There’s a lot of discussion about co-production, co-design and other impressive-sounding terms starting with ‘co-’ at the moment in tech circles. This article discusses a seminar paper from the 1960s, and examines how we can rethink how technology products are made made and who they’re for.

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When starting a new community group or campaign of any type, one of the first things to get right is group communication. Despite dozens of tools claiming to sort out this kind of thing, in my experience nothing beats an email list. Why?

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We discuss how a capability approach to information technology in neighbourhoods with low social capital can create embedded and sustainable Community Technology Partnerships (CTPs) that connect residents and institutions together, reducing barriers to social participation and collaborative action.

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PlaceCal is a package of calendar software, education and community development. It makes it easier for residents to publish events, find information about their area, and see how to get involved in local groups. This helps people become active in their community by connecting them to events that are happening nearby.

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I’ve spent the last 9 months working with PHASE@MMU, CityVerve, and Manchester City Council to deliver PlaceCal, a crowd-sourced community events calendar. It’s been an extremely busy time with a lot of learning in a very short amount of time, and as we head into Phase 2 of our development I thought it’d be a good time to recap the process so far.

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