News
July 28, 2008
Vivek Kundra and Google Earth
Over at the Wikinomics blog
there is an interesting post about District of Columbia Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra and his recent inititative to release data representing more than 84,000 3D buildings for inclusion in Google Earths' Cities in 3D program. This effort is intended to allow citizens a greater role in discussions about the city's future.
July 22, 2008
Web 2.0 being discussed at Netroots Nation
A conference at Netroots Nation 2008 highlights how web 2.0 technology will be transforming politics and how our government operates.
"Transparency, Participation and Reinvention in Government" encompassed the common thread that people want to share information and add to an aggregated pool of information to build momentum and interest through social networks, YouTube, and blogs in campaigns.
July 21, 2008
The Fireside Chat vs. the Podcast
In a recent editorial in BusinessWeek, Steven Cody and Sam Ford argue that the current economic challenges facing the U.S. requires government to engage more directly with citizens. For them, Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs and podcasts offer a 21st century version of FDR's fireside chats where citizens can be invited into the democratic process in timely and innovative ways.
July 16, 2008
To Twitter or not to Twitter? The House asks the question.
The actions of republican representative John Culberson from Texas have brought up a heated discussion in the House over what is and isn't allowed when communicating with the public. Culberson regularly posts information on the social networking site Twitter in order to keep his constituents informed, however other representatives have expressed displeasure with Culberson's actions:
"Official content" — like video — that is posted outside the House.gov domain should be clearly marked, should not appear alongside commercial or campaign content and should contain an exit notice for people linking out from the House.gov domain, Capuano recommended.
Read the full article here
July 14, 2008
Government Data and the Invisible Hand
Last month researchers at Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy released a new study that recommends government administrators abandon their ambitions of developing user-friendly websites, and instead concentrate on providing raw public data in structured formats such as RSS or XML. The authors predict that if the private sector had free access to information such as regulatory decisions, Congressional votes, and campaign finance data, they would quickly overtake the feds in effectively analyzing and presenting the data. Maybe the U.S. should follow the lead of the U.K. and launch an initiative like 'Show Us A Better Way'?
July 10, 2008
UK asks citizens to "Show us a Better Way"
The United Kingdom government has recently launched an interesting competition titled "Show us a Better Way". The UK is challenging their citizens to create data mashups out of public sector information in order to present new ways in which public information can be communicated. Better yet, the winner receives a grand prize of £20,000.
July 07, 2008
Gen Y Prefers to Connect With Government In An Online Interactive Manner
A survey recently released by Meritalk finds that Generation Y prefers to connect with government online in an interactive manner similar to the way they seek out news and other information. The poll was conducted among 2,000 people born between 1977 and 1990. Notable results from this survey include: 88 percent of respondents will obtain their news online during the next four years, 74 percent want more information on government spending and programs, and 85 percent said they want the next president to reach out to the public online at least once a month.
July 01, 2008
Microsoft unveils their Citizen Services Platform (CSP)
Microsoft has recently released a new applications platform that will help the transition towards E-Government, titled Citizen Services Platform (CSP). It's believed that this platform will make the government more efficient by streamlining the relationship between citizens and their government.
"Government agencies are looking for simpler processes, yet enhanced interactions, for the way they serve their constituents," said Gail Thomas-Flynn, general manager of State and Local Government for Microsoft. "The common framework offered through the Citizen Services Platform enables efficient collaboration and productivity to provide better service, reduce costs and improve management insight."
Read the full article here
July 01, 2008
Embracing the friend, taming the beast- Web 2.0 in the enterprise
Michael Lynch, CEO of enterprise software leader Autonomy Corporation, delivered a warning about the potential pitfalls of Web 2.0 in yesterday's Financial Times editorial, entitled Embracing the friend, taming the beast. Although collaborative technology is often (and correctly) praised for the new communication opportunities that it presents, Lynch delivers an intriguing argument that new interactive platforms are actually a double-edge sword.
June 25, 2008
New Survey Finds Both Enthusiam and Caution for Web 2.0 Among IT Execs
According to a new survey of business and government organizations recently released by CDW Corp, more than 40 percent of IT decision makers have launched Web 2.0 technology within their own organizations. However, there is also a strong sense of caution among these leaders: 31 percent worry that Web 2.0 will be used for personal use over work, 28 percent are concerned about information security, and another 27 percent worry about employees wasting time.
