What is Gov20LA all about anyways? Gov20LA is the name for the upcoming Government 2.0 Camp, Los Angeles, CA. February 5-7, 2010.

The Official Website is http://www.gov20la.org

Attendance is free for individuals – Sponsors will be covering.

The tagline for this camp is “This Year We Talked, Next Year We Act.” There are lots of critics out there who have asked what this means?

Very simply put – There are many great ideas floating around the Government 2.0 scene. There are some companies who are the clear innovators, while there are many others still in the “scratching their head” phase and trying to comprehend this massive societal change. There are already some great examples of leadership from individual companies as well as Government agencies. But we are in the infantile stage of this, and the growth and scale has not yet hit.

How is this a massive societal change? I mean, are we not just talking about some technology and new uses thereof? Of course the answer to this question is both far more intricate and broad than the question itself.

In reality, Government 2.0 is not just a definition, nor a platform, nor just new technology. In order for these changes to be widely accepted and integrated; those of us driving the Government 2.0 space need to look at culture change within Government and the Contracting Process. We need to be looking at the critical role being played by the Government workers in bringing changes to their agencies. And we need to examine the multi-lateral efforts throughout society to force these changes.

Gov20LA is about bridging all the tremendous excitement that we have all seen this year in the Government 2.0 Space, in the E-Government space and the Participatory Politics Space…into the next phase of practical action. We are looking to build off the tremendous success of the Government 2.0 Camp in Washington, DC in March, and of the Government 2.0 Expo and Summit as well as other related conferences and meetings in 2009.

To this end we have invited a broad cross section of technologists, entrepreneurs, government workers as well as people involved in the marketing of Hollywood such as Film and TV writers and producers. We are looking to find common language and themes to help force this bridging between the old and the new, between closed ways of doing business in Government and open ways.

At the Open Government and Innovations Conference this year, there was a compelling “group understanding”. The old ways of doing business for the Government is changing rapidly. The young are in the position, perhaps for the first time, of mentoring and training their elders. We are seeing a literal ground shift, it is already happening.

So with Gov20LA, we are looking for your participation, your ideas, and your insights into taking the Government 2.0 space to the next level and getting a broader buy-in across Government and society as a whole.

Join us! Continue driving the #Gov20 Revolution!

http://www.gov20la.org – Sign in with Facebook, Twitter, Open Id’s -

Tags used on Twitter, Facebook and Google:

#gov20

#gov20la

#gov20campla

Alan W. Silberberg

CEO, You2Gov

http://www.you2gov.org

NextGenWeb Interviews You2Gov Founder Alan Silberberg

Video Interview conducted with Alan W. Silberberg, Co-Founder and CEO of You2Gov by NextGenWeb’s Shana Glickfield. @dcconcierge on Twitter.

Thanks Shana.

You2Gov CEO Alan W. Silberberg was interviewed on Federal News Radio today, in Washington, DC. Below is the blog post written by Dorothy Ramienski as well as the original link to the Federal News Radio website, as well as the audio links.

Thanks to Chris Dorobek and everyone at Federal News Radio who made this possible.

http://twurl.nl/h15wwy

Alan Silberberg
Click to hear the interview
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Lloyd Howell
Click to hear the interview
Download mp3	<!––>

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Hate is a very strong word. One of the strongest in the English language given the consequences of this word. People kill others out of hate. People disparage others because of hate. People misunderstand each other because of hate. Hate leads only to problems.

Hate is something most often taught by parents or society. I do not believe that babies are born to hate. It is a societal paradigm that only occurs through actions and words of others.

Whether you are Judge Sotomayor, now dealing with being called a “racist” amongst other things; or you are concerned over the brutal killing of Dr. Tiller; or you have kids who come home from school asking you questions about hateful words used in their school by some student: It is time for all of us to take responsibility for our words and our actions.

One way for all of us to take responsibility for hate is quite simple. Do not repeat hateful words, emails, and more importantly stop those you know who are spreading such things.

But another way to take responsibility for hate is to actively encourage non hateful, and even helpful behaviors.

So here is my list of things to do if you want to take responsibility for hate, and work to try to prevent the spread of hatred in the US.

1. Talk to each other as if you are sitting at a table having a cup of coffee.

2. Do not be quick to anger if someone says something you disagree with. Respect their opinion, but if you get angry it just makes the situation far worse.

