Archive for 'youtube'
The lady's not for YouTube-ing? Says who?
With the long Bank Holiday weekend behind us, Sunday's Observer piece by Hazel Blears already seems like a distant memory. 'YouTube if you want to,' she wrote - somewhat provocatively, on the weekend we recall Margaret Thatcher's ascension to Downing Street. Quite a soundbite, especially considering her reflection in that same piece that: 'No government [...] read on »
Our top story: government web video
It isn't every evening that a video clip from a government website features prominently on the main evening news. Except this week. Last night, it was the Treasury's YouTube clip of Alastair Darling preparing for tomorrow's Budget: nothing too spectacular, nice visual wallpaper for the story. Tonight, the PM's announcement of changes to MPs' expenses [...] read on »
Puffbox's Project MyTube: hooray for APIs
A few days ago, I bought an iPod Touch; and I can finally understand the fuss. I didn't really want it; I'm not short of portable media players, and my Android phone gave me a perfectly good touchscreen to play with. But I'm very excited about mobile-optimised web interfaces at the moment, and felt I [...] read on »
YouTube goes widescreen, HD
A quick glance at Steph Gray's digitalgovuk catalogue reveals the perhaps surprising number of government departments now using YouTube. (It's almost a case of who isn't using it.) So it's worth paying attention to the drip-drip-drip of interface changes happening at YouTube, and ensuring your content is handled accordingly. The biggest shift is the introduction [...] read on »
Gordon Brown on your Wii
One of the more inspiring developments at the BBC recently has been the extension of iPlayer away from the desktop PC. Back in April, they launched iPlayer on the Wii - but it wasn't the breakthrough moment it might have been. Leaving aside the fact it didn't stream especially smoothly on my machine, the interface [...] read on »
Lords Committee talks Directgov, YouTube
I'm not sure we learned a lot from this morning's Lords Communications Committee session with Michael Ellam (the Prime Minister's official spokesman) and Sir Gus O'Donnell (head of the home civil service), part of the continuing review of government communications, and reforms proposed in 2004's Phillis Review. It wasn't an intense grilling, and as you'd [...] read on »
They asked, Gordon answered
Whether or not you like the answers he gives, the presentation of the 'Ask The PM' questions and answers on the Downing Street YouTube channel is really nice. The 'split-screen' treatment gives equal prominence to punter and premier; and one plays when the other finishes. Nothing too clever, but I really like it. The second [...] read on »
Why Parliament doesn't like YouTube
LibDem MP Jo Swinson raised the subject of parliamentary video clips going on YouTube, during questions to the Leader of the House last week. You can see it below. Helen Goodman's response is enlightening: video material isn't allowed to be hosted on a site where it can be searched or downloaded 'to ensure that it [...] read on »
On the political parties' sites…
Looking at the political parties' websites, I've found a few surprising features - and not necessarily pleasant surprises. SNP and DUP people, I'm looking at you here. read on »
Questions to the Prime Minister!
Downing Street's journey ever deeper into new media continues... as Sky's Joey Jones observes, 'cyberspace probably seems the safest place for Gordon Brown right now.' And on the day he addresses Google's Zeitgeist Europe conference, apparently to announce 'a number of areas (plural? hmm...) where the UK Government and technology giant Google are planning to [...] read on »