Transparent Government: How Releasing Data and Web 2.0 Applications Can Improve Government Services, Build Public Support and Involvement
Reston, VA (PRWEB) November 1, 2007 -- E-gov strategist W. David Stephenson said Thursday "Web 2.0 applications plus government data released on a real-time basis transforms citizens from mere recipients of government services into effective partners in their creation, improvement, and evaluation."
Stephenson, principal of Stephenson Strategies (Medfield, MA) spoke on what he called "transparent government" at the New, New Internet conference (http://tinyurl.com/yvxhwo) (2:40 PM, Thursday, Hyatt Regency, Reston, VA).
Stephenson said that individuals have seized the initiative with transparent government (also called Google Government or data liberation) by taking data that otherwise might remain "meaningless numbers locked in obscure databases within remote agencies" and making the statistics informative and interesting by interpreting them and/or creating visualizations using Web 2.0 tools such as Google mashups. He cited examples including:
* Chicago Crime (http://www.chicagocrime.org/), which displays crime data from the Chicago Police on Google maps to identify crime hotspots and identify crime trends
* Neighborhood Knowledge Los Angeles (http://nkla.ucla.edu/), which overlays city data about 7 indicators of urban decay, such as code violations and unpaid property taxes on maps to identify declining areas in time for city agencies to intervene
* illegalsigns.ca (http://illegalsigns.ca/), which illustrates how someone with a passion for a single issue (in this case, illegal billboards in Toronto) can combine data, photos and Google maps to call attention to the problem and assist government agencies with enforcement.
Stephenson said government agencies can increase transparent government's benefits by releasing data on a real-time basis. He cited the District of Columbia's Citywide Data Warehouse (http://tinyurl.com/yudgxd), which uses RSS, XML, and Atom feeds to release data from 150 sources, ranging from crimes to pothole reports. Interpretations by public activists so far include a "mashup" showing where potholes have been reported (and whether they've been repaired: an example of "sousveillance," in which people hold government accountable by visibility), and a variety of features on the "Ballpark and Beyond" site covering Southeast Washington. The DC government also has benefited internally from the program, improving operating efficiency and data sharing between agencies.
Stephenson detailed steps agencies need to take to make transparent government a reality, including four that agencies haven't taken so far:
* creating an attractive web site where people could post and share projects (sharing encourages others to add their own and to critique and improve others)
* creating an easy-to-use tutorial that would guide the public through the "transparent government" process
* publicizing the program to encourage participation
* creating a built-in review process to encourage agencies to review the citizen-participation projects and insights they may provide.
Stephenson concluded that while "transparent government" may worry agencies because of the potential loss of control, citizen initiatives such as Chicago Crime show the trend will continue anyway, and that the more agencies become active participants, the more likely they will be to benefit from citizens' insights and to avoid errors caused by faulty or misunderstood data.
Stephenson Strategies (http://stephensonstrategies.com) (Medfield, MA) is a e-gov and homeland security consulting firm specializing in innovative strategies to involve and empower the general public through creative use of Web 2.0 applications that foster collaboration.
###
Related Articles:
Identify The Right Blogging Platform
Choosing which blogging platform to use is one of the most important decisions that you can make as a blogger. The right platform can make blogging a breeze, and the wrong platform can make blogging a chore. Because the program that you use to blog with is such a powerful part of your blogging experience, it is well worth putting in the time to find a platform that provides your ideal balance between a user-friendly interface and a flexible framework that allows you to make your blog look and feel unique. Finding the right platform isn't always easy, but with a little bit of contemplation and a little bit of research, you will be on your way to finding the perfect blogging platform.
Blogging Sundance 2007: Docsthatinspire.com Covers the Documentary Scene
Producer and film editor Joel Heller's new blog "Docs That Inspire" officially launches this week with focused online coverage of 2007 Sundance Film Festival documentary selections--featuring audio podcast interviews with filmmakers, as well as blog and video reports from Park City during the festival. The website is www.docsthatinspire.com.
Effective Business Blogging Webinar by Exclusive Concepts, Inc.
Exclusive Concepts, Inc. is presenting a free web-based seminar that will show you how to generate new and repeat business with an easy to manage corporate blog. Learn how to position your company blog and keep the interest of prospects and customers.
Blogging And Making Money
Today, there are many bloggers who maintains their blog website as a business. They spend the majority of their time blogging and making money. This is a trend widely accepted by online businesses. Capitalizing on blogs, popularity, corporate America has used the opportunity to get closer to their clients and potential customers.
Alphalogix? Adds Web 2.0 Business Process Automation to Enterprise Corporate Portals with Tasica Forms Director 3.0
Alphalogix?, an award winning expert in portal and workflow technology, today announced Tasica Forms Director 3.0's full integration with JSR 168 compliant Enterprise Portals including BEA Systems' WebLogic, Sun One Portal Server, SAP NetWeaver, Jetspeed and IBM WebSphere Portal. By adding Tasica workflow technology to standards based portals, anyone within an organization can leverage the two technologies to automate business processes for specific departmental or general company needs. Employees, customers or partners can view a singular and customized interface with their personal workflow tasks and action items.
Real Estate Agents are Finding Online Video, Podcasting and Lead Generation Services in Web 2.0 Companies
What I Want Podcasting; an omni-media firm who specializes in the integration of online video and new media technologies to enhance real estate sales & marketing activities is helping realtors become tech savvy.
Blogging For Money
While most of the bloggers don?t care about money, but about exposure, there are some making pretty decent earnings with blogs. The question is: how much? Well, that depends on the method used by the blogger, the traffic he or she can attract to the blog, the value of the post and so on. If you are willing to win some money with a blog, there are a few possibilities.
Kress Employment Screening Launches Market Research Survey
Kress Employment Screening, a licensed investigations company that provides employers with background checks, today announced that it is in the midst of a market research survey to study companies' background screening practices. Participate in the "2007 Background Screening Trends" survey now.
Pictage and The Wedding Report Team Up to Deliver Wedding Photographers an Unprecedented Level of Market Research
Pictage, the wedding photography industry leader in online image hosting, printing, sales and service solutions, has partnered with wedding market research aggregator, The Wedding Report. Together, they will offer Pictage members comprehensive data about their markets, to assist in building business marketing strategies and pricing decisions.
Niche Blogging With Adsense
Niche blogging is not new, but due to the improvement of free blogging platforms it is the new marketing strategy for making easy money. Niche blogging with Adsense involves blog writing while publishing advertising such as Adsense for a commission.
Blogging ? Ways To Improve Visibility
Let?s say for the sake of argument that you have a business blog. You have participated in online forums in your industry and now want to pass along information in a more personally directed format.
Re/Max Dallas Real Estate Agent Thinks Ahead Using Web 2.0
Dallas real estate agent Joan Severson uses innovative technology to drive her new website full-force into the World Wide Web. In the competitive realty industry, agents must present and deliver to the consumer market with a dynamic approach. With new features, a clean, avant-garde design and user-friendly layout, Joan Severson has made buying and selling a home easier than ever.
Avoid Bad Manners While Blogging
Blogging, the hottest trend in online publishing right now,
is currently spreading like wildfire across the Internet.A cross between an online journal and a bulletin board,
everyone from rock starts, politicians, business leaders
and your average "Joe" or "Jane" can instantly become a
center of influence online using blogs.
Business Blogging: Where Do I Start?
The new hot commodity is a blog for your small business so you've decided you must have one.Before you begin think about it long term.
Could THIS be why you are NOT making five-figure monthly with blogging?
First things first... it is indeed possible to make five-figure income each and every month from blogging.