Today and tomorrow I will be attending the Government 2.0 Camp. If possible, I am going to try to live blog as many sessions as I can so check back or grab a feed if you are interested in following along!
Live Blogging Government 2.0 Camp
Social Media Tools for Construction Geeks
If you have an iphone, download AudioBoo for free – now! – particularly if you work in any construction-related field. This handy tool allows for the ability to combine an IM, a photo, a location map, and a 3-minute audio blurb in one upload. This upload can then be found on the AudioBoo Website for anyone’s viewing pleasure. But even better, it can also automatically get pushed out to your Twitter and/or Facebook feed.
So next time you see something particularly interesting out on construction, use AudioBoo on your iphone to share with the rest of us! Here is one I did today – it was also automatically sent to my Twitter feed and my Facebook wall. (Click the link to see the full post.)
Lack of Expansion Material Causes Concrete Failure
Transparency in Public Works
Construction inspectors are responsible for making sure a project is built correctly and meets plans and specifications. Over my 25 years of inspecting, I have had jobs where this is easy because the contractor and his crews are committed to meeting all of their obligations. However, I have occasionally had a worker on a jobsite say something like, “oh, don’t worry about that. It will be covered up an no one will ever know it is there.” To which I usually reply, “well, I will know it’s there so lets fix it and do it right.”
Now most of the time, the crew will go ahead and follow an inspector’s directions. But for those few times when a crew just doesn’t want to cooperate, the inspector can have a very difficult time enforcing the contract. Ultimately, the work can not be accepted, and payment can be withheld. But this situation still causes a problem for the inspector.
So today, I started wondering how social media can help an inspector on a jobsite. What would happen next time I try to make sure something is done right, and the contractor makes that statement that it will be ok; no one will ever know it is there. Do I say, “yes, in fact, the whole world could potentially know because while we speak, I am uploading the photo to Twitter along with your quote and name and company name?”
What if I decide to keep my project diary online in a blog-type format? Will the contractor act differently if I make it clear this diary is online and available for the whole world to potentially see it? Is this something the public would be interested in viewing? Is this something we should be doing?
As we proceed to bid out recovery projects and oversee construction and payments for these projects, should we be looking at implementing these uses of social media to achieve transparency? And if so, are there any other uses or types of information anyone can think of?
We Are Public Works Network
Visit We Are Public Works
Last month, the American Public Works Association (APWA) launched an online network for those of us working in the public works industry. Since beginning late in February, WEAREPUBLICWORKS.ORG has grown to over a hundred members. And even though APWA launched the site, you don’t have to be a member of APWA to join. You don’t even have to live in the U.S. Like any other Ning-based, online, open network, anyone can sign up for an account, join in, and start networking with other public works professionals. Hope to see you there!
Your Social Media Journey Begins Here
So how many times have you tried to convince your friends and colleagues that they should be on Twitter or LinkedIn? Are you the person making the rounds in your office showing everyone Second Life and trying to convince them of the benefits of virtual worlds. I know I am one of those people shouting the benefits of Web 2.0 from the rooftops. And I share in everyone’s frustration because even though people seem to understand and “get it,” they never make that final step to actually join.
One day, I showed a vendor some social media tools, and he seemed very interested in using them. But I sensed some hesitation, so I asked, “If everyone understands these tools and is interested in using them, why don’t they?” And his response was, “I just don’t know how.”
That simple response said a lot. So I changed my plan of attack from demonstrating the tools to establishing a road map of how to get started. The result of that was this document: Your Social Media Journey Begins Here. I am releasing it in Beta form since I am sure there are still some mistakes in it, and I am sure it could use some tweaking. So if you want, take it, give it to your friends, test it out. Let me know how it goes. I probably should mention that it is targeted at people working in government, engineering, and public works.
(For those of you who would rather read the document in digital book form, click here.)
Lose the Politician
While I don’t normally like to touch too strongly on politics in any article or blog I write, I saw something today on the GovLoop site (posted by Andrew Krzmarzick) that is so potentially life-changing, you need to see it. This very short video presents a thought-provoking and powerful message about how government is and could be structured. I leave it for you to draw your own conclusions and ideas: