MuniGov2.0

Less than 6 short months ago, a dream was born.  After several weeks of solo exploration on the potential of Web2.0 in government, I met up with a kindred spirit in Pam Broviak, a Public Works Director in Illinois.  After a few conversations whining about the lack of good resources for governments interested in 2.0, we decided to put our money where our mouths were and build one ourselves.  So we built a collaboration portal and an office in the virtual world, Second Life.  Our goals were simple, straightforward, albeit perhaps somewhat lofty given our lack of resources and time:

• Become a Recognized, Powerful and Dynamic Resource for Governments Implementing and Innovating Via Web 2.0
• Establish a Strong Set of Virtual-World Resources for Government Agencies
• Coalesce into a Large, Active and Innovative User Community
• Have a Little Fun Along the Way 

Looking back now, I can't help but be proud of the work we have accomplished to date towards these goals.  Recently, we hit two milestones that underscore the success and value MuniGov2.0 is bringing to the government sector.  We surpassed our 300th member mark.  Little did I realize setting up our membership form a few months ago would it get such a workout!  What started with just Pam and I has, literally, gone global with members around the world, at every level of government, and from a dozen different disciplines.  We are now 340+ strong from the areas of technology, engineering, libraries, marketing, human resources and many more.  This size and diversity lends itself well to having valued discussions both in real time during our weekly virtual meetings and via our active list serv.  In addition to our growing numbers, we have also been able to move past the general "wouldn't-it-be-cool-if" discussions into providing tangible, valuable (and free!) resources to our members.  A few weeks ago, we released the details and registration information for our first virtual conference, to be held in April in Second Life.  To date we have 90 people registered for the conference. Although this is a virtual conference, the planning and effort required to pull it off rival that of a real world conference.  And I am happy to say that the MuniGov group members eagerly rose to the challenge and are focused on all of the details that will make this conference successful: logistics, appropriate venue and facilities, dynamic speakers, effective marketing, etc.  The diversity of our membership and its belief in the value of 2.0 has already made this conference a success, long before we actually have virtual butts in the virtual seats!

We are using a virtual world to meet and plan the conference.  One on one planning discussions occur via Skype.  We have a collaboration site to share info and conference registration.  We are using Twitter, blogs and social networks to help us get the word out.  We will be recording and posting the conference sessions online via YouTube.  We are developing a wiki to help us keep track of all the important details covered in each weekly meeting.  The MuniGov group to me is the epitome of why Web2.0 is a good thing.  We are living proof that the tools are valuable, easy to use, effective and they are proof that you can do a great deal of good for your organization without spending money.

I am very proud to get in on the ground floor of such an exciting and adventurous endeavor.  We're already getting good results and yet as Karen Carpenter would say, "we've only just begun!"

Virtually Yours,
Greever

 MuniGov2.0, a group of government employees who are working to promote the use of Web 2.0 technology in the work place will hold its first online conference to discuss and share ideas about the uses and applications of this new and vital tool. 

MuniGovCon'09 - a virtual conference will be held April 10, 2009 from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM PST.  MuniGovCon'09 will focus on 2.0 technology uses by government for government, and will feature speakers who will share their experiences and expertise, and discussions focusing on idea sharing. 

Who Should Attend?
Anyone whose government organization is interested in learning more about how the tools and business methods of Web 2.0 are being used to improve governmental organizations should attend this free conference.

Agenda & Speakers
The half day conference will include the following speakers and topics.

• "Let's Get Together: Using 2.0 for Internal Collaboration" Jack D. Pond (SL jdpond Turbo), Chief Information Officer, Montgomery County, PA
• "Shifting the Gears of Local Governance: Introducing Cities to Web 2.0" Mark Faul (SL KC Titanium), Business Analyst, City of Ottawa
• "Training Comes to You - Courtesy of Web2.0" Bill Shields (SL Zeppo Romano), Hydrogeologist & Lecturer in Geology, Department of Geography-Geology, Illinois State University
• "This Ain't Rocket Science: How NASA is Using 2.0 to Become More Accessible" - Erika Vick (SL Universa Vanalten), NASA Strategic Communications Specialist
• "There's an Elephant in the Room: The Impact of Web2.0 at the Local Government Level" (Panel Discussion) - Presenters TBD
 
Venue & Participation Requirements
MuniGovCon09 will be held in Second Life™. You MUST have a Second Life account or plan to attend the meeting with someone who does. (Many localities are planning to reserve a conference room and elect one person to control the avatar interaction and serve as the eyes and ears for a larger group).  If you are brand new to Second Life, we also recommend you visit our Second Life Orientation section, which includes video tutorials to help you familiarize yourself with your avatar before the conference. Once we have a final headcount of attendees, we will be providing those registered with additional details on the specific location and venue within Second Life.

