2008-04-17 Politics: Web 2.0: An International Conference

Image by Information Architects

The conference ended at 5.30 on Friday 18th, April 2008. Thanks to all participants for making it such a successful event. If you'd like a quick flavour, see the 'official' liveblog entries on the main NPCU blog, beginning here. From the comments in that post you can follow links to other livebloggers.

Here is the original blurb: 

New Political Communication Unit, Department of Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London, April 17-18, 2008.

Sponsors: Routledge Publishers, Polity Press, Royal Holloway Research Strategy Fund.

Has there been a shift in political use of the internet and digital new media - a new web 2.0 politics based on participatory values? How do broader social, cultural, and economic shifts towards web 2.0 impact, if at all, on the contexts, the organizational structures, and the communication of politics and policy? Does web 2.0 hinder or help democratic citizenship? This conference provides an opportunity for researchers to share and debate perspectives.

The conference was large and diverse, with six distinguished keynotes, 120 papers organised into 41 panels, and over 180 participants drawn from over 30 countries. The keynote speakers were:

  • Robin Mansell, Professor of New Media, LSE: "The Light and the Dark Sides of Web 2.0."
  • Helen Margetts, Professor of Internet and Society, University of Oxford: "Digital-era Governance: Peer production, Co-creation and the Future of Government."
  • Rachel Gibson, Professor of Political Science, University of Manchester: "Trickle-up Politics?: the Impact of Web 2.0 Technologies on Citizen Participation."
  • Stephen Coleman, Professor of Political Communication, University of Leeds: "Networks and Commons: Can The Popular and The Political Be Connected?"
  • Micah Sifry, Personal Democracy Forum/TechPresident: "The Revolution Will Be Networked: How Open Source Politics is Emerging in America."
  • Michael Turk, US National Cable & Telecommunications Association and e-campaign manager for Bush-Cheney 04: "Managed Chaos: Bringing Order to User-Generated Activism."

Andrew Chadwick, Director
Ben O’Loughlin, Associate Director
New Political Communication Unit
Conference Organisers

Contact Details and Links to Useful Information


Please see the final conference programme (pdf) for all relevant information. 

For administrative queries relating to the conference, such as payments, registration, accommodation and so on, please contact: Ms Lisa Dacunha, Postgraduate and Research Administrator, Department of Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London. Email: lisa.dacunha@rhul.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)1784 443687.

For queries relating to the programme content, please contact Dr Andrew Chadwick. Email: Andrew.Chadwick@rhul.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)1784 414131.

See the Royal Holloway Visitor’s Guide, including travel directions, maps and information about the local area.

[Top image used with permission from Information Architects.]