Rock Creek Roundup (September 25 Edition)

Posted by: Meagen Ryan, Director of Strategy Sep 25, 2009 0 Comments

From protecting privacy to protecting consumers from dangerous products, this week’s Rock Creek Roundup covers the latest news and information in the world of Government 2.0. Here’s the scoop:

• Privacy and participation are the two sides of the Gov 2.0 coin. As the White House breaks new ground with the use of social media it continues to balance both priorities. The latest developing in this arena comes out of a blog post by Macon Phillips on The Presidential Records Act of 1978 (PRA). Phillips is alerting users of official White House social media channels that their comments to the White House will become a matter of public record, as required by the PRA. In issuing the warning, Phillips is giving a nod to privacy concerns while trying to dispel the myth that this is intended to limit participation by those who disagree with the Administration. It’s a delicate balancing act, and Phillips deserve kudos for trying to get it right.
• Earlier this week, the White House announced the official launch of an innovative contest among federal employees. Online at SaveAward.gov, the contest is aimed at collecting ideas for measures that will cut the federal budget. Employees in every level of the federal government are invited to participate, and the creator of the winning idea gets his/her proposal included in the 2011 fiscal year plan, in addition to having the chance to meet the President. Employees are encouraged to submit multiple ideas prior to the October 14 deadline; a winner will be announced in November. This latest contest is yet another excellent way to empower people at every level of the government to think creatively and take action.
• Republican congressman John Culberson is using SharedBook technology to allow constituents to annotate the House healthcare bill H.R. 3200. Asserting that this “new technology will give my constituents a voice in the health care debate and help restore the public trust in government by raising the level of openness, order, and discourse,” Culberson’s SharedBook site currently features a handful of comments on many of the bill’s pages.
• The Consumer Product Safety Commission, this week announced the launch of a new blog and social media initiatives. Dubbed “CPSC 2.0,” the commission plans to use its new blog “On Safety,” podcasts, videos, and widgets to spread the word about potentially dangerous products to families and consumers. The agency is also using social media sites Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr to promote its messages of safety.

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Meagen Ryan

Director of Strategy

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