3. Think before acting. This might seem so obvious, but in today’s recession driven angst, combined with the rapid speed of society; this seems to be something not so obvious.

4. Make some effort to understand other people through non-violent dialog.

If you feel none of these basic concepts work for you, or someone you know who is filled with hate, then consider turning that hatred around into a positive force, and help someone.

With that in mind – here is a list of non-profits that have low overhead, need volunteers and support, and provide critical societal support functions.

A. American Friends Service Committee -http://www.afsc.org

B. Red Cross – http://www.redcross.org

C. Human Service Charities of America – http://www.hsca.org

D. Adopt America Network – http://www.adoptamericanetwork.org

E. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – http://www.afsp.org

So do yourself and the rest of us a favor. Stop hating. Stop associating with people who do hate. Take active responsibility for your words, actions and those of your friends, family and acquaintances. If you see hateful actions, do not repeat them. If you get hateful emails, do not forward them on.

Common Sense and Caring people will beat hate, hands down.

This past week I had the opportunity to be amongst the leading thinkers in the Government 2.0 space at the Gov2.0 camp in Washington, DC. It was exhilarating to be amongst so many critical thought drivers and educators.

What did I come away with beside a deep satisfaction that all of the work that You2Gov has put into creating one of the first Open Government websites with the most cutting edge Government 2.0 tools being utilized is worth it?

The symbiotic balance required for the proper utilization of these tools and broad acceptance and implementation is a little like a marriage. The private sector is innovating ahead of the Government’s ability to handle such rapid change. The government sector is hungry to accept these new tools and begin the process of creating an Open Government Framework for both cleared (secure) communications and public (non secure) communications.

But these two very important aspects miss the other part of the Open Government triangle. The empowered Citizen who takes it upon themselves to both create and make use of tools to hold our Government accountable is now the Citizen 2.0. (Andrea Baker and Adriel Hampton have both written about Citizen 2.0 previously) But the proper discussion needs to revolve around the interplay between all three parts of this triangle. The People, Government, Industry.

We are looking at historic breakthroughs totally changing how we all communicate with our Government, and how our Government communicates with us. Yes, it is our Government. Lots of people seem to forget those memorable words of the U.S. Constitution: “Power to the People, by the People and For the People.” These are not some quaint old English usage of loose terms. The Founding Fathers were being explicitly specific in the choice, placement and use of these words. It is not for want, that Thomas Jefferson penned these words. They are based on a rational fear of imperial leadership, and a grounding that Democracy flows and happens when all participate.

So while all the big Government Contractors are trying to wrap their heads around what to sell next to Government; and while Government is struggling with how to define, capture and maximize these new technologies, the Citizen 2.0 is faced with a choice. One that is relatively new to our Oligarchic Democracy. This choice revolves around this concept: Does the Citizen 2.0 take an active role in our Democracy by using these playing field flattening tools, or does the Citizen 2.0 sit back and continue to watch, letting things happen in our Government that we would never allow to happen in our own households?

Alan W. Silberberg, CEO, You2Gov

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/What-Tami-Said/2009/03/22/The-Best-of-What-Tami-Said

Alan Silberberg has been invited to join a discussion on the problems with the Economy from the perspective of non financial people.

Feel free to join in the discussion online or by calling 646-716-4676 during the show.

The recorded show will remain on Blog Talk Radio at:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/What-Tami-Said/2009/03/22/The-Best-of-What-Tami-Said

http://www.you2gov.com

You2Gov CEO, Alan W. Silberberg will be a guest on the newly launched Gov20 Radio show on Blog Talk Radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Gov20
http://www.you2gov.com

Taking Gov 2.0 Live & Worldwide

March 15, 2009 by adrielhampton:

“Coming to BlogTalkRadio Monday night at 8 p.m. Pacific/11 Eastern:

GovLoop founder Steve Ressler and I talking Gov 2.0.

On this demo show, we’ll discuss the upcoming Gov 2.0 Camp “unconference” in DC, and my “Citizen 2.0” training kick-off in Dublin, CA. The regular live show tentatively will air weekly on Sundays, 2 p.m. Pacific/5 Eastern.

Scheduled guests include social media consultant Maxine Teller from the unconference, calling in from South by Southwest in Austin (we also hope to get uber-geek Andrea Baker, if she can pull herself away from SXSW), and Alan W. Silberberg, founder of You2Gov, talking about tools for citizen-led politics.

