The Course of Online Events Never Did Run Smooth?

20th February 2013

Nicola OsborneNicola.osborne@ed.ac.uk

Introduction to Will’s World

• 10 month project to create a Shakespeare Registry enabling discovery across Shakespeare resources.

• Aim: demonstrate the value and principle of aggregation as a tactic.

• Part of the JISC/RLUK Discovery initiative

• Anticipated users include developers, Shakespeare researchers, etc.

Will’s World Blog

Will’s World at Culture Hack Scotland

• Participation and creation of Macbeth XML and related resources for Culture Hack Scotland 2012 (prior to the completion and launch of the Registry).

• 3 hacks, including Winning “Shakey App” based on Will’s World data.

• Raised awareness of project, data and potentialuse of Will’s World Registry.

Will’s World Registry

Will’s World Hack

• Event to raise awareness of the Registry and potential use.

• Originally planned as in-person event.• Online event selected as innovative, accessible,

and viable for short timescale (approx. 4 weeks). • Team conducted a feasibility study and survey of

potential participants to identify interest, technologies, format, practical issues.

• Significant challenges: identifying participant community, supporting participation, enabling team formation, making it tangible.

Making it Tangible: Survival Packs

Sharing Hack Spaces…

Ruff: Will’s World Survival Pack /Muriel of Edinburgh. Model: Kiwi the Cat. Photographer and Styling: Muriel Mewissen, Will’s World Project Manager. Laser eyes: Model’s own.

Support: Check-ins via Google+ Hangouts

Support: Twitter & IRC• Team &

Developers available via Twitter, IRC.

• Support in working hours via email and check ins.

• Support in evenings & weekends.

Support: Google+ Circle & Community• Google+ Circle for

registered participants

• Google+ Communities launched during the event, allowed ongoing discussion.

• YouTube more accessible archive.

Creating a Buzz: Pinterest

• Test

What We Learned: Online Hack Format

• Lack of clarity around hack roles put off some potential participants with great ideas.

• Online-only format appealed more to developers and more technical participants.

• A week is perhaps too long/too much like work for engagement in this sort of event.

• Offline hacks are usually a space to experiment away from work distractions. Harder to make space for online hack participation in busy lives with lots of distractions and competing priorities.

• BUT some brilliant hacks were created!

What We Learned: Supporting Online Hacks

• More time in planning and supporting the Hack would have been beneficial.

• Online participants come to organisers for support more frequently, offline hack participants are more likely to support each other.

• Facilitating team formation online was very tricky, particularly when individuals have disparate schedules, time zones, interests.

• Too many communications choices was more confusing for participants, and time consuming for staff, than actually useful.

The Hacks: A Brilliant Array!

Would we do it again?

Yes!

•Some things worked brilliantly: tangibility; developer support; check-ins; video; silliness. •Some aspects we knew might be an issue (e.g. lead time, support requirements, team building) and we would improve upon.•Some things we would change: use fewer technologies; tie the online hack into some sort of in-person activity/meet ups; earlier matchmaking between developers and other participants.

Find out more… • Registry: http://willsworld.edina.ac.uk/• Blog: http://willsworld.blogs.edina.ac.uk/• Project Page:

http://edina.ac.uk/projects/shakespeare_summary.htm• Google+ Community:

https://plus.google.com/communities/106226502946103008023

• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/willsworldhack• Twitter: https://twitter.com/WillsWorldHack• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/willsworldhack/• Will’s World at CHS 2012:

http://willsworld.blogs.edina.ac.uk/2012/04/30/wills-world-at-culture-hack-scotland/