"Gov20" picking up a head of steam down under as well now.

Great guy doing a great thing. All support appreciated.

via @amandare

"Peter has a background in journalism and public relations/public affairs. He founded the social media forum in 2009 to explore how political causes and real-world communities can harnace the power of web 2.0 to engage more people, particularly those who feel distant from the political system, in the issues that affect their world."

"My idea is to organise a training day at John Adam Street and to bring together enthusiastic Fellows from around the country with the mission of twinning up with existing sites or developing new ones. We’ll even try to find some money to provide a small start up funding pot."

Big sceptic. Interesting to view futures thinking as a science.

"Connect with your members for free through text messaging and voice messaging" (via Andrew Keen)

"Any power vacuum left by a retreating state will be filled by some combination of both hierarchal and networked organizations." (via Dougald Hine)

Top Facebook facts

"We have a plan. We want to help financially disadvantaged young people to undertake an internship in London which ordinarily they would not be able to afford."

Not sure I get it/it means anything, but nevertheless here it is…

"Passionate about neogeography and the future of the geoweb as a platform. "Not social media expert, have real job". "

Its launched

Global disease alert map (via David Stephenson)

"The OpenDialogCoalition is a loose collaborative of people and organizations proposing and exploring web 2.0 technologies with best practices in user-centered identity, online community and cross-boundary integration for open government and the digital economy."

Comprehensive list of the challenges ahead (via Nick Booth)

Feels like the gap between central and local is getting bigger and bigger on this agenda

Interactive reading

Go get ticket your ticket now!

Well worth a listen on the mainstreaming of accessible design.

Welcome to the OSTP blog, a place where you can learn about and have real input into the policymaking process as it relates to science and technology." First White House blog.

"Running the Numbers looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on." (via Lauren Currie)

Totally fantastic

Very insightful research from Charlie with some useful lessons learnt, advice and tools for action. Contributions from FutureGov on the Resilience 2.0 aspects specifically.

One to learn from. Really useful stuff from Dennis.

Friend of FutureGov Stephen Collins goes mass media on a Twitter tip

Interesting proposal from David in terms of how best to fix the research and procurement process in government

"because experience matters"

"The draft document "How People with Disabilities Use the Web" provides examples of people with different disabilities using Web sites, applications, browsers, and authoring tools."

"Chile’s new Transparency Law, obligating the government to divulge millions of documents for public scrutiny, including how much each politician earns, came into effect on Sunday."

Engagement but not as we know it (fortunately)

Not the biggest fan of storyboards in the world, but this is pretty effective if a bit trite

"As yesterday’s concepts become today’s policies, those concerned with digital engagement in government are afforded the opportunity to think about tomorrow’s challenges. Here are 10 that have been playing on my mind…"

For the stat geek in you

Of the Apps for America competition

"Peer-to-Patent opens the patent examination process to public participation for the first time."

"Government 2.0 Camp Australia, to be held in Canberra, the national capital, will be a BarCamp-styled unconference welcoming ideas and opinions from across society at all levels - the public, the executive and our politicians."

"It’s time for organizations to get their act together", apparently

"An open course personal health records project"

Looks a top event. See you there.

Having grown up in the area, seeing this get off the ground is Just ace. Moseley rules ok!

"CrisisCamp will bring together domain experts, developers, and first responders around improving technology and practice for humanitarian crisis management and disaster relief."

"The recession is exposing a “very severe divide now opening up between the public and private sectors”, with state employees enjoying better pay, pensions and job security, the UK’s Taxpayers’ Alliance told the Financial Times on Friday."

Pirates running for election in Sweden in the Euro elections on a platform of pro-Pirating.

"1. The study of economic and state systems at the edge of their normal social and economic function, including preventative measures to avoid destructive feedback loops and vicious cycles.
2. A consulting practice based on the scientific and historical understanding of collapse conditions, and responses to them."

Great work Simon Berry

Hardihaha

"We need to rediscover government as an enabler, not a solution provider; as a platform for our own innovation, a lever for our own work, not as the deus ex machina that we've paid to do for us what we could be doing for ourselves."

President of Portugal gets social media'd

"eGovernment refers to the use of the Web or other information technologies by governing bodies (local, state, federal, multi-national) to interact with their citizenry, between departments and divisions, and between governments themselves. Recognizing that governments throughout the World need assistance and guidance in achieving the promises of electronic government through technology and the Web, this document seeks to define and call forth, but not yet solve, the variety of issues and challenges faced by governments. The use cases, documentation, and explanation are focused on the available or needed technical standards but additionally provide context to note and describe the additional challenges and issues which exist before success can be realized."

"The Office of the Chief Technology Officer has launched the District of Columbia’s Digital Public Square which puts you, the citizen, in the driver’s seat to discover how District agencies work, participate in the democratic process and connect with your government."

"The news has now been leaked that President Obama intends to nominate Aneesh Chopra as the nation's first Chief Technology Officer. The Federal CTO will be an assistant to the President, as well as the Associate Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He will work closely with Vivek Kundra, the recently-named Federal CIO, to develop and implement the President's ambitious technology agenda."