In the last 10 minutes or so of the 30-minute live show, we’ll be taking calls at (347) 539-5704

Hope you’ll join us!”

Below is the transcript from the Interview with Alan W. Silberberg conducted by Gennefer Snowfield:

Interview was posted 3/13/09

http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/you2gov-empowering-causes-through-politi.php

You2Gov: Politics With a Purpose

Most cause marketing discussions center around marketing the company, product, or service that has partnered with a non-profit organization. Few focus on nonprofits marketing themselves as a means to gain awareness for their cause. And fewer still, discuss how causes can rally support from a government standpoint.

But, for many nonprofits, this is a critical element to keep their organizations running and generate the aid they need to affect change. You2Gov.org, a platform designed to connect users with Elected Officials and political representatives under the rubric of open government, has created social software that allows groups to tap into community affiliations with a fully automated system for managing fundraising, marketing, and operational activities. Their goal is to offer users a front end forum for bringing political, social, and environmental issues to light and back end management tools for transforming that exposure into organized tasks for making a difference. And with the ability to track your progress against a set of clearly defined objectives, that impact is measurable — and repeatable.

I spoke with Alan W. Silberberg, Co-Founder and CEO,  to learn more about his vision, and while political power may never fully be in the hands of the people, You2Gov appoints everyone a delegate of their own destiny, and levels the playing field to bring Capitol Hill down to the community level.

You2Gov is focused on empowering the people to affect political decisions. What tools and services do you offer to achieve that?

We designed a custom database containing all the State and Federal Elected Officials that allows the citizen user to take control of their civic life, much like they would take control of their online banking or online identity with easy desktop access. This database of over 9,400 Elected Officials is inside a social network engine that allows group formation, bulletin boards, email, complete social integration of group needs, and tools to provide best use social media practices. Cutting Edge News and current Government Reports allow users to become informed citizens while contacting their elected officials.

Since building the proprietary tools of the “Contact Your Representative” engine, we have created an additional software platform that integrates all the advocacy connectivity of the website with a Social Networking Constituent Relations Management suite (SNCRM). This is being marketed to groups, companies, and trade associations that have current and future advocacy needs, through which our cutting edge Open Government tools provide a solution.

What was the impetus behind the creation of You2Gov?

Ralph J. Shapira, the Chairman, was very unhappy with the possibility of Super Delegates deciding the outcome of the Democratic side of the 2008 Presidential Election. This led to a basic question being asked: How do average people get in touch with their Elected Officials, if at all? So, it became part of a larger mission to create the tools to facilitate Open Government, and create a transparent communications process available to anyone. Since then, we have built on that original vision by creating a tool kit that can help transform groups, transform cause marketing and provide cutting edge social media tools.

What has been the response so far? What political changes have you been able to affect to date?

There have been tens of thousands of visitors to You2Gov. There is a continuing list of blog, news articles and other mentions in the media and blogosphere. The company is currently engaged in educating the Legislatures and Congress, as well as the State Houses and White House. For a long time, many people did not necessarily have the means to connect themselves with their Elected Officials. This, in fact, is still hard for many people to grasp. We don’t reveal the messages sent to Elected Officials by users as they are kept strictly private, but the response has been terrific. People report to us they get response letters from the Elected Officials, and it has opened many eyes as to how online advocacy has adapted to the social media age.

Tell us more about your Direct Democracy 3.0 software, and how that helps benefit nonprofits and organizations seeking to spark social change.

Direct Democracy 3.0 is a custom, hybrid social media platform that incorporates our front end “Contact Your Representative” engine and the Government 2.0 tools that make up the Open Government part of the offering, along with a unique Social Networking Constituent Management (SNCRM) system. This SNCRM allows for complete campaign management, including advertising online, fundraising, event management and newsletters, groups, bulletin boards, full reporting, and even Political Campaign Management.

What benefits and resources do they receive by implementing the software?

The major benefits are: complete social media advocacy software that brings together two powerful technologies into one. With this tool set, a group can simultaneously advocate, fundraise, articulate and market its message, motivate its current members/users (retention) and use the social media tools and feeds to create a unique branded environment. Creation of new members/users through a turnkey publishing platform/social media network is made easier and seamless.

How do you tie causes into the service and help consumers gain government support for those causes?

