Legal Research

Government 2.0

Over at TechCrunch there an important editorial posting by guest blogger Tim O'Reilly. As the coiner of the term Web 2.0 (love him or hate him) he's now talking that it is time for Government 2.0. With the Obama administration's loosening up of the rules around 2.0 and government and military websites, we're probably going to see a new era in government(s) on the web. What does Government 2.0 mean?

Gov 2.0: It?s All About The Platform

Editor?s note: The following guest post is by Tim O?Reilly, the founder and CEO of computer book publisher O?Reilly Media and a conference organizer. O?Reilly coined the term Web 2.0 five years ago. Now he is arguing it is time for Gov 2.0, and has helped organize a summit next week to talk about what that might mean.

Today, many people equate Web 2.0 with social media; three or four years ago, they equated it with AJAX applications and APIs. Many are now starting to think it?s all about cloud computing. In fact, it?s all of these and more. The way I have always defined Web 2.0, it?s been about what it means for the internet, rather than the personal computer, to be the dominant computing platform. What are the rules of business and competitive advantage when the network is the platform?

So too with Government 2.0. A lot of people equate the term with government use of social media, either to solicit public participation or to get out its message in new ways. Some people think it means making government more transparent. Some people think it means adding AJAX to government websites, or replacing those websites with government APIs, or building new cloud platforms for shared government services. And yes, it means all those things.

But as with Web 2.0, the real secret of success in Government 2.0 is thinking about government as a platform."

If you're in government or funded by government or deal with government, you'd be well advised to read and discuss the concepts here.

Stephen

Full post as published by Stephen's Lighthouse on September 05, 2009 (boomark / email).