When I was a kid, I spent hours at the local library – especially during the summer when we were off from school. I’d grab a bunch of books and bring them home, often staying up late reading them with a flashlight in bed under the covers. I’d knock ’em all out, then go backRead… Read more »
On April 10, 2010 I spoke about ways to get involved in ASPA in the New Member and First Time Attendee Orientation. Here are the highlights: Participate in your local chapter. Come to the ASPA Annual Conference and wear your ribbons (Student, First Time Attendee, New Member, etc…). Others will notice them and will approachRead… Read more »
Some cities with 311 Call Centers might have the knee-jerk reaction of resisting open-data platforms like SeeClickFix, even though it offers more transparency and better user experience. Yet our experience has been that many cities are willing to experiment with combining the utility of both systems. Consider this recent case from Chattanooga, TN. A monthRead… Read more »
There is no single federal department, agency or position that has ultimate responsibility for securing America against a biological attack—it’s a task that is spread widely across our civil service and military. This network of emergency managers, medical personnel, logisticians and policy makers is critical, yet loosely coordinated. To help establish a unified vision, BioDefenseRead… Read more »
Sonny Hashmi, Deputy Chief Information Officer, OCFO at DC Government, sent me a note highlighting the new CFOInfo DC Dashboard, which is in Beta. This dashboard is exposing details of the District of Columbia’s budget to a degree I have never seen before, and making it easy for your average user to dig in andRead… Read more »
Since starting #localgovchat last month, the biggest surprise to me has been the fear of social media – but not the type of fear I initially suspected. Sure, putting your agency out there publicly and openly can be a bit intimidating. I get that. We didn’t have that problem, but I get it. But IRead… Read more »
Thought this article from Forbes magazine was worth posting: How Facebook Ruined My CareerChristopher Steiner and Helen Coster 04.13.10, 9:50 AM ET With 400 million registered users, Facebook is a great place to find a job. For more than a few cavalier souls, it’s a great place to lose one, too. By now you’d thinkRead… Read more »
I work with a particular government agency that is quite hesitant about entering the social world due to legal and liability concerns. The problems seem to always revert back to the inability to monitor and edit the content posted on the agency’s social sites. My question is: How is every other government entity out thereRead… Read more »
Ted Nguyen, the Manager of Public Communications, for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), has done some very good work developing Social Media Guidelines for the OCTA. I asked him if he would share the process that he and his team went through, as well as the guidelines they produced. Here are Ted’s thoughts, inRead… Read more »
MY OPINION ABOUT TIME! From the Facebook blog Safety is Facebook’s top priority. Our most talented people are dedicated to creating an environment where people can connect and share comfortably. As a result, we’re unveiling today a completely redesigned Safety Center . It offers new safety resources for parents, educators, teens and members of theRead… Read more »