Social inadequates to get own social network

The reports in today's papers and yesterday's PM program ( 01:54:00 minutes in, your correspondent is quoted) about the latest wheeze from the EU to 're-connect' citizens with the project have caused a certain amount of disquiet in the Parliament.

MyParl.eu is a shiny new social networking site for politicians. With a name deliberatly mimicking MySpace) it is transparently an attempt to jump on what the EU sees to be a fashionable bandwagon. But like so many things the central authority aspect off it reaveals its inherent flaws. It is ostensibly designed to allow MEPs and national Parliamentarians (and of course selected members of Organised Civil Society) .

The ways in which the whole concept is wrong are legion. Firstly social networking sites exist already. The European Parliament already has a Facebook Group with 650 members - MEPs who are interested in web 2.0 products already have pages on it and MySpace, LinkedIn and so many other websites. And, and this is key, they are free to use and have broad public access. They are classic examples of a bottom up process, driven by the actions of individuals acting in their own interests.

MyParl.eu however is part of the EU's 'Communicating Europe in Partnership' program and is entirely funded by the taxpayer via the European Commission, to the tune of £3 million. One of the team (the contract is held by two significant players in the Euro media market, Mostra Communications and Euractiv.eu) told me,

"We are going to create a bottom up process",

Errr... apart from the fact that that is logically impossible, it is absurd. You cannot create something bottom up, bottom up stuff just happens.

As Bruno Waterfield in the Telegraph puts it,

Despite the use of taxpayers' cash, much of MyParl.eu will not be visible to the public, with its networking "restricted to parliamentarians", The Daily Telegraph has learned.

Only parliamentarians and "civil society", Brussels-speak for officially sanctioned NGOs and trade associations, will be able to use the site for comment and debate. "Myparl.eu offers you a unique online political forum with a social networking tool, enabling you to engage with other parliamentarians across the EU," said the pilot site launched in Brussels on Thursday".

The arrogance of the organisers of this walking disaster make the point,

"After receiving an online demonstration of the website, one Euro-MP's office asked MyParl organisers whether there was a cost for the service. "Totally free. Well, not for the taxpayer of course," was the answer".

Which says it all.