Government Technology - September 2008 - (Page DC4)

Introduction Group Publisher: Digital Communities Program Dir.: Executive Editor: Exec. Coordinator to Pub. EDITORIAL Editor: Assoc. Editors: Chief Copy Editor: Managing Editor: Justice & Public Safety Editor: Features Editor: Assistant Editor: Staff Writer: Copy Editor: Editorial Assistant: Contributing Editor: Contributing Writers: DON PEARSON dpearson@govtech.com TODD SANDER tsander@centerdigitalgov.com STEVE TOWNS stowns@govtech.com JULIE MURPHY jmurphy@govtech.com A New Government Paradigm W e hear the term “Web 2.0” every- up with information online that solidiwhere. For many, it’s mostly ﬁes people’s opinions, and also possibly associated with YouTube, Facebook inﬂuences their actions? Local government must embrace and MySpace. However, like any term that develops into hype, the deﬁ nition Web 2.0 technologies because they offer new ways to interactively engage citiseems to expand. Open source advocate Tim O’Reilly zens as partners in action. In this issue, we examine some Web said, “Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused 2.0 implications for government and by the move to the Internet as platform, explore the possibilities to enhance and an attempt to understand the rules community and local government service to citizen. for success on that new platform.” While discussing media and commuThe best explanation may come from Wikipedia: “Web 2.0 Web sites allow nity in general, we also offer a take on changing media ownership users to do more than just rules, which some say could retrieve information. They By Blake Harris seriously impact locally can build on the interactive facilities of ‘Web 1.0’ to provide ‘network as platform’ computing, allowing users to run software applications entirely through a browser. … These sites may have an ‘architecture of participation’ that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it.” Web 2.0 offers vast opportunities for local government to organize and interact with citizens. However, it presents new challenges to government’s customary approach to citizen engagement and leadership. Ten years ago, government could usually get ahead of the news story by managing the news cycle. Fastforward to the world of Web 2.0 and the reality of de facto “citizen journalists.” If there’s Internet access after a large disaster, videos, blogs or photos will likely be on the Net within hours, if not minutes. How does government keep EDITOR BLAKE HARRIS bharris@govtech.com EMILY MONTANDON emontandon@govtech.com CHAD VANDER VEEN cvanderveen@govtech.com MIRIAM JONES mjones@govtech.com KAREN STEWARTSON kstewartson@govtech.com JIM McKAY jmckay@govtech.com ANDY OPSAHL aopsahl@govtech.com MATT WILLIAMS mwilliams@govtech.com HILTON COLLINS hcollins@govtech.com ELAINE RUNDLE erundle@govtech.com CORTNEY TOWNS ctowns@govtech.com TOD NEWCOMBE tnewcombe@govtech.com INDRAJIT BASU, CHANDLER HARRIS, SASCHA D. MEINRATH, BILL SCHRIER, JIM STANTON DESIGN Creative Dir.: Senior Designer: Graphic Designers: Illustrator: Production Dir.: Production Mgr.: Internet Dir.: PUBLISHING VP Sales: VP Strategic Accounts: VP Bus. Development: Sr. Dir. of Sales: Regional Sales Dirs.: KELLY MARTINELLI kmartinelli@govtech.com CRYSTAL HOPSON chopson@govtech.com MICHELLE HAMM mhamm@govtech.com JOE COLOMBO jcolombo@govtech.com TOM McKEITH tmckeith@govtech.com STEPHAN WIDMAIER swidm@govtech.com JOEI HEART jheart@govtech.com JUDE HANSEN jhansen@govtech.com DON PEARSON dpearson@govtech.com JON FYFFE jfyffe@govtech.com West, Central TIM KARNEY tkarney@govtech.com East PAM FYFFE pfyffe@govtech.com West, Central LESLIE HUNTER lhunter@govtech.com East SHELLEY BALLARD sballard@govtech.com West, Central owned and operated community media. Examples of regional cooperation on IT projects, an option many communities will investigate in the future, are also discussed. These articles reﬂect how we’re expanding digital communities beyond what’s traditionally been viewed as the wired community. It’s safe to say a digital community is one that embraces Web 2.0 possibilities, creating innovative ways for citizens to interact with government. Improving citizen service has been a fundamental driver for IT in local government over the 20 years. With Web 2.0, we step beyond the service paradigm by essentially adding another layer: government as a platform for community-citizen interaction and cooperation in ways yet imagined. And that makes the future of digital communities very exciting. Account Managers: MELISSA CANO mcano@govtech.com East ERIN HUX ehux@govtech.com West, Central GLENN SWENSON gswenson@govtech.com KRISTA O’SULLIVAN kosullivan@govtech.com LISA DOUGHTY ldoughty@govtech.com Regional Sales Admins.: SABRINA SHEWMAKE sshewmake@govtech.com CHRISTINE CHILDS cchilds@govtech.com Dir. of Marketing: ANDREA KLEINBARDT akleinbardt@govtech.com Dir. of Custom Events: WHITNEY SWEET wsweet@govtech.com Associate Dir. of Custom Events: LANA HERRERA lherrera@govtech.com Custom Events Coordinator: KARIN PRADO kprado@govtech.com Dir. of Custom Publications: STACEY TOLES stoles@govtech.com Custom Publications Writer: JIM MEYERS jmeyers@govtech.com Dir. of Web Products & Svcs: VIKKI PALAZZARI vpalazzari@govtech.com Web Services Mgr.: PETER SIMEK psimek@govtech.com Proj. Mgr., Web Products & Services: MICHELLE MROTEK mmrotek@govtech.com Web Advertising Mgr.: JULIE DEDEAUX jdedeaux@govtech.com Subscription Coordinator: GOSIA USTASZEWSKA subscriptions@govtech.com CORPORATE CEO: Executive VP: CAO: CFO: VP of Events: Marketing Director: Bus. Dev. Dir.: Bus. Dev./Sales Associates: DENNIS McKENNA dmckenna@govtech.com CATHILEA ROBINETT crobinet@centerdigitalgov.com LISA BERNARD lbernard@govtech.com PAUL HARNEY pharney@govtech.com ALAN COX acox@govtech.com DREW NOEL dnoel@govtech Government Technology’s Digital Communities is published by e.Republic Inc. Copyright 2008 by e.Republic Inc. All rights reserved. Government Technology is a registered trademark of e.Republic Inc. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. Article submissions should be sent to the attention of the Managing Editor. Reprints of all articles in this issue and past issues are available (500 minimum). Please direct inquiries to the YGS Group: Attn. Erik Eberz at (800) 290-5460 ext.150 or governmenttechnology@theygsgroup.com. Subscription Information: Requests for subscriptions may be directed to Circulation Director by phone or fax to the numbers below. You can also subscribe online at www.govtech.com. 100 Blue Ravine Rd. Folsom, CA 95630 Phone: (916) 932-1300 Fax: (916) 932-1470 www.govtech.com 4 DIGITAL COMMUNITIES SEPTEMBER 08 Printed in the USA http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - September 2008

Government Technology - September 2008 Contents Point of View On the Scene Big Picture Four Questions for... Up Close Fork in the Road On Time and On Target On the Record, Off the Charts Government’s Greatest Asset? Easy Access Finding the Money Security in the Wireless World The Case for Mobility Spectrum Products Two Cents signal:noise Digital Communities Contents A New Government Paradigm News is Now Transformation Web 2.0 Style Protecting Community Media Thinking Regionally Government at La-Z-Boy Speed

Government Technology - September 2008

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