Digital Government
Lawmaker questions White House official's use of Gmail
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., charges the reported use of Webmail by Deputy Chief Technology Officer Andrew McLaughlin could indicate an attempt to 'circumvent the laws associated with openness and transparency.'
Digital Government
GSA's quest for free contest app may be fruitless, some say
Request for information asks industry to provide a tool that agencies can use for managing online competitions to spur innovation and encourage public participation.
Digital Government
New social media rules lauded, but advocates note cookie policy omission
OMB says revisions were not required under the open government directive, but it is working to update how agencies can use the Web-tracking devices.
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.
Digital Government
Feds ready to lead green IT movement, but outreach needed
At event on energy-efficient technology, officials discuss access to information and the need for high-speed Internet to support the smart grid.
Digital Government
Agencies' open government plans receive mostly positive reviews
Those posted by Health and Human Services, Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency are praised for specificity, while critics say others are too vague.
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.
Modernization
Google's new document sharing app a security risk, experts say
But administrators have more control to block services that would allow sensitive documents from being sent accidentally, other cyber specialists say.
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.
Digital Government
Agencies to unveil open government plans under president's directive
OMB will update controversial rules for collecting citizen information and tracking Web site use.
Digital Government
Law school tries to get the public hooked on rule-making
Web site will reach out to citizens who don't read the Federal Register for feedback on a plan to bar commercial drivers from texting.
Cybersecurity
Guide puts a price tag on security breaches
Organizations will be more likely to take cybersecurity seriously when they see that failing to do so could cost them, groups say.
Digital Government
White House considers proposals to improve information sharing
Recommendations from the Markle Foundation include persistent queries, which remember users' search terms, and tagging information with labels that make it easier to organize.
Ideas
Fun With Math: Budget $$$
The Center for American Progress has launched an <a href="http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/discretionary_spending_interactive.html">interactive pie chart</a> that lets users zoom in to see which programs are considered discretionary versus mandatory in the annual federal budget. President Obama's budget proposes a three-year <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2011/assets/responsibility.pdf">governmentwide freeze</a> on nonsecurity discretionary spending to save $250 billion over the next decade.
Digital Government
Hill negotiators weigh uniform standard for spending reports
Aides are trying to reach consensus on House-passed language that would direct agencies to use the same format for financial data.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity bill first step in fixing controversial FISMA
Agencies would be required to monitor vulnerability of networks and consider the security capabilities of products and services before buying them.
Ideas
House Passes File Sharing Bill
The House on Tuesday passed a <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:H.4098:">bill</a> that would mandate a policy banning the use of file sharing software on federal computers and networks, along with those used by contractors.
Digital Government