Friday, November 14, 2008
Launching a Wiki Government
Two new sites let you propose ideas for President Obama
By David Talbot
If Wikipedia basically works--why not use distributed Web contributors to decide how to run the free world, too? That's the premise behind a pair of new websites inviting people to make policy proposals for President-Elect Obama and then vote on them. The first of these,The Whitehouse 2 was launched a few days ago by Jim Gilliam. The idea is that if enough people get involved in supporting causes--like "encourage school districts to offer Latin to college-bound" students--Washington can't ignore it.
The second, Obama CTO, tees off on one of the planks in Obama's technology platform: creating the position of a national Chief Technology Officer. The new site, from the founders of FrontSeat, a platform for civic participation, invites people to suggest top priorities for the job. "We are always looking for ways to enhance civic life, and we think this type of user voting is a great way for citizens to get in there and influence government," Matt Lerner, Front Seat's chief technology officer, told me today. "We really do hope that this helps the CTO with his to-do list."
Of course, skeptics might say that Web-based solicitations for technology
ideas will wind up emphasizing Web-centric issues, like repealing digital
copyright protections, over arguably more important ones, like building a
better electric grid for renewable power. They might say that appeals for
policy ideas on any subject might just produce more votes for legalizing
marijuana than, say, for stopping torture. Well, guess what: that's just what's
happening. But if you don't vote--as often as possible--you can't complain.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Comments
There's the little things like firewalls and routers on their networks coming with the stuff as standard, but in some cases it is a conscious choice to pick packages which are successful in the Web 2.0 world.
For the CIA there's Intellipedia where - at varying security levels - knowledge is shared on a whole raft of things.
For the State Department, there's Diplopedia. This features content such as biographies on staff in foreign embassies and the like.
The FBI is only just getting started with the aim of older experienced officers sharing their knowledge with new recruits.
Guess what? All three projects use MediaWiki - the software which drives Wikipedia.
brianmc
11/14/2008
Posts:1
ryuuguu
11/14/2008
Posts:15
Personally, I run GovLoop.com, a social network of over 2,500 gov't innovators who connect and share ideas on improving gov't from the inside.
Can't wait to see how this all develops.
sressler
11/16/2008
Posts:1
Given the natural will for people to have a say in how thier world is run. Govwikis seem to be a logical direction of self governance.
Since millions of people are already willingly recording their daily activities and thoughts.
These are truly exciting times and the days of our currently corporate and greed run society can be lead toward a direction of compassion!
A Wiki run govmt is a great way to manifest the ideas and ideals of millions of good hearted and intelligent human beings! WHile at the same time infuencing the misguided and somewhat hateful too adapt a spirit of openess that will lead to the solution of most of the major problems humanity is now facing!
I am not a religious person and I believe everyone has the god given right too their own moral belief's. But In my search for information regarding the possibility of humanity learning to co exist peacefully. I have found that a book titled {How to Expand Love} contains the least bias toward any one religion. ANd also provides proven methods of meditation to assis us in overcoming our closedminded beliefs and accept that all humanbeings want to avoid pain.
Strangedays2...
11/17/2008
Posts:2
I think anyone that is worried about our current financial crisis should read the contents of this website.
It may just save the masses of people in the world that are on the brink of losing all of their belongings.
And it is proof that we can live together as human beings without poverty and hate!
Do we want the transition from our current labor based economy to the future robotic economy to be worse than the Great Depression? It doesn't have to be!!!!!
It is inevitable that robots will soon be replacing most of our jobs... Do we want to prepare ourselves for this INEVITABLE transition? or let it cause destruction and death?
Because the financial crisis we are experiencing right NOW is only the tip of the Iceberg!
On the link above is an essay about the above mentioned problems. Written by the guy that created ------- HowStuffworks.com
He says it way better than I could.
Strangedays2...
11/17/2008
Posts:2