Ideas
No, Not Social At All
I attended a House Oversight subcommitee hearing yesterday afternoon. As usual, I brought along my laptop, as taking notes and checking email are more easily accomplished using a full keyboard rather than pen and paper and my tiny iPhone screen.
Ideas
Census Fears Spill Over the Border
What can only be characterized as a bit of a surprise, Canada, the land of good government, is having its own debate over the nation's next census, scheduled for 2011. The debate is over the "intrusive" questions on the long form, which 20 percent of Canadians receive and are required to fill out.
Ideas
Reformatting $$$ To Fight Counterfeiters
A reformatted $100 bill that is expected to start circulating in February 2011 will include a ribbon containing images of bells that morph into 100s to thwart counterfeiters, a federal official told lawmakers this week.
Ideas
Can You Please Repeat That?
It's likely you've been on the phone when the voice recognition program just doesn't understand a single word you are saying. Maybe you're Scottish.
Ideas
GSA Ponders Prize Contract Vehicle
The General Services Administration may add a contract program that would allow agencies to buy from a menu of technology products, marketing services and technical assistance for running contests. An April <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/memoranda_2010/m10-11.pdf">White House memo</a> required that GSA "as expeditiously as possible" craft a contract vehicle for purchasing such goods.
Ideas
Reform Forces Bailout Lending Online
The financial regulatory overhaul that Congress passed this week is missing a major data transparency measure the <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100701_1718.php">House wanted</a>, but the legislation still offers some Web-based windows into the financial system that previously were lacking.
Ideas
LOL, Man
Do you find yourself speaking in abbreves? Using emoticons in text messages? Or even in work-related emails? Everyday English is incorporating more and more Internet-speak, which is changing the way we communicate, accoring to <a href=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128356609>NPR</a>.
Ideas
Industry Seeks IT Acquisitions Reform
A major tech industry group is fighting back against the administration's threats to cancel information technology projects by forming a task force to suggest other options.
Ideas
FAS Gets Permanent Leader
The General Services Administration on Tuesday announced a permanent leader for its Federal Acquisition Service, which has seen a number of shifts in recent months.
Ideas
Budget Game: Making Debt Fun
With the national debt well over $13 trillion, it seems a tall order to fix U.S. finances. Think you're smart enough to make those tough decisions? The nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget's <a href=http://crfb.org/stabilizethedebt/#>new online tool</a> lets users weigh different scenarios for reducing spending and stabilizing debt.
Ideas
Failure To Communicate
I have pretty bad luck when it comes to wireless cellphone service. I was covering a conference call last Friday but was out of the office, so I had to call in with my iPhone.
Ideas
Census Handhelds 'So 2010'
With its 2010 decennial count well underway, the Census Bureau already is looking forward to the next challenge: planning for 2020. According to the bureau's head, the next count will incorporate more technology than what currently is being used.
Ideas
Transparency is Your Friend
One of the key arguments for transparency is that it builds trust, as well as opening your organization to more and maybe better ideas from the public. After just more than a year of President Obama's open government initiative, some top federal executives are finding that out to be true.
Ideas
TSA Lifts 'Controversial Opinion' Block
CBS News ran a <a href=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20009642-10391695.html#addcomm>story</a> on July 3 about a Transportation Security Administration policy sent to employees informing them that officials there would ban their access to certain Web sites that offered chats and instant messaging, involved criminal activity, extreme violence (including cartoon violence) and gruesome content, and gaming. Also included in that list was anything deemed to be "controversial opinion." Who would decide what was controversial? What would be the criteria?
Ideas
NASA's Website Work
Government websites aren't exactly known for their sleek design or easy-to-use features, and more than a few tech-savvy individuals have picked up on that trend. But as the General Services Administration <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100702_5706.php?oref=mostread>rolls out</a> significant upgrades to <a href=http://usa.gov>USA.gov</a>, home to all things related to federal services and resources, others also are upping their online game.
Ideas