Communications

Is Social Media Useful for Engaging Your Constituents?

Town hall meetings, Twitter, hotlines, e-mail… The list of potential lines of communication goes on. There are more open lines of communication between agencies and the citizens they serve than ever before. Since the advent of the Internet, they are constantly evolving, particularly social media, to better serve the public will. But are we betterRead… Read more »

No rules here – we’re trying to accomplish something!

Edison’s quote about trying to accomplish things has always been one of my favourites. For me it highlights the problems that can occur when rules, guidelines and parameters are applied to something as fluid as engaging online. One of the things I find people ask for most when devising a ‘social strategy’ are previous examplesRead… Read more »

Beachfront, or Socialfront Property for Rent – No Bedbugs!

(From the Kings of Metaphor at KME…why should all the physical land, property owners and developers have all the fun?) That’s right, we’ve got some amazing un-real estate now for rent, in all the great places. Whether you’re looking for a quick getaway, or longer-term (monthly contracts available) socialfront property – we’ve got attractive optionsRead… Read more »

Esri Federal GIS Conference: I Have No Idea What GIS Is

Lately, we’ve been talking about Esri’s upcoming Federal GIS Conference, and I know what a lot of you may be thinking: “A conference completely devoted to discussing GIS sounds really cool, but I don’t know anything about GIS!” Is this you? Maybe you know of GIS, but feel like you don’t know enough to diveRead… Read more »

Contractors will need to be proactive to prevent potentially harmful information from becoming public. (FAPIIS)

A recent final rule in the Federal Register (FAR Case 2010-016) regarding Public Access to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information could have a significant impact on federal contractors. The final rule implements section 3010 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-212), enacted July 29, 2010. The legislation requires that information inRead… Read more »

A new (additional!) job

Just before Christmas, I received the very excellent news that I have been taken up on my offer to become a trustee of Community Lincs, a local community development charity here in Lincolnshire. I’m delighted, because it’s going to give me a chance to do my bit supporting the great work the organisation does inRead… Read more »

Who am I?

Who am I? Summary: Web users are evolving and Facebook is no longer king. So, who am I. You can play along, if you like. Think about your digital footprint, by which I mean all the different websites which you have log ins for. Think about your Pinterest boards and your Tumblrs (yes, that isRead… Read more »

OK, I’m a Mentor. Now What?

After I posted this NAGC Mentoring Program announcement earlier this week, I got to thinking, “what are people’s expectations for mentoring?” So, I ask you, good people, what do you think makes a mentor? A mentee? Any good experiences to share, either as a mentor or mentee, and what expectations do you think are reasonableRead… Read more »

Rural broadband expands in South Dakota, Alaska

Rural broadband networks are moving forward in South Dakota and Alaska. Last week, South Dakota asked rural residents to complete usage surveys about how they use the internet and what services they would like to see. General Communications Inc. just finished an expansion in Southwest Alaska that would bring internet access to the region forRead… Read more »