OpenGov - Open Government Brainstorm Ideas

The government should create a standard front-end to allow citizens to see federal government web site usage data. Putting this data online would provide more transparency on public spending. For example, popular websites would likely be more deserving of continued support, whereas unused websites might be properly targeted to cut funds. A good interface to this data might also help citizens find interesting or useful... more »

Open government requires transformation – it must happen. However, the nature of government is to resist transformation. Therefore, the irresistible force of transformation WILL meet the immovable object of bureaucracy and resistance. If this collision is not anticipated and proactively addressed, the benefits of Open Government will be delayed, taxpayer money will be wasted, and high-profile failures will be used... more »

Summary
Technology advancements like social computing and cloud computing are at the very center of making the goals of a transparent, participatory and collaborative government a reality. In this environment where government transparency is in increasing demand, many government agencies publish raw data for download from their web sites. This is essential but not enough. Making that data easily accessible and queriable... more »

The goal of having the most popular ideas bubble up to the surface for discussion in the next phase is a good one, but ideas that generate a huge amount of voting could sink to the bottom the way the votes are logged now. If half a million people like an idea and half a million don't then it will show up with zero votes on the balance. Personally I'd like to see the total number of votes displayed too so these ideas... more »

Similar to the UK and other countries, the President should engage in a weekly question and answer period with the House of Representatives. The event should be televised on CSpan.

 

More details at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister%27s_Questions

Who decided that this website was a proper exercise of Obama's memo? It isn't.

Like it or not, demanding accountability from government is a proper use of a public forum. The fault lies with NAPA, not those who demand the birth certificate. (I am not one of those)

The most minimal effort in design of this website could have saved it. There was no genuine support for the idea behind Obama's memo.

The discussion... more »

The OSTP Blog demands full names on the internet. This is a known security risk, and an improper request.

The public is not sitting behind federal security guards. Politics is a volatile issue, it is simply unwise to put a genuine name out there.

Yes, we could lie, but it weakens our credibility to demand open and honest government when we are compelled to begin with a lie. That is a setup. It isn't an accidental... more »

Rather than permitting discussion of what was presented in stage one, limit the conversation in stage two.

Obama offer three concepts. Transparency, participation, collaboration.

There is no proper foundation for ignoring the dominant issues presented by the people.

Do not permit them to sabotage this process. It is our government. Continue to notify the White house that we await a truly open discussion, and an... more »

Failure to provide a clear link to discussion from brainstorming.

 

This is a no-brainer. Hide the discussion, perhaps the public won't find it.

Describe analysis that fails to capture the meaning of brainstorming, that washes it of all true conflict, praise it, and close comments.

 

This is just disgusting. There is very little pretense that this is an open process.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on developers, and watch that discussion.

 

There is a screened data dump available for analysis.

 

Screening is a field listing whether your idea is on-topic. This is not a public field.

 

Read further, and you'll see that they do not want anyone to have a full dataset.

Google groups.

 

Anyone can join, anyone can post.

 

Name: Open Government Uncensored

What would you say?

 

It is difficult to resist the seduction of sending a flaming email to the president.

 

Really, really, difficult.

Memo dated today, from Robynn Sturm, invites the public:

Non-profits
Companies
Journalists
Teachers
Mothers
Interested Citizens -----***IN THAT ORDER***-----

...to weigh in again. Doesn't say where, limits it to 3 ideas, apparently on how our government can explain to us how it controls our lives, for what purposes, how much it costs, etc., so on and so forth--the whole transparency sham.

Obama,

You need... more »

They have that vote up thing going on. So, here's how it works.

 

If it is popular speech, it will rise to the top like cream.

 

If it is unpopular speech, it will sink to the bottom like the disenfranchised behind it.

 

LOL

 

This is Open Government and Free Speech in the Good Ol' USA.

 

On a government site no less.