We created a tool set that takes cause marketing to a whole new level. Through the service, groups can contact officials; request funds for a cause; social network the cause; and run all the advertising, marketing, fundraising, newsletters, and other communications all in one place.

What causes have been the most popular with users?

The Wall Street Bailout was huge in the fall, and lately a lot of searches have centered around Obama, the Stimulus and the economy in general. That seems to be where most searches are occurring. But we also see a lot of interest in “social” political issues, environment, and healthcare.

How do you measure the impact on those causes and communicate it back to customers?

Our tools allow complete measurement of the impact through multilayer reporting and tool utilization. It is up to each group to decide how best to utilize the SNCRM to create the custom environment that is suited to each group’s mission. Each software suite has a complete back-end control room that allows for full reporting, and breakdown of information in clear and actionable ways.

How has the political sector responded at the local, state, and national levels?

Many of our beta testers were Government leaders, officials, and politicians. The result so far has been tremendously positive, with much excitement about the Open Government possibilities our website and software open up on both sides of the equation. Open Government advocates and leaders are excited about our offering, and it has been described as disruptive technology.

Where are you seeing the greatest action being taken?

The Bailout, the Stimulus, and the economic situation have refocused America’s priorities. Now is the time to both learn from past mistakes, while also creating new realities that can offer an improvement. As more groups adopt the You2Gov platform, it will engender a growth in online advocacy and transparent oversight of Government at the State and Federal levels. The tools are there. The desire for change is there. Inertia is turning in the Open Government direction. So the greatest action will ultimately be lots of smaller groups that are using social media tools to become highly organized and effective in creating their own reality.

What social and environmental issues are at the forefront?

Clearly, economic concerns are at the forefront at the moment. But we are also seeing ever increasing warnings about environmental issues. And the fact that the Pentagon, the EU and China all agree on this issue, reinforces its significance. America may have gone through a political change in the past few months, but societal concerns are still deeply prevalent. We are also seeing growing issues around clean water.

How do you define the concept of online advocacy? How do you think that relates to, and can help advance, cause marketing?

Online advocacy takes many forms. It involves organizing, and causing to action, through new forms of group management and empowerment. We targeted the civic/political arena because it is something so clearly in need of transparent tools to facilitate communications.

But online advocacy begins with having the tools available to transform your group into the best advocate for your issue so that they can get exposure and aid for their cause. I think cause marketing and online advocacy are almost one and the same now. They have to be integrated together in a thoughtful way that delivers more power and strength to both the group and the message. Cause marketing evolves with the tools that emerge to provide new avenues for voices to be heard. Awareness is critical in cause marketing and social media tools help shine a light on important issues.

Where do you see the greatest opportunities for political action and causes to merge?

When using the power of groups to affect both political and societal change at the speed of the Internet. When this becomes an efficient process, it will transform how Governments are forced to deal with the Shareholders (Us) and how ideas of transparency and Open Government get put into practice. Right now, there is still a partial silo mentality – many Governments don’t want to embrace real transparent and Open Management. So when groups using the tools that You2Gov has created become proficient in them, it will gain momentum and bring rapid change.

What do you see as the biggest obstacle in this process, and what is You2Gov doing to overcome it?

We are both educating companies and groups on the benefits that accrue from using cutting edge social media tools like You2Gov, while simultaneously demonstrating an economics theorem of “Opportunity Cost.” If your company does not dive into the social networking space, the costs of not doing so far outweigh the risks of jumping in.

How would you recommend that companies, consumers, and nonprofits work together in using the You2Gov platform to make a measurable difference?

The more that people realize Government does not want us to be in control, the more likely we will all want more control. As more and more groups get into using online advocacy platforms, and more of us start contacting our Government officials regularly, then we will begin to see real change. The tools are there. We created them. Now it is up to the groups themselves to take greater control of their cause(s). So, the more groups that start organizing politically around their issue, the more likely they will be able to influence awareness and change.
The wheels of change go round and round…

The thing about change is that it requires ongoing action, which is why cause marketing works best when it’s part of a fully integrated corporate mission, where all company activities are continually moving it forward. You2Gov’s platform closes the loop on that process by giving groups the tools to keep the tides of change turning, making cause partnerships that much stronger, and generating the awareness needed to fuel all cause-related efforts. That awareness helps attract for-profits to the cause, rallies support for the issue among consumers, corporate and political constituents, and creates visibility to drive aid, action, and change. The power of the human spirit is strong — especially when the technology matches the passion put behind it.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/flavia/What_You2Gov_means_to_You_and_the_Gov.html

Monday, March 9, 2009

What You2Gov means to You and the Gov

I was going to let you guys know about this great group, You2Gov, and then realized, one of its founders was a Facebook friend (and one in real life too). So I figured he would do a better job — Alan Silberberg, take it away!

