Blogs as Bridges: How Web 2.0 Connects People Across the Ages (and Across Agencies!)

By:Andrew Krzmarzick,

Senior Project CoordinatorGraduate School, USDA

For:Environmental Protection Agency,

Research Triangle Park, NCMay 28, 2009

Source: Flickr - Khalid Almasoud's Photostream

MyStory

Brainstorming/Application

Veterans: 1920s-1940

Baby Boomers: 1940-1960

Generation X: 1960-1980

Millennials: 1980-2000

Source: Washburn, E. Are You Ready for Generation X? Changing World View – The Five Generations, Physician Executive. January-February 2000.

Web 2.0 Users?

How about “Generation C” ?

“…an avalanche of consumer generated ‘content’…” Two drivers:

(1) Our creative urges

(2) Content-creating tools

- Trendwatching.com, Feb 2004

Generation CBy Dan Pankraz

Source: Flickr – lyzadanger’s photostream

Someone of ANY age who is actively using social media

and engages others on the Internet with a "2.0" mindset: creative, collaborative

and community-oriented.

Generations Explained

Generation Name* Birth Years, Ages in 2009 % of total adult population

% of internet-using population

Gen Y (Millennials) Born 1977-1990, Ages 18-32 26% 30% Gen X Born 1965-1976, Ages 33-44 20% 23% Younger Boomers Born 1955-1964, Ages 45-54 20% 22% Older Boomers Born 1946-1954, Ages 55-63 13% 13% Silent Generation Born 1937-1945, Ages 64-72 9% 7% G.I. Generation Born -1936, Age 73+ 9% 4%

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project December 2008 survey. N=2,253 total adults, and margin of error is ±2%. N=1,650 total internet users, and margin of error is ±3%.

*All generation labels used in this report, with the exception of “Younger -” and “Older -” Boomers, are the names conventionalized by Howe and Strauss’s book, Generations: Strauss, William & Howe, Neil. Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069 (Perennial, 1992). As for “Younger Boomers” and “Older Boomers”, enough research has been done to suggest that the two decades of Baby Boomers are different enough to merit being divided into distinct generational groups.

58%

1.0

2.0

Users age 18-24 = 10.6%

Users age 35-54 grew 276%, 18-24 only 20% last six months

Average age = 40 yrs old

Source: http://socialcomputingjournal.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=824

Imagine an Internet…

“Five thousand years ago, the marketplace was the hub of civilization, a place to which traders returned from remote lands with exotic spices, silks, monkeys, parrots, jewels – and fabulous stories.

In many ways, the Internet more resembles an ancient bazaar…”

“Webolution”

Reversal of Industrial

Revolution?

50% of U.S. Teleworking

by 2015?

Collaboration + Interaction = Web 2.0

“With the new, function-rich infrastructure of Web 2.0, government no longer needs to work on its own to provide public value.”

-Anthony WilliamsCo-Author, Wikinomics

New Paradigm is led by author and strategist Don Tapscott. Launched Government 2.0: Wikinomics, Government & Democracy research program to identify and analyze emerging opportunities to harness new models of collaboration to transform the public sector.

1. Why? Tie to mission, goals, objectives, needs, gaps.

2. Who? Champion, contributors, constituents.

3. What? Content is the key to success.

4. How? Decide which tools best meet goals.

5. When? Create a schedule to implement and evaluate.

1. Why? Tie to mission, goals, objectives, needs, gaps.

• Transparency

• Accountability

• Participation

• Recruitment

• Retention

• Efficiency

• Communication

MillennialsGen X

Boomers

What is a Blog?

a. an online journal or diaryb. a “time bandit” that thwarts

my team’s productivityc. abbreviation for “web log”d. a creature from a bad sci-fi movie

Which of the following have a Blog?

a) Environmental Protection Agency

b) Transportation Security Agency

c) Los Angeles Fire Department

d) City of LaSalle, IL

e) State of Massachusetts

f) All of the Above

Transforming Government

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/News/blog.shtml

40+ Federal blogs…and counting

Step 1: Pick a Blog Platform

Step 2: Create an Account

Step 3: Name Your Blog

Step 4: Produce Content

Step 5: Publish Post!

http://generationshift.blogspot.com

What in the world is a Wiki?

a. an online encyclopedia

b. a web-based tool where multiple users

create, publish and edit information

c. a Hawaiian word for “fast”

d. all of the above

Transforming Government

Step 1: Pick a Wiki Platform

Step 2: Create an Account

Step 3: Set Up Your Wiki

Step 4: Produce Content

Step 5: Edit and Post!

Who in this room has the most connections/friends on:

NOTJUSTFOR

KIDS!!!

Transforming Government

Sharing

InformationIdeasInsightIssuesIndividualsIntelligence

Steve ResslerFounder, GovLoop.com

Business Problem:Millions of government employees working on similar issues but no safe place to connect and share best practices

Solution: GovLoop.com - Social Network for Government Community

Identify/Empower Early Adopters Market where People Are

o Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc

Nearly 12,000 members CTO, CIO, Politicians, Professors, and

Innovative Minds across F/S/L/I Over 1,000 blogs, 350 discussions, 300

groups, 100 events, 3,300 photos, and 200 videos

Mission:

To connect millions of public sector professionals with their colleagues, government partners and social groups in a single knowledge sharing and learning community, enabling them to access information that will improve their jobs, their careers and their lives.

is for:

Government Professionals:• Current and former• Federal, mil., state & local • Nearing retirement• Changing jobs or locations• Working across agencies• In learning teams• Government agencies’

administrative personnel

Public Sector Partners:• Learning Organizations• Professional Organizations• Trade Unions• Special Interest Groups• Content Partners/Providers• Public Service

Organizations

Meet Jack Bauer

See Jacksignupfor

class

See Jacksnarl

atemail

for class

See Jack complete sign-upand gain access to:

• Class materials• Class discussion/forums• Teacher blog• Telework newsfeed• Events/calendar/announcements• Relevant other groups• Relevant other courses• Other class members and instructor

See Jacksmile

atanywhere,

anytimeextendedclassroom

• Free • “Micro-blogging”• Send and read user updates

aka “Tweets”• Text-based• 140 characters or less• Anywhere, anytime via cell or computer

http://newthinking.bearingpoint.com/2008/11/20/govtwit-directory/

• 200+ State and Local

• 170+ Federal Agencies/ Executive Branch

• 90+ The Hill

GovTwit Directory

5 Ways Government is Using Twitter

Crowd-sourcing ideas to improve

Communicating with citizens

Posting links to key information

Reporting incidents, sending alerts

Promoting events, surveys, studies, etc.

5 Ways Government Could Use

1. Recruit candidates for open positions

2. Find job candidate references/recommendations

3. Launch discussions with industry through groups

4. Engage citizens and constituents in conversation

5. Create cross-agency and international connections

What does RSS stand for?

a)Like K.I.S.S., only R.S.S.b)Rhapsodically Syncopated Soundc)Really Simple Syndicationd)None of the above

Q. What’s the difference between a podcast and a vodcast?

A. Podcast = AudioVodcast = Video

Downloadable

Transforming Government

http://www.epa.gov/epahome/podcasts.htm

Step 1: Pick a Platform

Step 2: Create an Account

Step 3: Create Your Call

Step 4: Start/Record Call

Step 5: Edit and Post!

What has your Cell Phone taught you lately?

“Most cell phones today have more computing power

than was available to NASA during the

Apollo space program…”- Wes Ferguson, Author of

Moving at the Speed of Creativity

• Audio Books• Podcast Briefs (i.e. Guide by Cell)• Text Message Tips• Entire Classes????

http://m.epa.gov/

Why/How do you use

?

http://www.youtube.com/user/USEPAgov

Q. What’s the difference between a webcast and a webinar?

A. Webcast = One-Way

Webinar = Interaction

http://delicious.com/akrzmarzick

http://epa.gov/widgets/

What’s the coolest name for an avatar in Second Life?a. Ichabod Issachar

b. Siegfried Lactanoid

c. Zedeka Nadezda

d. Horatio FizelmeisterSecond Life Avatar

Transforming Government

1. Why? Tie to mission, goals, objectives, needs, gaps.

2. How? Decide which tools best meet goals.

3. What? Content is the key to success.

4. Who? Assign owner/contributors; define audience.

5. When? Create a schedule to implement and evaluate.

Blogs

eBooks

Mobile Phones

Podcasts

RSS

Social Bookmarking

Social Virtual Networking

Videos

Virtual Worlds (Second Life)

Web-Based Calling

Webcasts/Webinars

Wikis

http://epa.gov/webgovernance/leadership.html

http://epa.gov/webtraining/

• 3-D• Mobile / Clouds• Aggregation