Social Media

Help an agency out: spread the word that we want photos taken on Earth Day

Ok, here’s the deal. We at EPA are running several social media engagement projects around Earth Day (April 22), and most are off to a good start. But we’re doing one thing actually on Earth Day itself: trying to capture a moment in time. Specifically, we’re asking people to submit a photo they take onRead… Read more »

Govbytes: Maryland employers banned from requesting Facebook credentials

In a move which adds to the national debate over whether it should be lawful for employers to ask applicants for Facebook passwords — and ends it in Maryland — the state last week became the 1st to ban the practice. Facebook also recently took a stand against employers requiring passwords during the hiring process.Read… Read more »

When the Cold War Was Winding Down, Could the Soviet Defense Establishment Have Maintained Secrecy If Social Media Had Been Available?

By Dennis D. McDonald In Web 2.0 and the Manhattan Project I speculated on the impacts modern communication, collaboration, and information sharing technologies might have had on the atomic bomb’s Manhattan Project during World War II. I thought about these topics again while reading David E. Hoffman’s THE DEAD HAND: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THERead… Read more »

Social media guidance part 1 – do you have a ‘private life’ any more?

I attended a fascinating discussion yesterday at #Teacamp (a monthly get together for digital geeks) about social media guidance for the public sector. The Government Digital Service, on behalf of central government, are updating the existing social media guidance for civil servants which is now a few years old. The overall thrust of the guidance,Read… Read more »

GovBytes: Government takes on Pinterest

As Pinterest gains in popularity on the Internet, government is taking notice; Pinterest is already the 3rd most popular social networking website, behind only Facebook and Twitter. It specializes in allowing users to create their own pin boards and share photographs they find interesting with their followers. The Military has taken advantage of Pinterest, andRead… Read more »

GREAT WORK: 23 bright ways to use social media in the public sector

There was a brilliant update on Twitter the other day which hit the nail right on the head. “The best social media,” it read “doesn’t happen in an office.” That’s dead right. For a long while now I’ve been arguing that communications people should share the sweets, relax a little and learn to let go.Read… Read more »

Rural Governments and Social Media: The Moffat County, Colorado Experience

Rural local governments across the country have historically had something of a tougher time than their more populated counterparts when it comes to connecting with their citizens. Greater distances, lower incomes, slower Internet access and hesitancy about adaption of certain communications technologies have proven to be the main challenges. This phenomenon is especially prevalent inRead… Read more »