Registration
Registration for the conference is free for attendees, but our capacity is limited, so attendees are urged to register early. To register for the conference please complete our online registration form. Once registered, you will receive conference notifications including schedules for orientation sessions for new users, agenda updates, final venue details, etc. Online registration will close at Midnight on April 1, 2009.
 
Vendor Information
If there is enough interest from the vendor community, MuniGovCon'09 will host an exhibition hall in the 2.0 space where vendors may advertise their products and services.  Vendors interested in having a virtual booth should contact Pam Broviak (SL Pam Renoir) - pwg@publicworksgroup.com.
 
Questions & Information
We will be posting additional details frequently on our Web site.  Check back often for the latest updates and follow us on Twitter. For questions or assistance, please contact Leslie Fuentes (SL leslie7 Sweetwater) - lfuentes@hampton.gov.

Media Contact:  Robert Menter (SL Trebor Lorefield)
e-mail - rmenter@cavtel.net
work - 757.385.8196
Twitter - http://twitter.com/rmenter

Okay, technically in the hyper-jargon that has emerged surrounding Twitter, the alpha male of the micro-blogging world, I am considered to be a Tweeter.  But for some reason, twit just seems to work better for me.  I get a lot of ilTwitterate people asking me why I consider Twitter to be so valuable.  Granted, I don't really care so much to hear that you are currently picking belly button lint (yours or someone else's).  Nor do I need to read your tweet railing against the driver next to you who is texting while driving. (The nerve of some people, eh?)  I do, however, need to find an easy way to keep up with some of the news that affects my world - government, technology, Web2.0, life here in western VA, etc.  Who has the time to keep up with all that is going on in the world around us today?  How many good articles and links have you had to pass up simply because it was the only way to keep your Inbox from a massive melt down?  As much as I like to think I am not chained to my job, the truth is, I've got the shackles on and if the cage door was ever left open, I think I'd probably shut it myself, just to keep the other freaks out.  Bottom line, I do not have enough time in the day to keep up with all that I should or would like to.  So, I turn to the Twitosphere and rely on my Tweeters to keep me informed.

There are three crucial parts to an effective Twitter engagement:  the Followers, the Following and the Posts. 

First - the Followers: I welcome any and all followers (except for those rare yet mega-annoying Tweetspammers).  I welcome followers not because I am vain (I mean come on - look at the photo I chose for the header of this column!)  Nope, tis not vanity at all!  I welcome followers because it is an opportunity to build community, albeit a community that speaks in 140 characters or less in a sometimes cryptic language of abbreviations and tinyurls.   But, those tiny posts can often speak volumes and lead me off in new directions of information sharing and news from the world around me.  It can change my thinking and I certainly meet new and dynamic people who are in no obvious ways akin to me.  Honestly, I love it when I see that new people are following me.  I presume it means that they dug in a little bit and saw that I had something relevant to say to them.  Perhaps it was a topic I posted or a question I posed.  Perhaps it was simply that I said the right thing, at the right time, in the right way that answered a burning question they had.  Then again, perhaps they were just drunk-tweeting and clicked on me by accident.  Regardless, the point is, I see it as a sign of interest in the work I am doing and any connection is an opportunity to expand on the group symbiosis I gain from Twitter.

So that brings me to my Following list.   I've had to cultivate the list of people I follow.  I do not automatically add someone just because they choose to follow me.  I do not mean offense by this, but with the overwhelming amount of information out there, I have to be a little picky lest I get overwhelmed with updates that don't do much for me personally and what I am trying to get our of Twitter.  So until I see the Binford Do-It-Yourself Cloning Kit on the shelves at the local Walmart or learn how to manipulate the time-space continuum, I have to try to line up the most applicable, prolific and accurate Tweeters I can find.   I'll generally do a quick scan for a few key words of the updates and make sure they seem to erupt on a fairly regular basis and somehow fit into one of my loose info categories and with the click of a Follow button, a new tributary to the Greever Tweetstream is born!

