Around 20 ago, I was an IBM systems engineer, focusing on tech like imaging systems for health claims processing.

Visited a big facility, talked to customer service reps.

Feedback regarding the mouse? "Thanks, but no thanks!"

If you're doing heads-down customer service, you don't want to remove your hands from the keyboard.

This...

Hey, you might recall The Great Schlep from last year, with Sarah Silverman getting the vote out.

Its co-founder (Ari Wallach) is rapidly building something similar for health insurance reform....

Hey, check out an article in Business Week about how things are changing in Washington, and the blog which fills in the rest.

Wikipedia really is the "first draft of history" and more than that, maybe a vital part of how our species is working together for the common good.

Tomorrow, I...

Hey, Jeff Jarvis has something big here at Buzzmachine.

I want to suggest abandoning the article for the constantly updated topic page (a la Wave). The problem with an article online is that it has a short half life and gathers...

People are using wiki technology in lots of ways to help each other out.

Starting in San Francisco, in early 2007, social workers and lawyers got together and built a wiki to host homeless resources -- SFHomeless.net lists all the known service providers plus using wiki categories, including Food, Shelter,...

Hey, a country can only get real about being competitive if we have lots of engineers, scientists, and people teaching in those areas.

It's a long term deal, but Obama's launched a program to that end: the Educate to Innovate campaign.

Speaking to key leaders of the STEM...

Hey, it's good to have an Administration which genuinely supports the troops. Here's a few areas where things are getting better, with a focus on veterans and jobs.

• The Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) has a veterans youtube channel, leading right now with a video on green jobs.
...

Hey, Beth Noveck is working at the White House getting really serious about giving all Americans a serious voice in running our Federal government.

She talks about how this is happening at city and state levels in Open Government Laboratories of Democracy:

1. Customer service done in good faith is public service.
2. Customer service anchors you to reality.

You've heard how government rank and file workers are working together, throughout the US and with citizens, to provide increasingly better public service.  Their dedication has been consistently impressive, particularly during some bad years.

I've been chatting recently mostly with Federal workers, though the following is true of all large...

A year ago today, the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, with the Ad Council, launched a big campaign to welcome new veterans home and help 'em...

I've already praised Consumer Reports for standing up for Americans, taking on some really powerful and ruthless politicians.

Now, the AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons,...

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Hey, I love nature, if it makes itself convenient for me. These were all shot from my home office, where I do customer service for craigslist.

I've identified around thirty species, often with the help of social media.

You can share the excitement at...

Yup, that's me, figuring I should practice what I preach, in addition to strongly supporting the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Hey, the folks at Sunlight Foundation have introduced an augmented reality app, you point it around you, and you can see what companies have gotten the money. Check it out:

The folks at Consumer Reports provide some of the most trustworthy reporting anywhere, doing lots of fact checking, with the highest degree of integrity humans can exhibit.

They give...

The folks at Consumer Reports provide some of the most trustworthy reporting anywhere, doing lots of fact checking, with the highest degree of integrity humans can exhibit. (yes,...

Sometimes banks try to pull a fast one on you, like mailing statements nearly late, then charging you for late fees.

Consumer Reports is helping get reasonable consumer...

We're seeing something new from Washington, sites which are being used to help figure out how to better serve citizens.

Toward that ends we're seeing sites used to get ideas as to how to run agencies better, and how to improve fundamental processes involved in areas like acquisition, the...