Aspects of my work on the role of distributed intelligence in problem solving, what I have called distributed collaborative networks, was published in English as Dutton, W. H. (2015), ‘Lend Me Your Expertise: Citizen Sourcing Advice to Government’, pp. 247-63 in Johnston, E. W. (eds), Governance in the Information Era: Theory and Practice of Policy … Continue reading Forthcoming Ukrainian Publication on Distributed Intelligence
OII
Don’t Panic over Fake News
Fake News is a Wonderful Headline but Not a Reason to Panic I feel guilty for not jumping on the ‘fake news’ bandwagon. It is one of the new new things in the aftermath of the 2016 Presidential election. And because purposively misleading news stories, like the Pope endorsing Donald Trump, engage so many people, … Continue reading Don’t Panic over Fake News
10th Anniversary of OII’s DPhil in Information, Communication & the Social Sciences
It was a real honour today to speak with some of the alumni (a new word for Oxford) of the Oxford Internet Institute’s DPhil programme. A number came together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the DPhil. It began four seemingly long years after I became the OII’s founding director in 2002. So while I … Continue reading 10th Anniversary of OII’s DPhil in Information, Communication & the Social Sciences
The 2016 US Presidential Election and the Institution of the Presidency
One of the classic works on the governance of England is Walter Bagehot’s (1867) The English Constitution. He observed that through the evolution of its unwritten Constitution entailed two critical but separate components, the ‘dignified’ and the ‘efficient’. The former exercised symbolic power and was represented by the monarch, who did not have effective power … Continue reading The 2016 US Presidential Election and the Institution of the Presidency
A Virtual Professor: Putting Herself in the Hands of Others
The Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University had one of its (now) annual retreats on a beautiful Friday in the clubhouse of a local golf course. One of our faculty members, Professor Carrie Heeter, was in San Francisco, but she worked with colleagues to create a means for her to participate virtually. … Continue reading A Virtual Professor: Putting Herself in the Hands of Others
What Meetings Should Academics Avoid?
Colleagues will tell you not to waste your time blogging, or spending too much time doing this or that, but few ever tell you not to waste your time in meetings. In fact, they ask you to come to meetings all the time, and seldom if ever advise you not to attend a meeting, however … Continue reading What Meetings Should Academics Avoid?
Ways of Being in the Digital Age: A New ESRC Project
Delighted to be on the Advisory Board of a new ESRC Project, entitled 'Ways of Being in a Digital Age: A Systematic Review'. The project is led by the Institute of Cultural Capital at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with 17 other partner Universities and organizations. It is a scoping review designed to inform … Continue reading Ways of Being in the Digital Age: A New ESRC Project
Why Academics Should Use Social Media
I use social media for the fun of it - the joy of communicating, but also as an academic. In that respect, I am part of an academic minority in my choice of media. Most academics steer clear of social media as a distraction from their core work and traditional academic outlets, such as the … Continue reading Why Academics Should Use Social Media
Brexit: No Advice from this American
After working over 12 years in the UK, I was frequently amused by visiting academics from the USA (my home), who would start giving me advice about everything from the university to the UK and Europe virtually as they were walking off the plane. So I am resisting my natural US-instinct to weigh in on … Continue reading Brexit: No Advice from this American
The Fifth Estate Comes to the Floor of Congress
In the aftermath of 49 people being killed in the June 12th 2016 Orlando nightclub massacre, Congressional Democrats struggled to vote on legislation that would control gun sales. The Republican majority refused to bring a vote to the floor of the House, and Congressional Democrats began a sit-in to force a vote. It was led … Continue reading The Fifth Estate Comes to the Floor of Congress