Yesterday, the German federal government launched their new YouTube channel, Bundesregierung, and announced that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be answering citizens’ questions via YouTube next month.
Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews. 
The full-featured site makes it possible for young Americans to share their personal experiences, organize local events, and take action. It will serve as a repeat destination for those who are interested in making a difference.
The Government Accountability Office submitted the report, which found that nearly all — 23 of 24 — major federal agencies are now using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The applications of the social media provide information about agency activities and interact with the public. Disappointingly, only seven agencies have identified and documented security risks. Those seven agencies have also taken procedures to prohibit hackers from exploiting those sites to obtain access to federal information systems.
Interestingly, the State Department told investigators they had no immediate plans to measure the agency’s social media security due to the fact that internal policies did not expect it.
Here’s a story about a town government making some interesting decisions gadget-wise and waste-wise: Cornelius, North Carolina.
Town Turns to iPads in Cost-Cutting Move (New York Times)
The town commissioners meeting agenda package is generally about 200 pages pages. Twenty copies of the agenda is made each time one is produced. The town government plans to buy 16 16GB WiFi-only iPads (based on the $500 per unit price noted in the article) to reduce the number of printed agendas for each meeting. The town government expects to recover the cost of the iPad in about 1.5 years.
There’s a bit more to using an iPad than just having the device, of course. Software (apps), Apple Care (extended warranty) and WiFi (or 3G-to-WiFi tethering) network connectivity involve additional costs. Still, it sounds like the town official have thought this through and are on their way to an iPad-ized government.
After adding the free CRT App to their Facebook pages, citizens can report local issues from anywhere they have access to the internet and a computer. To report problems, citizens simply choose the category that best fits their issue, fill out the online form and submit it electronically. Their requests are automatically routed to the correct departments.
The United States government is bringing in a new alert system which uses Twitter and Facebook.
Still confused about Presidant Obama’s Startup America program? Well, Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, has drawn everything out for you on a white board.
As part of the White House White Board series, Goolsbee explains how the public-private initiative is trying to get entrepreneurs over the “valley of death.” He actually presents a fair overview of how it’s all theoretically supposed to work: Entrepreneurs need capital, less red tape, mentorship, and low taxes.
He goes on to say that “Americans understand the business model of a kid in a garage who creates the giant company. We invented it! We’ve done it before, we’re doing it now, and with Startup America we’re gonna do it better than ever!”
You said it Michael Scott! Er… I mean Chairman Goolsbee.
In a bid to encourage U.S. entrepreneurs, the White House launched the Startup America Partnership, a non-profit campaign to encourage the development of new businesses.
With backing from Facebook, IBM, Intel; and leadership from AOL founder Steve Case, Startup America, the campaign pledged to provide $2 billion in matching funds from the Small Business Administration to select startup companies.
In partnership with Colorado-based startup incubator TechStars, the campaign also intends to expand the TechStars mentorship model to nurture 6,000 new entrepreneurs around the country; and encourage large businesses to invest in smaller ones. IBM has pledged to invest $150 million in new entrepreneurs, and Intel has pledged $200 million, according to U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra.
Other partners include Facebook, which intends to host startup events around the country, HP, and Google.
Startup America will be funded in part by Case’s Case Foundation and the entrepreneurship-focused Kauffmann Foundation.
The federal government approved a project to make a large and extensive database for consumer complaints. Bad publicity gives online retailers more SEO juice, Wikileaks show us how much people can care and slow moving regulators try to open up the consumer safety world. Will the government force us to be more social?
Been poked by a Fed lately? Not the usual question on a Twitter feed or Facebook wall…until today. Newly released documents show that Big Brother really does exist and, hey, social networker, he’s looking at you.
