Hey, they're itching for inauguration, but they're not waiting.
The Federal Web Managers Council (FWMC) gets how people can use the Web to move to a more effective Federal government. Nancy Scola at TechPresident.com discusses a FWMC paper which addresses the really difficult human issues with moving forward, and describes the beginning of solutions:
- The new Administration should communicate a government-wide strategy for using social media tools to create a more effective and transparent government. The new Administration's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) should require each agency to, within three months, develop their own social media/Web 2.0 communications strategy that describes how it will use their agency website and the larger Web to accomplish its mission, reach new audiences, and engage the public. The strategy should include resources needed to accomplish these goals.
- The new Administration should require agencies to provide access to social media sites unless the agency head justifies blocking certain employees or certain sites.
- The new Administration (through the National CTO, GSA, OMB, or some other central organization) should a) Establish a single terms of service that covers all social media sites, which excludes the federal government from the provisions described above. (If this isn't possible, at a minimum, create a standard federal terms of service with each site and establish a process for adding new agreements as new sites are identified.) b) Alert federal agencies that the benefits of using these sites outweigh the risks and that they should use social media sites pending agreements on terms of service.
- The new Administration should:
1. Issue a memo stating that government agencies should accept this kind of contextual advertising as a byproduct of using social media sites, that advertising online is no different than advertising in a magazine, newspaper, radio, or TV, where you can't control exactly how your content will appear in context. However, if this is not possible:
2. Set criteria for all agencies for when such ads are acceptable. For example, ads could be acceptable when:
* They are ubiquitous, appearing on all similar pages on a site, regardless of the account owner
* They do not include pornography or violence
* There isn't confusing language that implies endorsement by the account owner (e.g., "promoted" or "sponsored" material)
1. Agencies can use free Web products and services.
2. Agencies do not need to use all products and services offered, as long as they have criteria for deciding which ones they use.
Hey, there's more, but you get the idea. We have something real going on, change in the way government works from the line workers.