Government

Changing government culture the open source way

Can an entrenched bureaucracy, encumbered by a rigid culture and public records compliance adapt open source ways to collaborate more effectively? Is it like pulling teeth just to get people to share ideas? Is that devil's advocate bringing your team down? If you want results, try something different. Use open communications and transparency with your team. You might be surprised how these open source pillars will create the ownership and accountability to achieve your desired results.

Imagine you came from a world were the freedom to share and collaborate were the way your organization survived. Can you apply this recipe to government? » Read more

0 CommentsPosted 20 Oct 2011 by Jason Hibbets (Red Hat)

Enhancing access to government at CityCamp Colorado

CityCamp Colorado 2011 aims to bring together people like yourself to share ideas around this years theme, "Enhancing Access to Government." On Friday, October 28, 2011, the 2nd Annual CityCamp Colorado unconference will be held at the Jefferson County Administrative building (a.k.a. The Taj Mahal). Register for the event to reserve your spot, because space is limited.

Why do we want to enhance access to our government? » Read more

0 CommentsPosted 18 Oct 2011 by Brian Gryth

BarCampRDU: Preparing for the unconference experience

I'm excited to attend my first BarCamp on Saturday, October 15, 2011. BarCamp is an unconference that brings together people interested in a wide range of topics and technologies. Everyone that attends has the opportunity to teach, talk, and participate.

A group of volunteers is essential to help organize the event. I learned this first-hand while helping to plan CityCamp Raleigh, another local unconference event. » Read more

0 CommentsPosted 14 Oct 2011 by Jason Hibbets (Red Hat)

Creative Commons 4.0 on the horizon

Creative Commons held its Global Summit a few weeks ago in Warsaw, with amazing international participation. Without question, the most-discussed topic was the upcoming 4.0 release of the licenses, including related issues and a lively debate regarding whether the licenses should be ported to specific countries – or whether we should instead try to create a new international license.

» Read more

1 CommentPosted 13 Oct 2011 by Marek Mahut (Red Hat)

Hack4Reno: Open government with a shared purpose

Hack4Reno is a 24-hour hackathon being held on October 15-16, 2011. But you don't need to hack on code to be part of this movement. The goal is to build things that make Reno better by demonstrating the value of open data and open government. This event allows developers, designers, and citizens to learn new technology, showcase their talent, and, ultimately, build new applications that help make Reno a smarter, more engaged place to live. » Read more

0 CommentsPosted 12 Oct 2011 by Don Morrison (elskwid)

Fixing your community one click at a time

No matter where you live or how big your community is, you probably see a few things that could be improved. Maybe you don't know who to call or email. Perhaps you think someone else will report it (or already has). Those unknowns go away with a simple technology that eliminates anxiety and empowers everyday citizens to improve their community. » Read more

6 CommentsPosted 10 Oct 2011 by Jason Hibbets (Red Hat)

Governments take note: Open Document Format is updated and improved!

In an important development last week, Open Document Format (ODF) version 1.2 was adopted as an OASIS standard after four years of hard work. And it was approved with a strong 'yes' vote and no negative votes. » Read more

5 CommentsPosted 5 Oct 2011 by Mark Bohannon (Red Hat)

Surfing the open data wave

During hurricane season, my attention turns to the Atlantic Ocean. I keep an eye on swell-producing storms and use a variety of forecasting tools to get to the right spot for the best surf. But I never really thought about the data behind the tools I use.

There are many different stats brought together by today's forecasting technology: swell size, direction, and period; wind speed and direction; and tide predictions—all important factors if you want to score good surf. Where does that information come from? » Read more

5 CommentsPosted 3 Oct 2011 by Jason Hibbets (Red Hat)

Is your agency SMART?

We all know that government agencies are constantly under pressure to make their conversations with constituents measurable, and results-based to justify the investment. One stand-out action the city of New York is doing to keep this at the forefront of importance is driving an advisory board of SMART members (the Social Media Advisory and Research Taskforce). » Read more

0 CommentsPosted 29 Sep 2011 by Lauren Modeen