Molly Webb
Former Demos researcher
Molly Webb worked as a Demos researcher on science, technology and innovation from January 2005 - August 2007.
- land of many clocks The UNCTAD report on investment and technology policies for competitiveness (a little light bedtime reading!) notes that Korea is an 'old tiger'. It's two economic miracles - one of whiplash-inducing catch-up growth, and then again its recovery from the 1997 crisis, are well-known. And yet it's going for a third, which they hope will take off on a platform of ubiquitous IT and RFID infrastructure. But will this give the old tiger new stripes? I'm not predicting whether they've hit on a... continue reading on 12th March 2006 Trackbacks (5)
- Power of the comment MySociety.org is at it again, with an unofficial site to comment on the results of the Power Inquiry. They explain it all better than I would, so check it out. You can comment on each section of the report (scribbling in the margins) which makes it easier to comment while you're reading. continue reading on 4th March 2006
- US take on China's censorship National Public Radio reported on Cisco, Google and other US companies' testimony before Congress on February 15th. Human rights groups also showed evidence that Cisco employees may be teaching people how to use their routers to block information. While the companies admit they are going against their values, they think you can't beat 'em unless you join 'em. But the business-as-usual argument may not work for long."It was the most extensive public review of the companies' position since... continue reading on 17th February 2006
- Commenting on the Demos blog I've modified the comments link so that it isn't a popup, so you should have an easier time commenting on our posts. You'll still need a typekey login. If you're still unable to post, let me know. continue reading on 16th February 2006
- Minding the gap We call it everyday democracy - minding the gap between people and the institutions designed to deliver public services. I'm finding more examples of practioners in a variety of fields turning to social software tools - in the process they are re-inventing individuals' choices and re-framing the ways each of us involve ourselves in social outcomes.Patientopinion.org is making the space for a constructive conversation about the provision of health services that doesn't happen within the current... continue reading on 16th February 2006 in Cool Tools for Government
- GYMA I found this post yesterday by John Battelle Never poke a dragon while it's eating on China and censorship - a US perspective. Do you agree that there is such a difference between human rights abuses by a company like Nike and companies like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL (GYMA)?But companies like Yahoo and Google don't traffic in sneakers, they traffic in the most powerful forces in human culture - expression. Knowledge. Ideas. The freedom of which we take as fundamental in this country,... continue reading on 14th February 2006
- Corruption, or the means to fight it? Are Japan and Korea more corrupt than we thought? Or are they finally cracking down on corruption that's been going on for years - a good sign? The Livedoor scandal that's being compared to Enron highlights the need for legal reform which will clarify the interactions between government and business. And Korean business is caught bribing politicians. "It is urgent for Samsung and other business groups to put an end to their improper connections with powerful politicians, the main obstacle to... continue reading on 13th February 2006 in The Atlas of Ideas
- Second-guessing google? How much do we trust google? The headlines about its latest run-in with Chinese censorship call into question the social conscience of those in the techie driving seat. As John Lanchester in the Guardian notes, "google's founders know what they are doing technologically. Socially, though, they can't possibly know, and I don't think anyone else can either." This reminds me of the 'dark side' of this week's business week article "Math will rock your world". Even as we use maths to 'model... continue reading on 26th January 2006
- wising up to wisdom of the crowds Web 2.0 is a catchy way of talking about a set of principles with which most popular online tools are now aligned: user-driven, emergent, participatory (and the list goes on). Usually, instead of clarifying what this means, the examples people use to describe web 2.0 lead deeper into lingo: wikis, tag clouds, folksonomies, mashups, AMV (anime music videos) to name just a few. As Duncan noted last week, in the case of wikipedia, the legitimacy of these types of tools can be called into question... continue reading on 23rd January 2006
- Gadgets for doing good? In November, Fast Company noted that CNN is airing a documentary about North korea with the footage and information gathered from dissidents using video cameras and mobile phones."With new technological wonders every month, it is easy to get caught up in Apple's newest iPod or Microsoft's new Xbox 360 or the next Motorola RAZR. It is more difficult to remember transformative technologies that do more than provide entertainment--they change lives."If it's possible to do this under Kim Jong Il's... continue reading on 23rd January 2006 in Cool Tools for Government