Culturemondo

Michael EdsonDirector, Web and New Media StrategySmithsonian Institution, Office of the CIOedsonm@si.edu | @mpedson

Picnic/Culture MondoAmsterdamSeptember 23-25, 2010

Digital Cultural Policy Workshop RESPONSE

I’m Michael EdsonSmithsonian Institution

@mpedson

Hi Culturemondo!!!http://www.culturemondo.org/

My job, and the subject of this 10-minute talk, is to

give a brief and spontaneous reaction to

today’s four presentations

Background: my projects

Smithsonian Web and New Media Strategyhttp://www.si.edu/commons/prototype

The Smithsonian Commonshttp://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com

!!! Instant Reactions !!!• We’re in an environment of withering political/social change• And “2.0” is offers us hope!• We don’t have cultural policy like yours in the USA! Kapow##!&@• Do you all agree on what “culture” means? I don’t think so• Axiom: Technology is obliterating traditional boundaries• My colleagues galvanized..

– We’re, as a society, are going to have to think our way out of this mess…

• Prerequisites for *any* of the change you want– Net neutrality fuels edge innovation

• Different in USA, Europe, Asia…

– Intellectual property policy is fundamental

Cathy Brickwood

• Cathy asked: “what are the barriers to innovation?”

“…the things that stop good things from happening”

Program Manager at Virtueel Platform

It’s exactly the right question I think. Make a

list and “crush it”

Frank Thinnes

• My Observation: cultural portals push the boundaries of established relationships within government/society—that’s their value proposition

• My Q: has the thinking (about the collaborative model, WCM, governance) moved from “portal” to “platform?” Will it move to “commons?”

Plurio.net, Culturemondo Steering Committee

Catherine Bunting

Catherine Said: "What does a vibrant cultural sector look like in the digital age?“

My question: Is this about attending the opera?…OrIs this about “100,000 garages” [ref Dale Dougherty]…Or… the death of traditional Institutions

[“Andreessen’s advice to old media: “burn the boats”]

Director of Research at Arts Council England

Q: Do we need institutions anymore?

“We are living in the middle of a remarkable increase in our ability to share, to cooperate with one another, and to take collective action, all outside the framework of traditional institutions and organization …Getting the free and ready participation of a large, distributed group with a variety of skills has gone from impossible to simple.”

Clay Shirky, in Here Comes Everybody

Q: Do you want .gov making the rules?

John Newbigin—the open platform debate.(I’m interested in the difference that state media ownership makes in

net neutrality issues. Old model U.S. media companies are shell shocked, is the BBC?)

The net neutrality debate in the us…

Also

"I have real concerns about this internet operating system. Do we want anyone to own it? If not, we'd better get busy.“

Tim O’Reilly, mySQL2010 keynote

A Demographic Tsunami

Ages 12-17

Ages 18-29

Ages 30-38

Ages 39-48

Ages 49-60

Ages 61-69

Ages 70+0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90Online Content Creation by Age

Internet users

Per

cen

tag

e

November 2007 data: Pew Internet and American Life Project

Are we thinking too narrowly about who the “cultural creators” are?

Sheamus Cassidy

• Sheamus says “Big fear is that if arts/culture creativity are not more important in the 2020 policy we’ll…” be screwed (my words)

• Sheamus talks about – “Principles, citizenship, and

the impact of ‘culture’ on society (paraphrase)– "the year 2020 strategy"– Smart, greener, inclusive growth

• Q: what is the the economic/social value of culture

– ME: let’s talk about Edge innovation!

European Commission, Education and Culture DG

...Things we could also talk about…• Think about Maker Culture/DIY movement.

– Are your most important cultural innovators “under the radar” of established culture orgs/brands?

• Who are the innovators in your systems?• Intellectual Property Policy REALLY MATTERS

– Let’s get it right now, and move on.• Q: Why aren’t your customers/partners aren’t ready for API/services

strategies? (Something Frank talked about)• Assertion: you need more clarity about who the customer is.

– The mayor? The citizen? The content creator? The website visitor? – Lack of focus on this may be confusing your efforts

• Assertion: you need to tell excruciating truths to power (you are a powerful bunch! But I’m guessing you probably have even more power within your bureaucracies than you realize)

Thanks!