gov 2.0

Friends –

Vivek Kundra, the Federal CIO, is leaving government for academia, and today a new Federal CIO was named. Below, you’ll find a letter from Open Source for America wishing Mr. Kundra well. » Read more

A case study for municipal open data.

The heat is scorching! Residents across Ontario, Quebec and parts of the US are trying to stay cool. Many seek out public swimming pools and splash-pads, and turn to their municipalities for information. Others, like the Canadian 'hacktivists' Joey Coleman of OpenHamilton and yours truly of OpenHalton seek out ways to make that information more accessible.

Hamilton 's Dowsing and Milton Splash are two of the most recent examples of what is possible with open data. They represent a real-life case study of how open data can help keep us cooler, while also helping cities provide a better service at a lower cost.

This is how: » Read more

The Federal Reserve System (FRS, FRB, FED, "the Fed," see Wikipedia) took form in 1913 when Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act. It established the ruling bodies, set up a few oversight committees, and granted certain abilities that were intended to help regulate and stabilize the banking industry. » Read more

Today, we're excited to announce that our Civic Commons team, working with the White House and the Federal CIO, has made the cost-saving IT Dashboard, the technology behind IT.USAspending.gov, freely available for any government entity to use and customize. This development is the latest in a growing movement to cut government IT spending by sharing reusable technology, thereby reducing redundant development costs and encouraging cooperation between multiple branches and levels of government. » Read more

For those who haven't heard, the Obama administration recently announced $2 billion in funding for 2-year colleges, much of which will be used to produce open educational resources. The details are complicated and still being hashed out in discussions all over the internet, but it's clearly the largest single investment in OER since, well, ever. It's an event of seismic proportions in the world of open education. With silver linings, though, come clouds -- and the SCORM cloud looks like it could be a big one. » Read more

I love this video from Dave Cole (Senior Advisor to the CIO, Executive Office of the President) and Macon Phillips (White House Director of New Media). You hear the feds talk a lot about openness and transparency, but not often specifically about open source.  But here, you can see that the White House really gets it. » Read more

"As a city that values openness and innovation, Portland is proud to host GOSCON this year." - Mayor Sam Adams

Editors' Note: This article was originally posted on the GOSCON (Government Open Source Conference) website » Read more

Last post, I discussed how governments, especially state and local, should be thinking differently about the ways they engage online with the people they serve. » Read more

America held its first billion-dollar political race in 2008 – DVR use soared (no surprise there). A new lineup of over-produced ads and under-researched hit pieces have yet to hit primetime, and accountability advocates are already worried about November. » Read more

Open Source for America (OSFA) has announced a report card scoring the openness  of federal  agencies and departments!  Today marks the six-month anniversary of the Obama Administration's Open Government Directive, a big step towards greater transparency, collaboration, and participation in government.
» Read more