Lawrence A.

Automatic analysis of formal channels (e.g. customer surveys and user feedback forms) using Natural Language Processing (NLP) has been successfully used by large organisations to identify issues reported with products and services. Informal online sources of information, e.g. blogs and twitter, give the potential for greater coverage of issues in near-real time. NLP technology, already proven in life science research, will be applied to blogs and twitter for monitoring of digital services… Show more

Automatic analysis of formal channels (e.g. customer surveys and user feedback forms) using Natural Language Processing (NLP) has been successfully used by large organisations to identify issues reported with products and services. Informal online sources of information, e.g. blogs and twitter, give the potential for greater coverage of issues in near-real time. NLP technology, already proven in life science research, will be applied to blogs and twitter for monitoring of digital services. Weak signals gathered from large numbers of users can suggest problems which do not show up as single point failures. We will also see if it is possible to catch cases where a rumour of a problem may exacerbate or even cause the problem itself.

Successful development of the results of this project will open up new markets in network security and other areas for products based on the same industrial strength underlying NLP engine.
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With the explosion of comments, posts, articles and conversations now available on digital media platforms today, both private and public sector organisations recognise this immense volume of data may yield valuable intelligence. Social network analysis is at the top of security policy agendas because of ‘networked’ adversaries. In branding and retail, consumer relationships, attitudes and tastes can be assessed in unprecedented detail. For both, participatory media allow for ongoing engagement… Show more

With the explosion of comments, posts, articles and conversations now available on digital media platforms today, both private and public sector organisations recognise this immense volume of data may yield valuable intelligence. Social network analysis is at the top of security policy agendas because of ‘networked’ adversaries. In branding and retail, consumer relationships, attitudes and tastes can be assessed in unprecedented detail. For both, participatory media allow for ongoing engagement with ‘targets’ online in order to shape offline behaviour. Consequently, the imperative to accurately evaluate digital media and measure complex metrics such as influence, trust and reputation online becomes ever greater.

This symposium will focus on the range of different methodologies used to measure digital media and assesses their effectiveness and how they can be best applied to glean actionable intelligence for public and private sector organisations. The symposium will investigate whether the various Web analysis methodologies can be effective in predicting social change. The potential ‘dark side’ of online analysis will also come under scrutiny: How informed are ordinary citizens about uses of their data? Is the relation between privacy and security a zero-sum game? Do organisations still rely on stereotypes to ‘fill in the gaps’ between data? What is lost if judgement based on algorithms replaces ‘human’ intelligence and intuition? Show less

I was a speaker at the Future Health Summit in Dublin, Ireland with a talk entitled "Digital Mindfulness"

I was a speaker at the Humanise The Web conference in London with a talk entitled, "Digital Mindfulness"

I led Quantified Self workshops in Barcelona, Spain for technology professionals, companies and other persons interested in the movement. I was the founder of the Quantified Self group in Barcelona.

PostSecret is one of the most popular blogs on the web and was recently named the “People’s Voice Winner” at the 2012 Webby Awards in the NetArt category. The PostSecret Project, which has been featured in The Guardian, the Financial Times, Times of London and The Independent, is a safe and anonymous “place” in which people from around the world anonymously send secrets within highly personal and artfully decorated postcards.

Since November 2004, Frank has received more than 500,000… Show more

PostSecret is one of the most popular blogs on the web and was recently named the “People’s Voice Winner” at the 2012 Webby Awards in the NetArt category. The PostSecret Project, which has been featured in The Guardian, the Financial Times, Times of London and The Independent, is a safe and anonymous “place” in which people from around the world anonymously send secrets within highly personal and artfully decorated postcards.

Since November 2004, Frank has received more than 500,000 postcards, with secrets that range from confessions of personal beliefs and hidden acts of kindness to people’s deepest fears. The secrets are provocative, profound and deeply compelling, revealing our desires, regrets, and obsessions. Frank calls them "graphic haiku”; beautiful, elegant, and small in structure that are powerfully emotional.

"PostSecret LIVE” brings the positive experiences of online communities into UK and Ireland venues. These multimedia events show the postcards that were not included in the books and provide the audience with the opportunity to hear the inspiring and funny stories behind the secrets, listen to some of Frank’s own secrets and share their own.

PostSecret Live Venues:

London: Institute of Education
Dublin: The Helix
Brighton: The Dome
Edinburgh: Assembly Hall
Birmingham: University of Birmingham
Bristol: University of the West of England
Sheffield: University of Sheffield Show less

Designed for communications professionals interested in the potential of social data to inspire data-driven discovery and decision-making in this hyper-connected digital era.

In this event, we explore and share established and emerging insights and applications of the use of digital media in national and international security from business, public sector organisations and academia. It will explore innovative insights from social media and security including perspectives relating to the… Show more

Designed for communications professionals interested in the potential of social data to inspire data-driven discovery and decision-making in this hyper-connected digital era.

In this event, we explore and share established and emerging insights and applications of the use of digital media in national and international security from business, public sector organisations and academia. It will explore innovative insights from social media and security including perspectives relating to the rise of the far right in Europe, the growth of violent and non-violent extremism, responses to humanitarian crises, terrorism / counter-terrorism and public diplomacy.

The event featured talks from experts from the fields of psychology, political and information security, intelligence, gamification, big data and brand insight amongst others.

Speakers included:
Kevin Anderson – The Guardian, Al-Jazeera
Pippa Norris – Ministry of Defence
Stewart Bertram - VeriSign
Professor Martin Everett – University of Manchester, Mitchell Centre for Social Network Analysis
David Stillwell – University of Cambridge Psychometrics Centre
Nathalie Nahai – The Web Psychologist
Alfred Rolington – Former CEO Jane’s Information Group, Oxford Analytica Show less

A Twitter monitoring workshop was convened at Royal Holloway University of London to further understanding of how relevant information can be extracted, interpreted and then presented as summarised analysis. Real-Time Social Media Monitoring allows clients to gather data from social media as an event or crisis unfolds and analyse the data to guide timely decision making. The technology can be used for a broad range of purposes, such as identifying shifting brand reputations, key opinion… Show more

A Twitter monitoring workshop was convened at Royal Holloway University of London to further understanding of how relevant information can be extracted, interpreted and then presented as summarised analysis. Real-Time Social Media Monitoring allows clients to gather data from social media as an event or crisis unfolds and analyse the data to guide timely decision making. The technology can be used for a broad range of purposes, such as identifying shifting brand reputations, key opinion leaders, viral content, and emergent groupings, networks and geolocation of citizens/users. Show less

Using social media analysis, I was responsible for writing monthly data-driven articles on the online perception of key global pharmaceutical products.

I was the author of the NGO Watch column in PR Week which informed international NGOs on their online reputation and the factors influencing the positive or negative perception of that reputation. Using social media analysis, the data-driven articles were used by influential global NGOs as a barometer for understanding the implications of the global perception of their online brand.