PROVIDING CUTTING-EDGE KNOWLEDGE TO GOVERNMENT LEADERS The Blogging Revolution: Government in the Age of Web 2.0 IBM Center for The Business of Government The IBM Center for About the IBM Center for The Business of Government Through research stipends and events, the IBM Center for The Business of Government stimulates research and facilitates discussion of new approaches to improving the effectiveness of government at the federal, state, local, and international levels. The Center is one of the ways that IBM seeks to advance knowledge on how to improve public sector effectiveness. The IBM Center focuses on the future of the operation and management of the public sector. The Blogging Revolution: The About IBM Global Business Services With consultants and professional staff in more than 160 countries globally, IBM Global Business Services is the world’s largest consulting services organization. IBM Global Business Services provides clients with business process and industry expertise, a deep understanding of technology solutions that address specific industry issues, and the ability to design, build and run those solutions in a way that delivers bottom-line business David C. Wyld value. For more information visit www.ibm.com. 2.0 Web Age of in the Government Maurin Professor of Management and Director of the Strategic e-Commerce/ e-Government Initiative For additional information, contact: Department of Management Jonathan D. Breul Southeastern Louisiana University Executive Director IBM Center for The Business of Government E-Government Series 1301 K Street, NW Fourth Floor, West Tower Washington, DC 20005 (202) 515-4504, fax: (202) 515-4375 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.businessofgovernment.org Wyld C. David 7995-1 Wyld Report Cover w/Spine-Outside; cover 8-1/2 x 11 in; 1/4 in spine – adjust width to accommodate 100 page report; 2/c PMS 1245, Black; bleeds 4 sides 7995-1_Wyld_Cvr_wSpine.indd 1 5/17/07 4:37:08 PM 2 0 0 7 E-GOVERNmeNT seRies The Blogging Revolution: Government in the Age of Web 2.0 David C. Wyld Maurin Professor of Management and Director of the Strategic e-Commerce/ e-Government Initiative Department of Management Southeastern Louisiana University T A B L E O F C ONT E NT S Foreword ..............................................................................................4 Executive Summary ..............................................................................6 Part I: The Rise of Blogging in the Public Sector ..................................9 Introduction .................................................................................10 Moving Toward Citizen Engagement in a Virtual Age ...............10 You! ..........................................................................................11 Blogging in the Public Sector ........................................................14 Preface .....................................................................................14 Blogging Options for Public Officials .......................................15 Congress Blogs ........................................................................16 The Current State of Blogging in Government ...........................18 Case Study in Organizational Blogging: STRATCOM .....................29 Say ‘Yes, Sir’ to Blogging ...........................................................29 A Guide for Public Sector Bloggers ...............................................31 Overview .................................................................................31 How Do I Blog? ........................................................................33 Lessons Learned from—and in—the Blogosphere .....................33 10 Tips for Blogging by Public Sector Executives ......................38 A Final Thought on Public Sector Blogging ....................................40 Part II: Blogging as a Social Phenomenon ..........................................41 The Rise of User-Generated Media ...............................................42 A Second Generation of the Internet .......................................42 Enter Web 2.0 ...........................................................................43 Social Networking ....................................................................43 Blogging 101..................................................................................49 A Brief History of Blogging .......................................................49 The ‘Next Big Thing’ or an ‘Internet Wasteland’? ......................49 Touring the Blogosphere ..........................................................51 Why Blog? ................................................................................52 Corporate Blogging ........................................................................56 Introduction ..............................................................................56 The Blogging CEO ....................................................................57 Blogging and Internal Communications/Operations ..................59 Monitoring the Blogosphere .....................................................62 Employee Blogging ...................................................................62 Blogging Policy ........................................................................65 Conclusion .....................................................................................66 2 Part III: Future Research on Public Sector Blogging ............................67 Directions for Future Research .....................................................68 Blogging Research Overview ....................................................68 The ROI of Blogging .................................................................68 Blogging Behavior Research .....................................................69 Appendix: Glossary of Terms Used in Blogging and Web 2.0 .............71 References ........................................................................................77 About the Author ...............................................................................90 Key Contact Information ....................................................................91 Please note that the online version of this report contains hot links to each of the websites discussed or listed in the report. Due to the nature of online publishing, links may have changed or become inactive in the time since this text was authored. 3 THE BLOGGING REVOLUTION FOR ew OR D On behalf of the IBM Center for The Business of Government, we are pleased to present this report, “The Blogging Revolution: Government in the Age of Web 2.0,” by David C. Wyld. The revolution of social networks and blogging is finally coming to government. Since the dawn of the 21st century just seven short years ago, how we communicate as a society has begun to change rapidly. Over 60 million individuals maintain a blog—a user-generated online journal updated regularly by the author of the blog. Even more participate in social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Albert Morales and Second Life, which all allow interactivity among their users. Government, however, has been more cautious in entering this new world. This report describes what the author terms “blogoneers,” pio- neers in the use of blogs in government. Dr. Wyld examines the phenomenon of blogging in the context of the larger revolutionary forces at play in the development of the second-generation Internet, where interactivity among users is key. This is also referred to as “Web 2.0.” Wyld observes that blogging is growing as a tool for promoting not only online engagement of citizens and public servants, but also offline engagement. He describes blogging activities by members of Congress, governors, city mayors, and police and fire departments in which they engage directly with the public. He also describes how blogging is used Todd Ramsey within agencies to improve internal communications and speed the flow of information. Based on the experiences of the blogoneers, Wyld develops a set of lessons learned and a checklist of best practices for public manag- ers interested in following in their footsteps. He also examines the broader social phenomenon of online social networks and how they affect not only government but also corporate interactions with citizens and customers. 4 IBM Center for The Business of Government THE BLOGGING REVOLUTION We hope that this report both informs and inspires public managers across government to consider ways of engaging in the new world of Web 2.0 to improve citizen access to public services, as well as to enhance democracy in our society. Albert Morales Todd Ramsey Managing Partner General Manager IBM Center for The Business of Government IBM Global Government Industry [email protected] [email protected] www.businessofgovernment.org 5 THE BLOGGING REVOLUTION EX ecu T I V E S umma R Y There can be no doubt that the Internet has profoundly vehicle that is easier to create and update, typically changed our work, our lives, our entertainment, and by simply typing into a preprogrammed interface. our politics. Now the Internet itself is undergoing From a definitional perspective, a blog refers to an perhaps its most radical change ever, as we are seeing online journal that can be updated regularly, with what many experts have coined the development entries typically displayed in chronological order. of “Web 2.0.” While blogs now encompass not only text but video and audio as well, it is generally accepted