Perceptions of social media sites from focus groups as part of a project in Wisbech led by Cambridgeshire County Council

1. Wisbech Social Media Research
• These slides present the findings from
research carried out by Cambridgeshire
County Council and Paul Henderson
• The research took place in Wisbech,
Cambridgeshire in December 2009 as part
of a CLG funded project

2. Reactions to social media sites

3. Participants
• 6 focus groups in Wisbech, Cambs
– Nacro – 25-40, unemployed
– Urban – 25-40, employed and unemployed
– Older people
– Youth*
– Migrant Workers*
– Travellers*
*Data not included in these slides

4. Methodology
• Participants were asked about issues in their
local area:
– What type of issues?
– Who would you tell?
– How would you tell them?
– What would you expect to happen?
• Participants were asked quick questions to
establish their internet/media literacy
• Participants were shown various social media
websites and asked:
– What do you think/feel about these sites?
– Which do you like/dislike?

5. What sort of problems are there?
Theft
Play area traffic is
dangerous for kids,
would be nice to
have speed bumps Bus station/taxi
problems traffic
Drains and
soak always are
full up
Need a crossing on
Norwich Road, sent
in a questionnaire
no further action
was taken
Speeding
traffic
How do I contact
Highways?
Who is our
Councillor?
Drunks/drugs in Wisbech
Centre, who do tell?
Police? If so how quick a
response?
People biking to
work with no lights,
don’t know who
contact?
Vandalism
Human mess Bins Dog mess
Worried about individual
living in the woods
How can we stop speeding
through my village
How can we influence
planning decisions?
Traffic – why do the
council dig up the road
and alternate routes at
the same time?

6. Blogs
Easy to
follow
How is it
being
made?
Impressed
with site
Very up to
date
Informative
Keeping you
up to date
Notes
problems and
safety issues
Needs to
be brilliant
to catch
attention
Problem
page would
be better
Is it safe?
Safety of my
information
Dull
Doesn’t catch
your interest
enough, it’s too
plain
Can groups
and individuals
set up blogs?
Like the
layout
impressed at
how up to
date it was
lots of information
on progress
Can see pictures of
other people who write
about problems and
you can see how they
were fixed
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

7. Flickr
Highlight local
issues - picture of
a traffic jam
outside asda
Use Skype to
share images
Too many easier
and more
accessible sites for
this to interest me
everyone can see
your picture even if
you don’t want them
to
you can put
your own
picture
Only negative is
kid pictures online
Can find a
subject easily
through tagging
Easy to use/
navigate
Very well
organised
Was quite good
showing a lot of
different stuff
just use Google
to search for a
photo
Could spend a
long time on it
old pictures were interesting
too – people could help
identify gravestones in a local
cemetery – attract volunteers
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

8. Google maps
Easy to use
Easy to understand
and use
Liked you could
zoom right into
your house
Had used it for
directions but
didn’t know
about public
transport times
Don’t like someone
seeing my own back
garden
love itI like this
site
you can get directions
straight away where you
want and it shows by car,
walking and on public
transport
Very clear and
detailed pictures
Amazing
details
Easy/clear
instructions
All had used
it
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

9. FixMyStreet
Anonymous
settings
confusing I like this
site
Basic (very)
not much
being fixed
Probably better off
reporting straight to the
Council/police etc
Not always sorted in
good time, my report is
still waiting to be dealt
with after 6 months and
even a year
Easy to use
Very good for
people who want
to move to an area you can’t see
when the problem
is likely to be fixed
easy to use
and a good
site
Very good easier
than traipsing to
somewhere to
report a problem
Like it, good to
know it’s there
Now I know
about it, will
probably use it
Why do they want
my email to report
a pothole?
very good
could be
useful
Does it really
work?
No-one
heard of it
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

10. WhatDoTheyKnow
Wouldn’t use
it, boring
Not sure that you
could trust
statistics from the
council
Don’t believe you would
get the real information
Don’t think we
would use it
Never heard of it
very plain
boring site
Not interested
not what I
expected
Positive: none, unless
you want information
from a specific
authority
Slow/boring
No-one
heard of it
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

11. Pledgebank
Never heard of it
A do-gooders website
Very good idea
and needs more
publicity
Basic- no
confusionEasy to
use/understand
Good idea
You can write your
own things, problems
and chat to people to
get things done
helps you if you
have a problem
bad pledge fails
to get enough
subscriptions
Wouldn’t use
it
Not interested
Only loudest voices
being heard, not the
majority
Don’t think I
would join in
Not used an
online petition
No-one
heard of it
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

12. Discussion forums
do use some
discussion forums
Not used a
forum like this
Where would
you find one?
Looks easy
to use
Would be interested
in a local one (village
or small town)would use a community
discussion forum
website
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

13. YouTube
Good way of
learning
Use this daily
talks for
itself
Used all
the time
Everyone uses
Youtube
Excited to
use it
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

14. Twitter
Interested in it – but
not got time for itEveryone heard
of it/ no-one used
it
irrelevant
information
Very childish
Annoying-
what’s it for?
What’s the
point?
Need to be
careful what you
say on there –
especially
politicians
Never
been on it
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

15. Facebook fan
Everyone heard
of it and one
regular user
Only for
Facebook for
communicating
with family
Don’t log in so can’t
see it being useful
Don’t belong to any
fan pages or
groups
Could have an
anonymous Facebook for
complaining except for
topics like school
crossings which wouldn’t
need to be anonymous.
Well used, but
not for complaints
use it for everything
chat, games, forumFavourite site
on the net
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

16. Community sitesactual site is
boring to look at Easy to follow
Community news
and goings on
Interesting
Lots of good
information
helpful if you
want to move to
the area
Too many tabs and
links on this front sheet
User friendly
Who do I contact?
Where do I complain
Too much to take
in, too many links
etc
who would put
things on it?
want it
centrally run
if it was for Wisbech it
would be something I
would go on
Nacro Urban 25-40 Older people

17.  Don’t like Like
