event Amplifier Kirsty Pitkin (nee McGill) Live blogger at IWMW 2009 & 2010 What she did in 2009: Live Twitter stream on @iwmwlive Summaries of talks published on blog Video interviews 41 Role of an event amplifier described on Event Amplifier WordPress blog at : “An event amplifier is an audience expander, an experience enhancer and an idea spreader for conferences”

42. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Recap Key technologies: Live access to content: video/audio streaming; Slideshare/Authorstream Discussions: Twitter; Coveritlive; Twapper Keeper, … Metrics: Summarizr; … Other: Elluminate; Big Blue Button; … Other issues: Users  AUP Business case  Evaluation, evidence Laissez faire vs organised 42

43. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Top-Down or Bottom-Up? Top-down Organise professional video-streaming Commission official live blogger Market service pro-actively AUP for users; signatures for speakers Hybrid Recognition of need for both approaches Bottom-up Conversation driven by audience Enthusiasts stream content 43

44. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Revisiting the Future 44 University 2.0 & Amplified Events Universities’ core mission is learning & research Amplified events can enrich both Amplified events may support green issues & financial constraints The norm in the future?

45. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Conclusions To conclude: Amplified events are becoming well- established in certain areas Benefits are being better understood But in some areas amplified events may be regarded with suspicion There may be pitfalls which could hinder development of amplified events There are increasing sources of advice on best practices Can you afford not to engage in event amplification? 45

46. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Further Advice Martin Weller, Open University, Ed Techie blog, How to organise an online conference Marieke Guy, UKOLN, Rambling of a Remote Worker blog Kirsty Pitkin, Event Amplifier blog UKOLN briefing documents (QA Focus) UKOLN briefing documents (Cultural Heritage) 46 Note see delicious bookmarks for resources mentioned in talk:

47. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 47 Questions Any questions