Bruce Schneier gave a talk at Authors@Google about his book, Liars and Outliers:Enabling the Trust that Society Needs to Thrive. I watched it a couple of months ago, and he provided a lot to think about. What started as an off-hand observation and has since become increasingly useful is his metaphor of the Three Keiretsu.Read… Read more »
During the shutdown, I shared answers to the question “Why are you essential?” It was terrific qualitative data about the important work conducted by government employees. There were a wide range of answers describing individuals who spent there days connecting people to vital services, building a more inclusive society, protecting us from harm, and providingRead… Read more »
This has been a rough year for the Federal Government: sequestration, shutdown, almost shutdowns, questions about government IT and effectiveness, and another potential shutdown coming in January. I’ve been thinking about the need to take some stock in this small breathing space we have between the pressures of recovering from the shutdown, the time ofRead… Read more »
We’re pleased to see GovLoop’s great report on open source solutions and agencies of the future released this month. OmniStudio, jumped on the open source bandwagon back in 2006, and we’ve long been making the argument that open source websites (especially those built in WordPress and Drupal) can help to lower tech costs, improve functionalityRead… Read more »
Thanksgiving is almost here–a day which for many of us means a carousel of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pie. Before you sit down to dinner this year, here are five ways you can help others access food and services. 1) Spread the word about SnapFresh SnapFresh is a text-message and mobile web app thatRead… Read more »
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory has built a device that aims to help NASA locate recording platforms meant to capture spacecraft decelerators’ image data, DoD Live reported Thursday. ARL’s Flight Imagery Recorder Locator contains a satellite communications moden, GPS receiver, dual-band antenna and batteries, according to the article. Rex Hall, an ARL project lead engineer,Read… Read more »
The push for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs in government has been strong. In the 2012 Digital Government Strategy released by the White House, the strategy encouraged the adoption of BYOD initiatives. The report additionally provided guidance for agencies interested in making the transition away from government-issued devices. Certain agencies, such as the U.S.Read… Read more »
Summary: Though Twitter hashtags have been around almost as long as Twitter itself, many people still do not understand what they are – or more importantly, how to use them appropriately. This post offers seven tips – plus a decision-making flowchart – to enable Tweeters to not only avoid looking like a Twitter rube, butRead… Read more »
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost Why is it that despite our best efforts, many of us are still unhappy and unfulfilled in our lives/careers? Author David Richo says the key to happiness is to accept difficult realities, drop our resistance to them,Read… Read more »
Today we wrap up the 2013 Fellowship year at Code for America. Over the past two weeks, we have transitioned apps, transitioned partner relationships, and celebrated accomplishments. We have reflected on the year, on the program and on the lasting impacts that the Fellows have had on local government. Now it is time to sayRead… Read more »