Blogs

Many of us still don't really understand when and how to use Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis, social networks such as Linked In, and del.icio.us-type social bookmarking.  Still others use these personally but are unconvinced of their business value to governments, corporations and non-profits.  While there are lots of definitions online for these (e.g. at Wikipedia), some of the best explanations for all of these technologies can be found at The Common Craft Show.  Their short 2-4 minutes "Paperworks" videos on each topic are entertaining and well worth a few minutes of your time.  Check out this video explaining blogs.

In "If a CIO blogs in the forest, is it policy?", John Klossner at Federal Computer Week commented on Web 2.0 technologies (blogs, wikis, social networking) and the increasing gap between young government workers who are familiar with these technologies and their managers and more senior co-workers.  I particularly liked the cartoons.

FCC Seeks Comment on Proposed Rule Changes for Advanced Wireless Services Spectrum - [Government Technology]

New proposal would support public access to free, high-speed broadband Internet services.

MTG has been assisting the Oregon Judicial Department with their eCourt initiative. Judge Marcus explains the project and its importance to sentencing.

The City of Newport News, Virginia has developed a pretty nice example of what governments can accomplish using open source - in this case, the Plone content management system. The online list of services they provide is quickly becoming the norm but the execution and ease of use is exceptional. In fact, their "Open eGov" initiative recently won the 2008 Havlick Award for Innovation in Local Government.

Oklahoma Inmates Now Enrolled in Tracking System -

Allows Oklahomans to be notified, either by phone or e-mail, of changes in a particular inmate's status.

At MTG, we're passionate about helping our clients make a difference in the lives of the people they serve. Two of the key enablers to achieving that mission are the web and open source solutions. Therefore, we've migrated our web site to an open source content management solution called Drupal. We think this will help us collaborate better with our clients and partners. Please check it out and leave us a comment to tell us what you think or how we can make it better.