Finally, in order to get some real value out of the Twitterverse, you need to be sure that there is a communal send-and-receive habit within your own personalized galaxy.  Invest some time and energy in following those links.  Answer the questions that are posed by those in your stream - if you can help out, do so and in return you can expect the same treatment next time you are stuck! Also, keep it real. Say something if you think it needs to be said, but be mindful of the context and that you are still a representative of your organization (unless of course you are doing this on your own time with no reference to your day job).  Try to be useful.  Trust me - it is much harder than it sounds when you only have 140 characters in which to hurl some useful info chunks at your Tweet tribe.  As with all 2.0 tools, there is no harm in checking this out.  I personally never have made any promise that my Tweets will be interesting, informative or even coherent.  I was a fly on the wall for a while, started making some comments and my own posts about the work I was doing in the 2.0 and slowly it became for me an invaluable tool to learn, educate, inform and communicate.  Every day new tools are emerging that make Twitter a more valuable and effective tool, but the true burden and the value of the tool relies on you and what you want to get out of it.  Like Luke Skywalker rocketing down that trench on the Death Star, you are in complete control of whether or not the tool works for you.  You don't need the computer to do it for you.  Use the force to...okay, you get the point.

So, for those of you visual learners out there, here's a sampler platter of the loose categories of people I choose to follow on Twitter. Given the amount of people on Twitter these days, I am confident you can find your own peeps and get your very own Tweetstream flowing in no time!

Web2.0 in Action (Shout-Outs to: pbroviak, sarahintampa, GovDelivery, govloop,)

Information Security & Technology (Shout-Outs to:  govtechnews, Bwoolley, vcuinfosec)

Government/Education Leaders (Shout-Outs to:  Bill Schrier, ujdmc, bashley, egvick, webgoddess)

Govts on Twitter  (Shout-Outs to: RoanokeCounty, DowningStreet, LAFD, Blacksburg_Gov)

Insight & Generally Thought Provoking (Shout-Outs to: LPT, lewisshepherd, careerdiva, queenofpith)

Star Wars Humor (Shout-Out to: DarthVader - his twitticisms are as funny as his soul is dark)

Virtually Yours,
Greever

Recently I've talked a lot about the value and definition of Web2.0.  If you're taking the time to read this stuff, you probably realize that there is some chicken nugget of wisdom out there amongst those of us who are out here talking it up.  So presuming you've made that value connection to your own organization, the next obvious step is how to make it happen.   I've got some thoughts on that based on personal experience and comparing notes with other Munigovers. 

Making 2.0 commonplace is a multi-step process that includes getting the right group together, getting a plan and a policy polished up and then selling that plan to the higher-ups and final signer-offers in your workplace.  Think of it as the recipe for grandma's chocolate cake or her apple pie or her falafels or whatever floats your taste buds' boat! The point is - although it is not an exact science, it takes the right stuff, mixed together in the right way, with the right presentation for full effect.  For this entry we'll focus on Step 1 - selecting the right ingredients.

Remember that Web2.0 is not about technology, it is about adopting a cultural change that puts your citizens in closer communication and collaboration with their governing body.  That being said, there is no one department that can successfully implement a Web2.0 strategy.  You definitely need to mix it up!  There are several key players I'd suggest having at the dinner table:

Administration - You must have the participation (or at least the blessing) of your executive management before going live with the 2.0 stuff.  He/she/they will be the one(s) who will ultimately have to answer to your elected body and the general public. Trying to implement this stuff without their involvement or approval is the fastest way to having a reason to polish up the resume. Take the hard road and get some top buy-in or AT LEAST permission to put a proposal/strategy together.

Legal Counsel - Although I do sometimes subscribe to the school of "ask forgiveness rather than permission", this is NOT one of those times (and again if you insist on this, get yourself on LinkedIn first and start looking for that new career opportunity).  Web2.0 stuff by its very nature can put an organization in a new realm of interaction with the public and this can translate to concerns regarding privacy, eDiscovery, freedom of information, public forums, intellectual property and liability.  You need an ally in your Counsel to address these issues as part of your larger Web2.0 strategy.  Each technology channel you use will likely have its own inherent concerns that need to be addressed, but I advise involving your counsel from the beginning.  Give them a heads up. 

