Professional Use of Social Media: Two Different Approaches

Originally posted on GovLoop by Alain Lemay

Professional use of social media in the workplace is arguably one of the last taboo in public sector. Public Sector Organizations (PSOs) more than any other have a need, real or perceived, to control the message. Having dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of employees Tweeting away on behalf of the organization is no one's idea of controlling the message. And yet, the potential for message amplification is very enticing.

Message amplification is, after all, one of the superpowers of social media. No matter how many followers your account might have, it is a nothing compared to the combined networks of your employees. It is this realization that has convinced more and more PSOs to encourage employees to use their personal accounts to become brand ambassadors and help toe the company line.

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Government Agencies Leading the App Economy

Originally posted on Federal Technology Insider

Government Agencies Leading the App Economy, Using Innovation to Drive Economic Growth

On May 9th 2013 President Barack Obama signed an executive order making open data in a machine readable format the new default for government. Now, just a year later millions of Americans are accessing open data through APIs.  Not only are they using data for traditional purposes, such as research, but more and more frequently they are leveraging data as the President hoped they would, to drive innovation and fuel both the app and traditional economy.

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Telework Week Totals More Than 160,000 Participants

 

Originally posted on FCW by Frank Konkel

More than 163,000 people - the vast majority of them federal employees - teleworked at least one day during Mobile Work Exchange's fourth annual Telework Work, easily surpassing last year's then-record participation of 136,000.

For the second straight year, Telework Week, held March 3-7, received an influx of federal teleworkers following a late winter storm, but its continued popularity signals the growing influence of the mobile employee in the federal workplace, according to Mobile Work Exchange Cindy Auten.

As evidence, she referenced Telework Week's first official year, which drew 39,000 pledges, and it's unofficial, more humble beginnings that saw just a few thousand teleworkers in government.

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CDC’S Virtual Events Program Created By the Public Sector, For the Public Sector

Originally posted on NextGov.com by Brittany Ballenstedt,

Declines in budgets across the public health community were just one reason the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began looking at innovative approaches for employees and partners to collaborate online.

With the agency's health informatics partners stretching to state and local public health departments, academics, educational institutions, standards organizations, as well as other countries, CDC in 2009 began examining how it could develop a more cost-effective and efficient way for these key stakeholders to meet, collaborate and advance new ideas.

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GEOINT POSTPONED Due to Language in “Pay Our Military Act”

"We {GEOINT 2013} are one of the few events this year to fill downtown Tampa nearly to capacity. However, new legislation, subsequent legal interpretations, and resultant directives have drastically changed the environment." Keith Masbeck, CEO USGIF

After the October 1 announcement that the GEOINT 2013 Symposium would take place in spite of the government shutdown, USGIF CEO Keith Masbeck announced this week that the symposium will, in fact, be postponed.  Originally scheduled for October 13-16 in Tampa, GEOINT will now be held in the spring of 2014.

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