Are these

a gateway drug to one of these?

I just got another email from Obama. It's interesting that people aren't following his moves using online communication tools more closely (short of some articles about his campaign). The fact that he's smoothly converted the campaign's online prowess to that of the US's is remarkable, but oh so quiet. I bet I'm just not looking hard enough, but I think there's a need to take notice that this is the first time the government has really gone online with web 2.0 and social. Hell, even email blasts which are oh so old-skool in internet time are a staple of both parties and very effective communications. How about a read only, opt-in listserv to the whole country from the white house, congress, and senate? Cspan should run it. The current use of technology - and all other attempts at it by gov - is all very militaryesque. In a project management class I took the example of how not to run a project was an article about the catastrophic failure of an FBI software design and rollout plan. Never has government and technology=smooth, but it's getting better. The DMV 'pay your fine' web page, city water bill web page, etc. seem to be the painfully extruded result of months of government board meetings, extended deadlines, and failed planning. But then again, the good 'ol US of A did give us the Internet. Lets see what Obama CAN DO to bring the social front end to it!!

I've heard about Congress going on youtube and didn't think much of it, but when Louis Black on the Daily Show did this mashup comparing the generational ability gap when it comes to video editing, I had to share it.

He also demonstrates something not many corporate decision makers understand about 'playing' with YouTube and other 'free' social networking Web 2.0 toys: that you don't always control the commentary surrounding your content contributions. (At the end of the clip he points out that a congressman's video had a comment proclaiming his looking like the manager of an *hole store. What's your brand-trashing nightmare and how can you control something you don't control?)