Information Technology - Since I am in IT, I am allowed to say this:  Most traditional IT departments do not like the idea of Web2.0.  Why?  Well, it usually relies on infrastructure that is not under our internal control.  The perception is that it is harder for us to secure that which we cannot touch.  Some 2.0 services also require the opening of non-traditional ports in the firewall.  Typically the sound Information Security practice is to lock everything down first and then open things up on a justifiable case-by-case basis.  To be clear, I am advocate of this practice, but I have had difficulty in finding evidence of how Web2.0 tools in general are potential security risks to desktop machines or the network, provided you are running effective malware protection. I encourage you to check out the Security section of the MuniGov2.0 Web site for more information on our research on the myths and facts related to security and 2.0. I also recently did a column on the essential balancing act we as IT Directors must perform between Information Security and the needs of our business users.  Bottom line - you need IT to make these things work, so invite them to the feast early.

Public Information/Marketing - Much of the value for 2.0 in government focuses on communication and public information.  Much of 2.0 from a PIO perspective is focused on finding new ways to share information that already exists.  The PIO can be a tremendous resource and advocate for 2.0 tools since they are always focused on crafting the message and finding memorable ways to engage the population.  If you are also fortunate enough to have access to some talented design people, they will also come in handy to help you maintain a consistent branding across your different 2.0 branches

Human Resources & Workforce Development - Without question, the make-up of our organizations are changing as older employees reach retirement age and we strive to hire the best and brightest from the available work force.  But believe me, newspaper ads and recruiting fairs are NOT going to cut it.  If you want to draw in the recent college grads or the twenty and even thirty-somethings, you will need to be reaching them on their terms.  Try some experimentation with placing ads on Facebook or posting some recruiting videos on YouTube.  Gen Ys and particularly Millenials are not going to be drawn to the preconception of life in the government cube farm.  If you do not actively work to engage on their terms AND show them that there really is a pulse in our hallowed halls, your organization is going to be passed over like those mediocre store-bought cookies whose very presence taints the sanctity of the dessert table at the office parties.  We'd better make sure we get our Human Resources group involved early and often in how to mold 2.0 opportunities as tools in your shifting organizational culture.

Economic Development & Tourism  - If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much value would you place on a mash-up that puts a picture in context with tagging, feedback and semantic links to other related resources?  Your development groups are focused on one thing - making your locality the most appealing option for people to come to in order to spend their money and or settle down.  Whether it is a relocating business, a family looking to vacation in a new spot or the Steve Urkel Fan Club looking for the best venue to hold their next annual conference, all of these events will lead to revenue for your locality.  Your development groups spend big money and big time carving out the appeal of your locality in the sea of similar sites across the region, the state, the country or even the world.  The mash-up and social media potential of 2.0 offers them creative and dynamic avenues to present the appeal of your jurisdictions demographics, attractions and capabilities. 

Direct Citizen Service Business Units - You also should include one or two of the business units who are in direct, daily contact with your constituents.  Your libraries, parks/recreation departments, youth commissions, community liaisons, etc., serve all the demographics of your community and they generally know how your citizens want to receive and share information.  Many libraries and park systems are well into the use of Social Media to get the message out about their news and events.  They also typically have a marketing savvy honed from years of working directly with the population so they probably already "get" this stuff. I predict that they will likely be an enthusiastic and valuable addition to your mix.

So that's it in a nutshell - the key ingredients to your 2.0 group.  I welcome any other suggestions you have for inclusion.  This group make-up, like 2.0 in general, is not an exact science and this is by no means a one size fits all approach.  You've got to mold it like dough on the countertop to make it fit your needs.  (Okay, I know you are probably begging for a break in the food metaphors by now).  As you put your group together, you will probably have to do a bit of education on some of the technologies you may be thinking of trotting out for a test run.  I highly recommend sharing Pam Broviak's free online guidebook, Your Social Media Journey Begins Here. It is a brief, well-written, non-techie, primer to some of the most popular Web2.0 tools in use today.

Next time, I'll focus on the recipe steps - the marching orders for the group and the deliverables they should be focused on for a successful implementation.  But for now, this is where we will conclude, dear reader, because all this talk of food has made me hungry!

Virtually Yours,
Greever

So what is the big deal about Second Life anyway?  Well, we are all still trying to figure that one out!  But, without question, there is tremendous potential value for us to use the virtual space to improve or create new lines of service delivery at the local level.

