TECHNOLOGY AND THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT
07/30/10 04:42 pm ET
The Obama administration - which prides itself on being the most open White House ever -- has rejected a Freedom of Information Act request for information in a new government website that agencies use to compile ratings of contractor performance. The Defense Department this...>>
07/29/10 03:12 pm ET
Barack Obama is widely regarded as the most tech-savvy president ever. He insisted on keeping his BlackBerry after he took office, and he even uses his laptop to personally do website demos. But he draws the line at Twitter. "I don't tweet on a...>>
07/29/10 10:19 am ET
Some Republicans are disgruntled about a clause in the newly-minted financial reform law that they say allows the Securities and Exchange Commission to sidestep the Freedom of Information Act.>>
07/28/10 11:01 am ET
Irony alert: Web Axe, a blog on web design accessibility, has reviewed the government's new official Section 508 website, which provides information for agencies on meeting federal requirements on ensuring their sites can be used by people with disabilities, and concluded that its not...>>
07/27/10 03:14 pm ET
Americans' satisfaction with online government services is slipping, according to the latest report from the quarterly e-government American Customer Satisfaction Index. Agencies during the second quarter received an aggregate score of 74.7 on a 100-point scale, down slightly from the first quarter's score of 75.1. >>
07/26/10 06:03 pm ET
Want to keep track of what President Obama and Vice President Biden are up to? The White House announced today that their public schedules now will be available online. But you don't have to go to the White House Web site to find out...>>
07/26/10 10:24 am ET
An annual gathering of hackers in New York City last week featured a presentation on how to successfully break into government files using Freedom of Information Act requests. >>
07/26/10 08:45 am ET
Hacking into NASA's official astronaut Twitter account: Apparently it's not rocket science....>>
07/23/10 11:53 am ET
I attended a House Oversight subcommitee hearing yesterday afternoon. As usual, I brought along my laptop, as taking notes and checking email are more easily accomplished using a full keyboard rather than pen and paper and my tiny iPhone screen. >>
07/22/10 06:33 pm ET
What can only be characterized as a bit of a surprise, Canada, the land of good government, is having its own debate over the nation's next census, scheduled for 2011. The debate is over the "intrusive" questions on the long form, which 20 percent of Canadians receive and are required to fill out.>>
07/21/10 08:31 am ET
A reformatted $100 bill that is expected to start circulating in February 2011 will include a ribbon containing images of bells that morph into 100s to thwart counterfeiters, a federal official told lawmakers this week. >>
07/20/10 03:19 pm ET
It's likely you've been on the phone when the voice recognition program just doesn't understand a single word you are saying. Maybe you're Scottish.>>
07/20/10 09:08 am ET
The General Services Administration may add a contract program that would allow agencies to buy from a menu of technology products, marketing services and technical assistance for running contests. An April White House memo required that GSA "as expeditiously as possible" craft a contract vehicle for purchasing such goods. >>
07/19/10 04:28 pm ET
Do individual federal employees really have an impact on Twitter? >>
07/16/10 08:54 am ET
The financial regulatory overhaul that Congress passed this week is missing a major data transparency measure the House wanted, but the legislation still offers some Web-based windows into the financial system that previously were lacking.>>
07/15/10 01:21 pm ET
Do you find yourself speaking in abbreves? Using emoticons in text messages? Or even in work-related emails? Everyday English is incorporating more and more Internet-speak, which is changing the way we communicate, accoring to NPR. >>
07/14/10 04:47 pm ET
A major tech industry group is fighting back against the administration's threats to cancel information technology projects by forming a task force to suggest other options.>>
07/13/10 11:54 am ET
The General Services Administration on Tuesday announced a permanent leader for its Federal Acquisition Service, which has seen a number of shifts in recent months. >>
07/12/10 10:53 am ET
With the national debt well over $13 trillion, it seems a tall order to fix U.S. finances. Think you're smart enough to make those tough decisions? The nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget's new online tool lets users weigh different scenarios for reducing spending and stabilizing debt. >>
07/12/10 10:16 am ET
I have pretty bad luck when it comes to wireless cellphone service. I was covering a conference call last Friday but was out of the office, so I had to call in with my iPhone. >>
07/09/10 12:50 pm ET
With its 2010 decennial count well underway, the Census Bureau already is looking forward to the next challenge: planning for 2020. According to the bureau's head, the next count will incorporate more technology than what currently is being used. >>
07/08/10 05:40 pm ET
One of the key arguments for transparency is that it builds trust, as well as opening your organization to more and maybe better ideas from the public. After just more than a year of President Obama's open government initiative, some top federal executives are finding that out to be true.>>
07/07/10 05:33 pm ET
CBS News ran a story on July 3 about a Transportation Security Administration policy sent to employees informing them that officials there would ban their access to certain Web sites that offered chats and instant messaging, involved criminal activity, extreme violence (including cartoon violence) and gruesome content, and gaming. Also included in that list was anything deemed to be "controversial opinion." Who would decide what was controversial? What would be the criteria?>>
07/06/10 04:29 pm ET
Government websites aren't exactly known for their sleek design or easy-to-use features, and more than a few tech-savvy individuals have picked up on that trend. But as the General Services Administration rolls out significant upgrades to USA.gov, home to all things related to federal services and resources, others also are upping their online game. >>
07/02/10 08:58 am ET
My colleague Bob Brewin notes that President Obama has let up on the government's long held belief that America controls outer space in signing a new national space policy that contemplates relying on non-U.S. satellite navigation for backup and support. >>
07/01/10 08:51 am ET
If you see tweets by federal officials become more bland and policy-focused in the coming days, weeks and months, the explanation lies in this New York Times report on a delegation of tech companies to Syria led by two State Department officials in June....>>