June 24, 2008
Sea Breeze comes to NASA's World Wind
PanglossTech has recently announced that a new add-on to NASA's World Wind technology is now available. The new technology is called Sea Breeze, and it allows World Wind users the capacity to observe the physical, chemical and biological aspect of the World's oceans through the use of more than 600 high-resolution maps. Geographic dimensions of the oceans floor and seeing where earthquake prone locations and tectonic plates are located is now possible for the everyday citizen. The nature of World Wind being a collaborative open source software is the reason behind it being able to be constantly updated.
To learn more about NASA's World Wind technology go to our Case Study! Or you can learn more about Sea Breeze.
June 18, 2008
Peer-to-Patent releases their One Year Report
It's the one year anniversary of New York Law School's Peer-to-Patent pilot. They're celebrating the occasion by releasing a report detailing their results and observations.
Findings from the first-year report include:
- Peer-to-Patent attracted more than 2,000 peer reviewers.
- The first 23 office actions issued during the pilot phase showed use of Peer-to-Patent submitted prior art in nine rejections
- On average, citizen-reviewers contributed 6 hours reviewing each patent application in the pilot
Read our case study on the Peer-to-Patent program or go straight to the One Year Report!
June 18, 2008
Intellipedia Conference
Building upon the notion that nothing's ever perfect, intelligence and Pentagon officials, along with invited guests, recently got together to discuss how to use Intellipedia at a more advanced level. Read about the event – but read our Intellipedia case study first!
June 17, 2008
Rebooting the Public Square
An oldie but goodie – check out a Decemeber 2007 article
by National Academy President and CEO Jenna Dorn on the role of collaborative technology in revitalizing government:
Today, we at the academy are convinced that collaborative technology
has the potential to transform government in America, to tap into the expertise of people outside the hierarchy of any single
agency or department, to make government more transparent, and to open the door to a broader array of experts focused on solving a particular problem or to citizens who want to contribute to making government work better.
Read the whole thing.
June 17, 2008
The Great Public Health Mashup
Here's an interesting article about innovative uses of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technology in the public health community. If intrigued, head over to the case library to check out more information about Loma Linda University Medical Center.
May 07, 2008
Collaboration Project Joins Federal News Radio at FOSE
Frank DiGiammarino and Lena Trudeau joined Jane Norris and Tom Temin at the Federal Office Systems Exposition to discuss the doors that Web 2.0 technologies can open for the public sector.
Listen to audio highlights:
Frank talks about Collaboration and Challenges to Government
Lena drives the Focus on Government Leadership
Lena sees Government Addressing the Problem
Listen to the complete interview
May 07, 2008
TSA's Kip Hawley Featured at Collaboration Project Inaugural Meeting
TSA Administrator Kip Hawley provided plenty of inspiration at the Collaboration Project's first meeting in February with a presentation on the successful web 2.0 advances at his agency, including a new blog for the traveling public and an internal "IdeaFactory" that allows TSA's 43,000 workers to collectively discuss job-related issues and ideas. Other highlights include the heavy audience participation during the facilitated session and the valuable networking opportunities with fellow participants.
Kip Hawley, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), spoke at The Collaboration Project's inaugural meeting about collaborative technology advances at TSA, including a new blog and its "IdeaFactory," where the TSA's 43,000 workers can collectively discuss job-related issues and propose new ideas for the agency.
Audio Highlights
Kip Hawley discusses how the IdeaFactory helped TSA's front-line officers improve their skills on the job.
The TSA Administrator discusses how IdeaFactory postings undergo minimal editing from site monitors.
Hawley says success involves both technology and leadership.
May 07, 2008
EGov 2.0 Statement
Read the National Academy's Statement for the Record on E Gov 2.0 the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs
May 07, 2008
The Collaboration Project Featured in The Public Manager
Virtual Networks: An Opportunity for Government, by Frank DiGiammarino and Lena Trudeau, was recently featured in
The Public Manager:
The interactive Web is forcing change across society, and the public sector is no exception. In this feature article, Frank DiGiammarino and Lena Trudeau highlight Virtual Networks, and how they bring together stakeholders and peers to meet the challenges facing government leaders.
Read the full article.