For those of us who spend time in-world, we have seen the value that such a rich and detailed interface could offer us.  We've spent time exploring the world and seeing how governments are capitalizing on the potential that the virtual world has to offer for things such as marketing, public information, recruitment, teleconferencing and teleworking, etc.

But how do we get the powers that be to look beyond the video gamesque interface and see that potential?  The MuniGov2.0 group meets weekly within SL to discuss all things Web2.0 and that is exactly the question we recently asked ourselves.  How do we show the value?  The answer - We need to create a concrete (well virtually concrete anyway) example of how we can use SL on the local level.  We are going to put our heads together and collaboratively design and virtually build a facility, simulator or similar project that can be used by all member localities as both a dog and pony show for peers and administrators AND could also be used as a practical tool for citizen interaction. We need to be thinking in terms of the things we all have in common: public safety, taxes, recruiting, public information, etc. and draw some ideas from there. The trick is, we want to create something that we all could use to as an example for our administration and that we could actually ultimately offer to our citizens.

I'd love to hear your opinions on this topic.  You don't have to be a member of MuniGov2.0 (although I strongly encourage it), you don't have to be exploring SL (although I strongly encourage it) and you don't even have to be a government employee (although I strongly encourage it).  I'd love to hear any opinions or suggestions you may have on the subject - just add a comment to the blog below.  Once the group has reviewed the suggestions and picked a collaboration project, I'll keep you posted on the progress!

Virtually Yours,
Greever

I had planned this week to get back to my suggestions regarding the make-up of your internal Web2.0 group, but a few colleagues brought something to my attention that I thought might be more timely.  Most of the articles I have been following over the last few months have been on the potential value and the practice of using Web2.0 as a business tool.  Most of these articles vaguely reference the "security concerns" brought about by Web2.0 technologies, but they fail to provide guidance or cite any specific dangers.  So, the vague threat of potential malware embedded in Web2.0 apps doesn't hold much water with me.  Everything we do in IT has this potential.  That's exactly why you have an Information Security program. However, this week I read an article from Sarah Perez, Your Web 2.0 App is a Security Threat,  that subtly raises the other IT fear regarding Web 2.0 technologies - namely that misuse of Web2.0 technologies can endanger the confidentiality of your corporate data and information as well as pose a threat to legal compliance. The article itself is a broad review of a new product called ACE, which is designed to make it easier for IT to shut down rogue Web2.0 applications.  The point Sarah raises regarding the potential dangers of rogue web apps is dead-on in its concern.  Under-the-radar apps can pose a serious threat to your infrastructure and they must be monitored and controlled. 

However, although I appreciate the value of a tool like ACE, I think it is futile to consider such a tool to be the solution as to how we as IT managers can "control" Web2.0.  Due to its very nature, you cannot shut down Web2.0.  Trying to isolate and filter "Web 2.0 technologies" is like trying to nail Jello to a tree.  Sure, you'll be able to pinpoint whatever the hot technologies of today are, but tomorrow three more will spring up to replace it.  As Chesterfield County CIO Barry Condrey pointed out in his feedback to the article, you will be forever chasing your tail in a futile "whack-a-mole" syndrome.  You will be much more successful in your security efforts if you engage your user population in a give-and-take dialog to help you find a middle ground that everyone can live with and then implement the technologies that support the mutually-agreeable approach.

NOTE TO THE READER: Feel free to skip the next paragraph of introspective and perhaps self-indulgent  "How I Got Here" detail.  Although germane, it isn't required in order to get to the point of this post.

It wasn't until I got to the executive level of technology management that I truly began to appreciate the necessity, value and process of maintaining balanced technology service delivery.  Most of us who are focused in one area of technology service get very, very good at it.  You thrive on technical challenges and you typically work in a world of black and white answers.  When I was in that stage of my career, I frequently had run-ins with customers who liked to toss their "flies" into my technology miracle cure-all ointment, or at least that's how I saw it.  Although I was (almost) always patient and I tried to remain customer-service oriented with them, I was frequently vexed.  I felt that they were just being difficult (and wrong) because they didn't have enough to do or because they were just uninformed.  So I got frustrated with them because I couldn't focus on the "right" solution immediately and they got frustrated with me because I was trying to categorize or jump to conclusions about their needs. (As an aside, here's a big "I'm Sorry" shout-out to all of you former customer co-workers who might come across this in your net travels.) Over time and with experience, and moving up through the ranks, my technology and business knowledge became much wider and more shallow.  Multiple discipline multi-tasking and business management skills became the order of the day. It became much easier for me to truly appreciate and honestly value the business user needs.  No longer was I focused on the technical solution...now it was more about focusing on just the solution.  (Is that a collective "duh" I hear from those you who have been at the exec level for a long time?)

