Posts By Corey McCarren

Daily Dose: Defense Department releases bi-yearly report on progress in Afghanistan

The Defense Department Friday released its bi-yearly report entitled “Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan,” which provides insight as to how well Afghan national security efforts are going. The report offers also covers progress in rule of law, economics, and road conditions. It states that the situation is improving in Afghanistan, thoughRead… Read more »

The future of startup funding and what it means for Gov 2.0

With the passage of the Jobs Act, small investments have become legal, allowing for a new wave of innovation in the sphere of company financing. Michael Norman, co-founder of WeFunder, spoke with Chris Dorobek about his new platform allowing for crowdsourcing investment in Gov 2.0. Smaller investments have the potential to reinvigorate Gov 2.0, asRead… Read more »

What the Small Business Administration can do for you

Acquiring government contracts can be no easy task for small businesses. That’s where the Small Business Administration comes in. The SBA works with small businesses and federal agencies to help connect them. Christopher Dorobek spoke with Michael Chodos of the SBA on his radio show the DorobekINSIDER about what the SBA is doing for smallRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Drupal a CMS of choice for government

There’s a lot of content management systems (CMS) out there, but one seems to be taking government by storm. Drupal, an open source platform has gained favor by myriad federal websites, including the sites of the Whitehouse, House of Representatives, Department of Energy, and the Department of Homeland Security. It has also recently replaced VignetteRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Palo Alto Mayor Uses Twitter to Chat with Residents

Social Media is becoming ever more ingrained in the political landscape, and the government of Palo Alto — a city known for its tech savvy — is taking advantage. Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh and City Manager James Keene participated in two Twitter discussions with resident recently. Participants could use the hashtag #askpaloalto during theRead… Read more »

Amid a rough month for public service, recognition and the silver lining

Let’s face it; it hasn’t been the best few weeks for federal government. Between the GSA scandal, the Secret Service scandal, and the dishonorable acts of a few soldiers in Afghanistan, public servants are getting a bad rap. Luckily, we know 98% of federal workers are hard-working, mission-driven people focused on efficiency. Christopher Dorobek ofRead… Read more »

Daily Dose: Would More Female Agents have Discouraged Cartagena Shenanigans?

Can a lack of workforce diversity lead to on-the-job shenanigans? That’s the question the Washington Post asked in regards to the Secret Service prostitution scandal, and how few women are employed as special agents. Only 11% of special agents are women; some Congresswomen think this lack of diversity could have contributed to the poor decisionsRead… Read more »

Is that data big or realtime? Classifying data correctly can make all the difference

Data comes in many different forms, and depending on the form of data, it can totally change its use. For example, realtime data has different applications than data not in realtime, same goes for big and small data. While speaking with Chris Dorobek on the DorobekINSIDER, Tim Davies, a PhD student in the Web ScienceRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Students Fundraise amidst NASA Budget Cuts

In college, the Political Science Club I was Treasurer of once held a fundraiser to take a trip to Washington, DC, raising a total $11.64. Raising a ton of money wasn’t the point, though. The point was simply to show that we care about visiting DC, and that the Student Association should allot us aRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Philly Police Officers Use Personal Twitter Accounts

Philadelphia police are packing … smartphones, that is. The Philly police department is arming 15 officers with Twitter accounts, so that they may tweet updates while on duty and interact with the community. The departments communications director, Karima Zedan, claims that the benefits will be that officers will maintain a positive presence in the communityRead… Read more »