When I started You2Gov with the co-founder last April, America was still getting over the possibility that “Super Delegates” might decide the Democratic side of the race. This was the catalyst for the original creation of the site. The idea that a “chosen few” would decide such a momentous thing was just too much. It went against everything we have been taught about our democratic process.

But when we started to think about what kind of Country the Founding Fathers had envisioned, it became clear that there was a much larger question: How do normal, everyday people communicate in a real way with their Elected Officials? To many of us this seems like an abstraction. Most Americans have never met any of their politicians. Some have seen them in a crowded room with lots of other people. But how many of us can honestly state that we communicate with our leaders, and that they hear us and respond?

By analyzing over a thousand websites, it became clear that in order for people to take more control of their civic lives through online advocacy, tools were needed to make that as easy as online banking, online dating or using Craigslist to sell something. I felt that by building a social network like Facebook, but devoted to the political process and civic life; more people would find themselves enabled to take control over their civic lives, maybe for the first time in their life.

When the Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia all those years ago at Independence Hall, all sides were heard from. There was honest debate, interaction. What came out of that hot July Summer were the universal frameworks for Constitutions and Declarations of Independence since copied worldwide. What has happened since? The U.S. Political System has become more and more closed off to the regular folks, the families, the taxpayers who foot the ever increasing bills. If you are a big donor – skip this sentence. But to the majority of Americans, our Government seems more and more distant.

Not anymore. Technology allows us to bring our political system back to a place where the power flows from the people, to the people, by the people as was intended. By using cutting edge social networking tools, You2Gov is now able to offer secure communications in a spam-free environment with your elected officials at the State, and Federal levels, including State House, Governors, State Constitutional Officers, Congress, The Senate and White House. Technology also allows us to bring together Legislative Tracking, C ongressional Committee Reports, other Government documents all in the same place as our Contact Your Representative custom made engine.

What has happened over the past few months? We have witnessed a massive upheaval in our Banking, Political and Business systems throughout the Country. How much of this happened because the People were not actively involved in the oversight process, thus allowing these massive failures under our collective noses. Don’t let your Government run things without your knowledge. After all, we are all shareholders of the United States. Register for free on You2Gov and become a self-empowered citizen. Let your Government hear from you. Often.

http://www.you2gov.com

The other night I was having a mini conversation on Twitter with an analyst from Forrester Research. He was asking about what social media technology could be best used to help find people jobs. Creation of jobs cannot rest solely with the Government, nor can people wait for “Stimulus” money, no matter how much may be coming down the pipeline. We need to collectively come together as a society for the betterment of our Country. So those with jobs need to proactively help those without, it is a matter of the highest need, plus has positive karma effects too. Not to mention it only strengthens your own networking.

I suggested that people who have jobs to fill; put them out in Twitter using this #rtjobs- a name suggested by a Venture Capitalist also using Twitter, which is called a “hashtag” which enables it to become a stand alone subject within Twitter search functions. Now this may sound boring to the un-initiated, but it is a powerful device like Google.

We did this to help people in these trying times. Within hours, @technosailor had created this website to track all the Twitter users using the #rtjobs hashtag.

What started as a mini-conversation about how those of us who can help others – turned into a “movement” in less than 24 hours. Really.

Below I am going to give you directions on how best to use the #rtjobs hashtag for Twitter if you have a job to Fill and you use Twitter.

But before I do that – stop and think about what you just read above. Think about your own cause. Your own ” movement.” How can sites like You2Gov, which is a powerful user based online advocacy website that integrates group functions, sharing, “traditional” social media fare combined with online lobbying, bill tracking, and deep Federal resources to help you utilize these social media tools in getting the most reciprocity from your customers, constituents. What can other tools do for your cause? How are you going to supercharge your cause this year?

Directions for #RTJOBS:
http://is.gd/iDEK