For those of us who are in the IT field, we must be constantly vigilant lest we fall into the rut of getting wrapped up in the technology for the sake of technology.  Advocating, marketing and even proselytizing for technology as an enabler should be a big part of our job focus.  But don't let the tail wag the dog.  We need to be one of those funky chameleons with one eye towards our users (business needs) and one eye towards our infrastructure (technology capability and requirements).  I often think of my role as that of a sales engineer - I need to know my tech stuff, I need to know what my customers need and I need to know how to put those things together. 

As I have said in previous posts, Web2.0 at its core is not about technology.  Technology is merely the method used to redefine the way an organization communicates and collaborates with its customers.  Likewise, technologies such as ACE are also enablers in terms of focusing that Web2.0 adoption into secure and reliable channels.  But they are not the sole savior, nor should they be. The answer is to rely first on well-crafted policy that balances the need for security of information and systems with the business needs of your users.  I spoke to Sarah offline and although we may take different paths to get there, we share the goal of having an organization that runs technology in a safe and controlled manner to the benefit of all internal and external customers.  Here in Roanoke County, we use a product similar to ACE to filter web applications because I don't want any covert apps popping up in the departments either, whether they are business legit or not.  But before we install a technology solution, we need to get a strong, flexible and reasonable policy and practice in place to govern the use of Web2.0 in the enterprise.  This policy cannot be solely a product of the IT department.  We've got to have the conversation with all the stakeholders at the table in order for something of this magnitude to be effective.  Everyone involved needs to approach the issue with an open mind and stay focused on the ultimate goal of improving the organization.  IT folks must be willing to refrain from assumptions and be flexible on some of the traditionally locked-down areas and practices. Business users must be willing to adhere to the tenants of the policy and abide by the security and technology that must remain intact in order to preserve the security of an organization's resources. 

Once you have the global policy in place and the details have been communicated to the organization, then you can fire up an application like ACE, provided it can be modified and customized to meet the current and evolving needs of your organization.  By then, everyone should be on board with the technologies adopted and not finding ways around the policy.  Violators should be disciplined accordingly because of the potential danger to technology resource integrity and the privacy and security of your corporate information.  I'd also recommend periodic reviews of the policy to ensure that it remains in line with the changing needs of the organization and the new Web2.0 technologies that spring up on a regular basis.  This follow-up will provide business users with a conduit to raise issues regarding the policy and security technologies and it will hopefully curtail attempts at circumventing policy direction.

Don't get me wrong - I know this not going to be a simple process.  You may experience wailing and a great gnashing of teeth, but the end result will pay off in dividends for all involved.  As a former boss told me early on in our working together - "the best solution is not often the easiest".

Virtually Yours,
Greever

I suppose I could have titled this one "Achieving the Buy-In" or the "The 2.0 Value Proposition" but I decided this topic needs to be straightforward and hopefully as such, you'll be able to use it as you see fit to aid in the education process in your organization.  So in no particular order, here are my top reasons why you should be using Web 2.0 now:

Innovation Without Funding
I don't care if you want to call it a spending slump, an economic downturn or a recession, the bottom line is, our bottom lines are getting lower and lower these days.  I don't know about you, but everyone I talk to has a budget that is bleeding worse than a wounded pig hopped up on anticoagulants.  Revenues are down, which likely translates to reductions in the current year and reduced targets for at least the next year or so.  So, here's your chance to be the one who steps up and offers to do something new and innovative without any funding!  How often do we get to say that around here?  In most sectors we'll be tightening belts and going into a maintenance mode, but with Web2.0 you can certainly do some innovative work at the same time! 

Fair warning though - the top will be a lonely place at the beginning.  Remember that know-it-all in school who always had to raise his or her hand every time the teacher asked a question?  Yep, that'll be you.  (No offense intended to those of you who happened to be that particularly sagacious one).  But truth be told, after the initial bruising wears off and the brown -nosing insults abate, chances are your peers may jump on the 2.0 bandwagon which means good things for all!

