*That* Logo and the lessons for Government 2.0

So, today a large report hit the decks, all about Government 2.0 and the user generated goodness it will bring.

It would be really, really wonderful if one could believe this will work, but if the lesson of *that logo* is anything to go by, Government 2.0 is going to be a long time coming. Here's the story in a nutshell.

1. The London Olympics 2012 are being funded by taxpayers money ( and whatever can be diverted from the national lottery, a new sort of private funded initiative

2. A large amount of money is spent on a Logo that we the people basically can't stand, and in all the proxies of "Government 2.0" that exist - blogs, petitions etc we let our dissatisfaction be known

3. It later emerges that the firm submitting the logo, Wolff Olins, was essentially "chosen blind"

4. Our worthy representatives decided to go ahead with it anyway, telling us in essence to go away and its all for our own good, we'll grow to like it..

And, in fact, more than that:

Despite the hostile reaction to the logo, the organisers of 2012 have pledged to press ahead with a huge merchandising campaign. Unusually, one of the first ranges of merchandise to hit the shelves will be curtains, wall-paper, duvet covers and kitchen equipment. There will also be a casual fashion range of clothes and shoes in fabrics printed with the grafitti-inspired logo.

The connection between the corinthian spirit and spartan interiors is clear........not to mention a whiff of olde byzantium - to quote

Wolff Olins has built impressive links with the Labour establishment. Sarah Brown, the wife of Gordon, the prime minister in waiting, started her career at Wolff Olins after leaving university.
Michael Wolff, the company's co-founder, was credited with creating Labour's red rose symbol in 1986, and in 1998 its representatives were called upon by Tony Blair to be part of a group of "creative thinkers" helping to "rebrand Britain" and create the brief, heady days of "Cool Britannia".*
In addition, we discover that one Brian Boylan, the chairman of Wolff Olins, is a quangocrat of note, serving on the Tate Modern Council** and on the board of the Government-funded Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. No doubt pulling dow a few pennies for his efforts.

The choice was not so blind then , it would seem.....(to be fair, they did do the Athens Logo too.....wonder how much they paid?)

So, given this, why would any user generated (dis)content on any other area be treated any differently? One could argue that the Olympic body cannot be voted out, whereas Politicians 2.0 can be - but in practice on a 4-5 year cycle this is largely discountable for c 90% of the time (ie apart from close to elections)

Unfortunately, the lesson not yet learned is that, for Government 2.0 to be seen to valid, after we have had "The Conversation", then we have to have "The Action" where the "Will of The People" is carried out. Web 2.0 is just a better tool to allow the action to take place, its not a substitute.

Here endeth the lesson......