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