Little-to-No Infrastructure Requirements
As an IT Director, I have to weigh each application on its business value AND the impact it will have on our infrastructure - our hardware, our people and our network.  Does it gel with our design standards?  Will it require additional training?  Will it require new software licensing?  And so on and so on.  Happily, with the improvements in security we've enjoyed in recent years, cloud computing and hosted software solutions have become a much more appealing proposition for an understaffed and undersupplied IT shop.  Nearly all Web2.0 tools are browser-based services, hosted and maintained externally and they require little no interaction at the PC level.  And yes I know all about security, web filtering and the dreaded "opening of ports". Typically the sound Information Security practice is to lock everything down first and then open things up on a justifiable case-by-case basis.  To be clear, I am advocate of this practice, but I have had difficulty in finding evidence of how Web2.0 tools in general are potential security risks to desktop machines or the network, provided you are running effective malware protection. I encourage you to check out the Security section of the MuniGov2.0 Web site for more information regarding our research focused on the myths and facts related to security and 2.0.  I also welcome any and all feedback with an opposing view on the security topic - but please don't flame me just for the sport of it - give us some factual and topical meat to chew on to further the discussion.

Easy Entry & Easy Exit
Web2.0 can be your own little petri dish.  Thanks to the easy implementation and zero cost model, 2.0 is ripe for experimentation and mash-up to see what works best for your organization.  Let loose your inner Frankenstein! Grab a few of those juicy buzzwords out of the toolbox, cobble them together, wind up and toss them on the wall and see what sticks.  Give things a fighting chance, but if they don't work out, pull them out of the game and try something else.  You'll have very little money invested and chances are the experience you gain from these initial forays will help you advance further with the next set of tools.  Remember that 2.0 tools are like Batman's Utility Belt - a tool for every purpose and a purpose for every tool.  Chances are everything you need to meet your business needs is already out there is some form or another.  So jump in, mash it up - tweak and experiment, improve and share the love and experience (and the products) with the rest of us!

Resistance is Futile
Perhaps the strongest argument for Web2.0, in this humble correspondent's opinion anyway, is that adopting Web2.0 is not a question of "if" but rather "when."  These days, Web 2.0 is clearly assimilating into mainstream at light speed.  Check out the recent article from the Miami Herald, OMG, my MOM's on Facebook!, if you doubt me on this one. And, Web2.0 is no longer just about having fun and staying connected. 

A few years ago, 2.0 was the narrow corner of web space occupied by a symbiotic (albeit polarized) pairing.  On one end of the spectrum we had the blogging technovisionaries sharing cerebral concepts of information sharing.  On the opposite end we had the college kids MySpacing their "Dude-I-Was-Soooo-Wasted" war stories and pictures for the glory and good of all.  (Perhaps some of us were members of one or both of these groups!) Like the two arms of a slingshot, these groups used Web2.0 like a rubber band to hurl their payload (i.e. the rest of us) from the static world into the fluid vision of today's internet life.   The rest of us have caught up with the visionaries and this stuff is in common practice.  And here's a real kicker - many of those inebriated educatees have architected this current course and are charting our future today. 

Universities across the globe have begun integrating 2.0 into the core curriculum of the classroom.  2.0 is required learning and an essential tool of scholastic success today.  And those digital native students that are so adept at it today will be our constituents tomorrow.  So, do you want to be in a spot where you've got to implement things because you are being "forced" to or would you rather do things on your own timeline and on your terms?

So there you have it - my $.02 on why you should get into this game now rather than later. Sure these benefits will evolve and perhaps change with time, right alongside 2.0 in general.  But for now, I think we've got a pretty compelling set of arguments to get things moving forward!  When it comes to the state of web affairs,  I tend to agree with some lines from the esteemed Mr. Buffet (Jimmy that is, not Warren) and his lovely writing partner Princess Leia herself.  (Come on now, you knew I had to work a Star Wars reference in here somewhere!)

I love the now (all the faces and places)
I love the now (all the rats and the races)
It's the only place I've ever been
It's the only way that I know how

Don't talk about your superstitions
Don't talk about your cats meow
But don't talk about tomorrow tonight
I love the now

Virtually Yours,

Greever

 So hopefully by now, we all at least get the meaning of Web2.0, or at least some flavor of it!  I have found in my own net travels that Web2.0 can mean a whole bunch of things depending on whom you ask, and when you ask him or her.  But basically, for the purposes of this blog, let's define it as a group of services and principles that elevate us beyond the basic producer/consumer roles of the first generation of the Web. 

