Ideas
So Much for a Recession Dividend
One of the few -- and I mean few -- positives that occurred during the recession was a predicted <a href=http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2010/03/silicon_valley_losing_its_luster.php>shift of tech talent</a> from the private to the more stable public sector, where it is difficult to bring in top talent. It didn't last long. <a href=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304628704575186362957042220.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection>From <em>The Wall Street Journal</em> on Thursday</a>:
Ideas
IRS E-file Overhaul Triggers Errors
A $574 million program to overhaul the IRS' existing method for electronically collecting tax returns is supposed to provide instant processing capabilities and improved error detection, but the system is erroneously rejecting returns, according to report released Thursday, tax day, by a Treasury watchdog.
Ideas
Your Tweets, Archived for Eternity
Think those 140-character ideas you have will be forgotten? Think again--the Library of Congress on Wednesday announced that it will acquire and archive every public tweet--ever--starting from Twitter's inception in 2006. According to the Library's Facebook page, that's more than 50 million per day and billions in total.
Ideas
Web Design Duds
The .Gov space has thousands upon thousands of Web sites. Some are sleek and user-friendly (<a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/>Whitehouse.gov</a>, for example), while others appear to be forgotten projects from the Internet's early days. Austin Carr over at <em>Fast Company</em> has compiled a <a href=http://www.fastcompany.com/pics/best-and-worst-government-web-design?partner=homepage_newsletter#0>slideshow</a> of the best and worst of government web design.
Ideas
Chatting with Public Officials
A White House official this month has been <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100412_6003.php">taking heat</a> for doing something many of us do almost reflexively on a daily basis - chatter with friends, coworkers and bosses online. Andrew McLaughlin, the White House deputy chief technology officer for Internet policy, reportedly used Web-based e-mail to communicate with administration colleagues and lobbyists at Google, his former employer. According to images posted on the Internet, a list of his contacts showed he used his Gmail account to converse with Aneesh Chopra, the White House chief technology officer, and Katie Stanton, another Google veteran who now works at the State Department.
Ideas
Cyber Reports Prod Senate Action
The federal government is not fully following information security initiatives, according to two separate reports published by the Government Accountability Office on Monday. Senators who requested the audits called for the creation of a permanent cyber czar in response to findings that agencies are not implementing a critical Homeland Security Department cybersecurity system, not reducing connections to external networks and not properly configuring security settings on workstations.
Ideas
Social Media Primer
Jesse Stanchak over at SmartBlog on Social Media wrote an interesting <a href=http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2010/04/12/the-abcs-of-pitching-to-influencers/>post</a> today on the ABCs of pitching to influencers (the media, basically). His theory: The widespread use of Web 2.0 technologies doesn't automatically equate to the effective use of those tools. Can his tips for using social media apply to federal agencies hoping to reach to the general public?
Ideas
Facebook Fracas
Facebook, the popular social networking site, is facing concerns from users over proposed revisions to its privacy policy. The changes, which would allow third-party access to user information, is receiving a chilly reception among members, according to <a href=http://www.inc.com/news/articles/2010/04/facebook-users-protest-proposed-privacy-changes.html>Inc.</>
Ideas
DHS Testing Einstein 3
The Homeland Security Department has completed the first two stages of testing on the third and latest version of Einstein, a network security program that relies on commercially available intrusion detection services to monitor traffic in government agencies to guard against cyber threats.
Ideas
Coburn: The Law's the Law
In conjunction with the release of agency plans intended to ingrain transparency into departmental activities, the White House on Wednesday released several policies aimed at accelerating those efforts. The new policies and the open government plans were released on Wednesday pursuant to an open government directive issued in December.
Ideas
OGov Plans, Social Media Regs Out
You can now read the <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100402_6749.php>open government plans</a> of every federal agency, the culmination of an experiment in transparency that President Obama launched the day after being sworn into office. In addition, the Office of Management and Budget has released <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/inforeg/SocialMediaGuidance_04072010.pdf">guidance clarifying</a> that Paperwork Reduction Act restrictions on collecting information from the public do not apply to most social media efforts.
Ideas
Cyberattack Concerns High
A survey of federal IT officials published on Tuesday by a computer security firm reports that a third of respondents in agencies tied to national security experienced a cyberattack by a foreign nation or terrorist organization over the last year.
Ideas
Mobility Matters
In a recent <a href=http://innovation.gsa.gov/blogs/OCIO.nsf/dx/Smartphones-for-Business-Use>blog post</a>, General Services Administration Chief Information Officer Casey Coleman highlighted the proliferation of smartphone use across government and the mobility that comes with them. Sure, smartphones enable users to check e-mail, but mobile apps also provide the capability to track packages, access databases and submit expense reports. But like any technology, smartphones present certain challenges for government users, she writes.
Ideas
Grading Executive Transparency
Many government accountability groups have been unimpressed with the White House's <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/around">check-the-box system</a> for tracking agency compliance with President Obama's transparency agenda. The administration issued a December directive instructing departments on how to disclose their daily doings to the public but has not followed up with an assessment.
Ideas
Centralizing Cloud Security
A governmentwide program that provides a centralized approach to security issues in cloud and multiagency IT systems soon will go into pilot.
Ideas
Education Error Message
President Obama has put the government in charge of student loans, but it appears that the federal IT system isn't quite prepared to handle that responsibility.
Ideas
E-Pay Stubs: Thinking About Defaults
Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/blog/10/03/29/SAVEings/">announced</a> on Monday that the National Finance Center, which processes payroll for 675,000 federal employees, will start issuing electronic pay stubs as a default.
Ideas
GSA Continues Acquisitions Shakeup
The General Services Administration on Tuesday announced another leadership change in its Federal Acquisition Service, the office responsible for coordinating goods and services for government agencies. Jon Jordon, controller for FAS, will serve as acting deputy commissioner starting April 3.
Ideas