Link roundup

I find this stuff so you don’t have to: Little J Beta – via @willperrin The limits of collaborative consumption: Would people really share their belongings? Blogging – why do it? | Amandacomms’s Blog Raspberry Pi: Baking Pi – Operating Systems Development – FAB! Apache considered harmful Starting Forth – Leo Brodie / free onlineRead… Read more »

Civic Insight Wins Knight News Challenge

Today we’re proud to officially announce that Civic Insight has been selected as a winner of the Knight Foundation’s 2013 News Challenge on Open Gov. We’re humbled that our work has been recognized alongside seven extremely impressive projects, out of the original pool of 821 applicants. The Knight Foundation’s investment in our company will helpRead… Read more »

Breaking A Bad Decision

I was working with a board faced with a major problem…with no workable solution. These are good people, who understand their business, have been at it for a long time. They completely understood their situation, and for the last six months no optimal, hell, no viable solution was available. This particular problem had colored allRead… Read more »

Collecting Social Security While Still Working and CSRS Concerns

A site visitor to one of our forums stated that she was 66 and still working and was CSRS offset. A colleague suggested that she think about drawing social security now versus waiting until she retires. Once you reach age 66 you can earn unlimited amounts without reducing your Social Security benefit. She had beenRead… Read more »

Is Being Less Political Key to a Good Leader?

Politico’s story on Bill Clinton’s recent 70-percent approval rating, the highest ever recorded for him, attributes his popularity to his ever increasing focus on global issues eschewing political firestorms. While the former President has clearly evolved into a man focused on creating solutions to “neutral problems,” is this an evolution of character or the makingRead… Read more »

Media & PR practitioners no longer control the oxygen valve

A classic ploy by media and PR professionals to kill an unwanted issue has been to ‘deny it oxygen’ – refusing to comment or engage on the topic publicly, via news media or other channels. The approach has traditionally worked very effectively for both public sector and commercial communicators. Devoid of any official information, orRead… Read more »

If these walls could talk: The case for open housing data

With an average of 36 million Americans changing homes every year, we’re a country constantly on the move. But too often there’s more than meets the eye at an open house. Broken plumbing, faulty heat, pests, or absentee landlords are just some of the unpleasant surprises that arise after the lease or deed is signed.Read… Read more »

A Response to Leaders and Trainers

Although the title may seem to be misleading, it really isn’t. I am talking about training leaders and leaders training trainers throughout. I received a comment where I think I was totally misunderstood, and I certainly bear some responsibility for not being clear. When I responded to the comment, I like my response almost asRead… Read more »

Calgary Police’s Twitter account displays #SMEM best practices during #yycflood

During the floods in Calgary, Canada, this weekend, the social media manager of Calgary’s police did a fantastic job answering questions, diffusing rumors, using social media to pull in additional help, point people to volunteer opportunities, and to activate officers to work extra shifts via Twitter. It was important to get information into the socialRead… Read more »