Funny thing is, at the core, Web2.0 is not really about technology.  The key to Web2.0 is more about the culture of an organization and how it chooses to interact with its diverse audiences.  Technologies are the buzz words surrounding 2.0, but those technologies are the just the vehicle...you need the keys to make it work!  Much like my freshman year of college, my definition of Web2.0 rests solidly on a foundation of three "C"s.  (The other three grades were "A"s, thank you very much!)  Web2.0 is about collaboration.  It is about communication.  And it is about community.  Take any one of them out and you do not have true Web 2.0. Instead, you've got some hybrid approach that will probably move your organization forward in some way, but not with the thoroughness and meaningful value you'll get out of fully embracing 2.0. 

Web 2.0 relies on the simple concept that, via collaboration, we can create a better product than we ever could have on our own.  Sound familiar?  The open source code community has been doing this for years!  Ask and they'll tell you all about the tremendous value inherent in sharing from concept to completion - always able to tweak and improve and benefit from the experience and point of view of a new voice.  So, why not take that to the next level?  Take it out the code base and start talking in business terms.  Break the static mold of serving up stuff to be consumed (documents to download, pages to read, taxes to be paid) and compliment it with the tools that get people in touch with your organization on their terms.  This connection can take many forms and those forms are constantly evolving based on consumer demand, bandwidth availability and good ole usability.  Think of collaboration as your framework and your guiding principle moving forward.

Communication is a very over-used word in our sector of the world.  Every one agrees that communication is valuable and nary shall ye find someone who claims to do a lousy job at it.  But the sad truth is, we all fail at it sometime.  Central to effective communication is a solid understanding your audience, AKA your community.  Too often we make assumptions about how people want to get info from and interact with us.  We jump to conclusions based on our personal frame of reference and then we build grandiose info silos on terms that make little sense to our community.  So, how do we fix it?  Simple!  We go out amongst our peeps and take a stroll through what works for them.  Web2.0 didn't evolve as business tools...it evolved out of that stuff that turns people on - common interests, friendships, family videos and the like.  People became interested and familiar with these tools because they WANTED to, not because they HAD to.  So, the trick is, move beyond our traditional govt space and get out to where the fun stuff is happening.  Learn to integrate our messages, our tools and our services into the media and forums that people are already accustomed to and use by choice.  Communicate on their terms, using their tools, in their time frames.

And the final tentpole of the Web2.0 effort is Community.  Community is an essential part of creating a meaningful and valued government "of the people".  Community is your audience.  Without it, your message and your methods are all wasted.  As with communication, you find your community by evaluating and implementing the methodologies that are used by your audience.   Post your info in the proper forums and methods, and your community will find you.   As an example, here in Roanoke County we launched a Twitter stream so quietly last month that you could actually hear us thinking about dropping the proverbial pin.  No press release, no announcements, no fanfare, just a simple link on our Web site.  As of this writing, we're about to break the big five-oh.  Not too bad considering this is a totally voluntary communication channel.  As with our Twitter experience, you can develop your own following of people who sought you out and found your stuff to be useful to them.  And then that community can potentially evolve into new ideas and new innovations...sounds very collaborative, eh? 

To be clear, I am not talking about starting some three-ring "no holds barred" circus act at your service counters.  I am talking about taking an innovative yet measured approach to adopting these three principles, your daily dose of Vitamin CCC.  Most local government organizations will be leery of the Web2.0 world at first glance, and rightfully so.  As stewards of the public dollar, we do not want to ever be accused of "goofing off on Facebook" on a taxpayer's dime.  And we've all got those global fears of security, privacy, eDiscovery and how to ensure new services comply with regulations regarding public forums and records management.   Sure, there is work involved, but that is to be expected, particularly in the public sector.  But hey, none of us signed for this govt job for the fame, glory and the paycheck!  (If you did, I have some very, very bad news for you my friend.  Please see me after class).

If your organization can have an honest, open-minded discussion about how communication is evolving and how we can keep up, I think the naysayers and the fence-sitters will be willing to come together to solve those problems for the greater value that 2.0 brings to the organization.  Next week I'll cover some solutions on setting up an internal Web2.0 group and some of the key members and processes you'll want to establish for success. 

Virtually Yours,
Greever