Measuring up for Web 2.0
20th March, 2008
What has a photograph of the chance juxtaposition of a NHS awareness poster about diabetes and the contentious Cranach the Elder’s (I’m too sexy for my chemise or in this case LTR) RA reproduced image of Venus got to do with Web 2.0?
Well, on my way back from a validation seminar on Web 2.0 use in schools at KS3 and 4 hosted by Becta on Nottingham University’s initial research findings, at the Commonwealth Club today (and no I am not going to go into details as I realise the ethical implications of any detailed comment released here), I was struck by the relevance to the discussions outlined during the day and the context I had just found myself in literally personified by these two images set side by side.
One is a corporate message designed to convey information about possible personal risk due to lifestyle and genetic makeup, whilst the other is a product of creativity albeit within the context of state patronage. The poster of Venus was initially banned by LTR and then, that decision, revoked – they decided to risk it.
Several times throughout the day ‘creativity’, digital literacy and risk management were touched upon and I thought this image a surprising serendipity on my way back home through Charing Cross underground station.
I could extend the metaphor even further but for the time being I’ll leave it to live a little in your imaginations and have a bit of Easter Weekend fun with it. You can draw your own conclusions later in the year when the data has been properly assessed. Look out for it.
Futurelab is always looking for ideas. Find out how you can 
Bob Harrison
Ben Williamson
Dan Sutch
Richard Sandford
Leon Cych
Martin Owen
Sarah Grier
Tim Reader
March 25th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
By serendipity his juxtaposition has come up in another context with Grainne Conole of the Open University talkng of young people being digitaly organised .
I myself in conversation with Grainne putting juxtaposition of young poeple being digitally chaotic. By the phrase digitally chaotic I mean for young web users to more likely to create a new web presence/account than retrieve a forgotten password by normal procedure . Graine points out that this paradox is true of so many situations where you talk of using technology to support/enhance learning.
Just in time password retreival is often for many users just too late ;-)))