local government - Public Works Group Blog

Web 2.0, Web 3.0, virtual worlds: are these buzzwords and their related technologies something you really need to worry about? Studies, reports, and white papers seem to be saying “Yes.” And that is a big fat “yes” even if you work for government.

In fact there are already a few of us government folks headed down the Web 2.0 path. But this stroll was not meant to be taken alone; Web 2.0 works best the greater the crowd. So whether you have already made the decision to embrace this new way of doing business or if you just want to check it out, I have a few links you might want to start with:

First, for those involved in local government, Bill Greeves, IT Director, Roanoke County, Va., and I have set up a MuniGov 2.0 group for anyone working for city, township, or county agencies. You can check out the MuniGov 2.0 Website or join the MuniGov 2.0 group in Second Life. Greeves is also writing a Digital Communities blog that will profile Web 2.0 technologies and explore how they can best be used in local government. Check out his first post: Road-trippin’ (aka Welcome to Wild, Wonderful World Wide Web2.0!)

Second, click on over to the GovLoop Network site. This site allows for membership and networking for all those involved in government. Membership as of today sits at 2,489.

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to Greever Wemyss (Second Life name) by a mutual friend who realized we both have an interest in local government and its use of Web 2.0 and virtual worlds. After a few discussions, we decided that we would create a Second Life group that is specifically focused on local government to work in parallel with our involvement in the Real Life in Second Life Government group. We felt it was important to create this additional group to avoid cluttering up the other group with specific issues that might not interest those in state and federal government.

Our first meeting will be Mon., Sept. 8, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. EST. in the Civic Forum area on Public Works Island. We will start with an open agenda. Anyone working in or having an interest in local government is encouraged to stop by and contribute. If you can’t make the meeting, you can also join the group MuniGov 2.0 in Second Life to receive notices of future meetings and meeting minutes.

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