Ideas
Tweet Trends
Social networking offers lots of opportunities to share information, join a conversation, reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Perhaps too many. With Facebook, LinkedIn, GovLoop, Twitter and more, who has time to actively participate in everything?
Ideas
Friday is Deadline for Nextgov Awards
Friday is the last day to <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov_awards/">submit a nomination</a> for the Nextgov Awards. Do you know a colleague who took on personal risks to push through an idea, policy or management change that used technology? If so, please tell us their story.
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Win Cash and IP Rights
Citizens who enter innovation contests that the government plans to launch this year could rake in cash on top of the prize money that agencies are allowed to award. The White House on Monday released a <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100309_4641.php">legal framework</a> for giving away money and other incentives during competitions aimed at improving open government, spurring research and development and addressing national priorities.
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Want Workers? Get Tech
Wired Workplace blogger Brittany Ballenstedt posted on Wednesday findings from a study conducted by Accenture on Millennials' use of social networking tools at work. (Millennials are the youngest workers among us, those younger than 28.)
Ideas
Census Sticking Point
The Census Bureau this week started its daunting task--counting the nation's 300-plus million people--by mailing out advance letters to 120 million households. These letters politely remind citizens that the 2010 census documents will be arriving March 15 to 17 and to please fill out and mail back the quick-and-easy 10-question form.
Ideas
FBI's Most Wanted in Your Pocket
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is one of many agencies to embrace social networking, but its use of technology has a greater practical purpose than simple information dissemination.
Ideas
Orszag Hints at Flat Budgets
Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag spoke at a Government Executive leadership breakfast on Tuesday and talked about the Obama administration's effort to close the federal government's "IT gap," a situation in which many agencies work on computer systems -- or on no systems at all -- that are woefully behind what the private sector has.
Ideas
Real vs. Robotic Mules
On Afghanistan's mountainous terrain, there are places where <a href="http://www.militaryspot.com/resources/item/humvee/">Humvees</a>, the military's four-wheeled and diesel-powered beast, can't go. But mules can. Armed with a knack for survival and "entirely nonpartisan about the contents of its load," writes Susan Orlean in a <em>New Yorker</em> article, the mule has proved a valued trooper in the military.<p>
Ideas
Tweeting for Startup Visa
Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists flew in to Capitol Hill last week to promote the Startup Visa Act, a bill to amend immigration law and make it easier for foreign entrepreneurs to stay in the U.S. -- and create jobs here -- if they demonstrate funding from U.S.-based investors. This wasn't just a stakeholders' party. So far, more than 780 voters have sent over 2800 messages to their elected representatives - through 2gov, a nifty tool that channels Tweets to Congress. And 95 percent are supporting the bill.
Ideas
More Airport Body Scans
The Homeland Security Department on Friday announced that it will expand the use of advanced imaging technology--the controversial body scans--to 11 U.S. aiports by summer, thanks to $1 billion in Recovery Act funds.
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Cloud Computing Trauma
Customer service matters. When it comes to cloud computing, a little bit could go a long way.
Ideas
Virtual Training, Real Battle
Live, on-the-ground battlefield preparation is difficult to come by outside of the battlefield itself. Enter <a href=http://ict.usc.edu/projects/urbansim>UrbanSim</a>, a research prototype simulation currently being used to train U.S. Army personnel in complex urban counterinsurgency and stability operations.
Ideas
Facebook and the Hatch Act
Marc Ambinder, who blogs for Nextgov sister site Atlantic.com, <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/03/state-department-removes-political-fan-pages-from-facebook-site/36984/">raises an issue</a> for agencies that have created a Facebook page -- which seems like just about every agency.
Ideas
GSA Signs Up For OpenID
The General Services Administration has approved universal sign-in applications for use on government Web sites, provided by Equifax, Google and Paypal, that will allow citizens who are securely logged in to one site to instantly and safely switch to another agency site without having to login again.
Ideas
Distraction.gov -- Not
Yes, <a href=http://distraction.gov/>Distraction.gov</a> is a real Web site. No, it isn't a compilation of crossword puzzles, <a href=http://www.sporcle.com/>Sporcle</a> quizzes and Gawker-worthy gossip. In fact, it has nothing to do with giving feds a little diversion at work.
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Facebook No Show at Hearing
A senator chastised the social-networking service Facebook on Tuesday for refusing to attend his subcommittee hearing on global Internet freedom, while simultaneously seeking the government's help in resolving Internet blockages overseas.
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Is Cybersecurity All Hype?
Wired's Ryan Singel wrote a long <a href=http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/cyber-war-hype/>post</a> in the site's Threat Level blog arguing that much of the concern over the security of the Internet is being fueled by federal contractors, which would benefit financially from the government pursuing policies to lock it down and to track 'Net users.
Ideas
Service Academy Apps Go Paperless
Applying for nomination to West Point just got a little faster and more environmentally friendly. Vice President Joe Biden on Monday announced the launch of an <a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/vice-president-biden/academy-nominations>online application</a> for several U.S. service academies.
Ideas