I often cite Horsesmouth in my presentations as the best example of a web learning community that thrives without the backing of any learning institution. So it’s nice to meet the face behind it.
MT’s confidential and voluntary mentoring and advice brokering engine has fabulous web 2.0 quality indicators. Average dwell time 8 mins and 15 page views/visit shows this is a place people really want to stay tuned. The lemmings of online help should go green with envy. Average 20 written replies within one day to any “call for help” posting is something Yahoo! answers would die for and those speculative mercenaries at e-how should hang their heads in shame. NHS Online can also eat its heart out. 84% of MT’s pages contain deep links to sources of help, advice and support – and those are provided by the public, not by the public service managers.
Presenting at MPS09, MT (MaryTheresa for connoisseurs of unusual first names) talked about how all the time and investment had gone into the reputation, security, moderating, integrity of the service. To ensure that the transactions are as deep and honest as possible. This is the opposite of the Social Network business model – where you invest everything in expansion and the quality net is the lowest you can get away with.
How do we get resources and partnerships into this fantastic channel ? MT and I brainstormed a few ideas later over the home-made cakes. How about an accredited mentoring activity as an in-service training element for one of the caring professions ?
Later I read that the Government wants to launch a new Royal College of Social Work on the lines of the RCN. Hey, they actually have it already made. Just take some walled space on a hosted segment of Horsesmouth. Most betters would wager they will actually spend half a billion and ten years, so that a minister can cut a ribbon. But if the spirit of this conference prevails, you never know, this might be the place you heard it first from the Horse's Mouth
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