Yesterday during the Mashable.com / UN Foundation “Social Good Summit”
in New York, I launched something I’ve been working on for a while
behind the scenes at Microsoft’s public sector division. It’s a new
website (geeks: WordPress running on Windows Server… and eventually
Windows Azure cloud) called SECTOR: PUBLIC.
(Get it? Like Mission: Impossible? Hey, the domain was available, give
me a break.)
You can find SECTOR: PUBLIC at http://www.sectorpublic.com and on
Twitter at @SectorPublic.
The site is going to have news, information, and thought leadership on
stories about how technology (cloud computing, open solutions / OSS,
social media, CRM, cybersecurity, apps, mobile, etc.) and innovation in
general (electric cars?) is changing [empowering, disrupting…]
(1) the business of the public sector (how govt operates, how schools
teach, etc)
(2) how people conduct public service (even Ressler)
(3) new ways in which social change is happening.
I’m focused on North America. Meaning: less about AIDS in Africa, more
about schools in Baltimore.
As for Twitter, I’m treating @SectorPublic separately from @cheeky_geeky
(You didn’t know I was @cheeky_geeky? For shame.) – I’m following
different accounts, talking about different stuff, and will try to reply
to people personally from there about the content of the site. I’m also
going to tweet links more geared towards the mission of the site.
I’m also playing with a Paper.li daily paper from the @SectorPublic
account. After a couple days, it’s really interesting… because I’m
following cool accounts like the Red Cross and the Gates Foundation over
there, I’m pulling in different “top stories.”
(If you follow my “Slim Shady” account, you know that I have a penchant
for quirky news, mutants, jokes, dating humor, and politics…stuff you
won’t see on SECTOR: PUBLIC. Unless there are mutant politicians telling
jokes on their Windows Phone 7 while saving the education system, I’ll
write about that.)
Who are the writers? At first I’ll have a suite of Microsoft writers
from all different parts of the company – sales, marketing, product
evangelism, innovation. I have a podcaster from the XBox team. I have a
couple people from Microsoft research. I literally have our IT guy who
is a really good writer too!
Oh, BTW, I’m the editor of the site (AKA DA BOSS).
Later, in a few months or so, we’re going to add guest writers, big
ones. You will know some of these names. They are mini-famous for
something, but somehow their lives have later intersected with tech and
public good. It’ll be cool to have, say, artists writing about their
mobile fundraising efforts or their stints in local government, right?
I also am starting to build up some very young “correspondents” who will
write from their colleges or whatever ad give yet another take.
Got that? Regular writers, young correspondents, and guest writers.
Easy.
So, please check out http://www.sectorpublic.com – as I write this we
have five posts up. We’ve got a great interview going up on Thu, 9/23.
AND WE’RE GIVING AWAY 8,000 XBOX’S!!!!! (Just kidding, Microsoft didn’t
authorize that.)
Comments and feedback on the site welcome!
I am interested in finding ways to link with “Microsoft’s” public sector tools to demonstrate “community enrichment” via community tv media supplemented by internet tools as you would like to demonstrate. I also like to supplment what you have to offer via Google’s “Google Talk” that allows ‘instant chat’ for collaboration, particularly among small tech biz, non-profits and innovators at municipal government levels, to form virtual teams as encouraged by Stimulous Package grants via PPP (Private Public Partnership). Can we pursue this topic further via govloop’s “Collaboration” group which i just joined ?
Great stuff, Mark. Tap me in if you ever need help!