Craig Thomler's Blog
Guest post: How you can increase traffic to Government websites with Government Press Releases
Cheryl manages eGovernment Research in DIIRD and is a prime operative behind the Victorian eGovernment Resource Centre, which was one of the global top ten nominees for the World e-Democracy Awards 2008, winning a Special Mention, just behind award winners such as mybarackobama.com.
The eGovernment Resource Centre is, in my opinion, the single best resource for egovernment and online channel information in Australia. More...
US President releases first weekly youtube address
One of the promises Barack Obama made in the US was to release his weekly address to the nation via Youtube.
This signaled how serious he was about transparent and open government, and flagged the incoming US government recognition of the power of Youtube's large and growing audience - which publishes almost 10,000 hours of content per day (per Michael Welsch's Anthropological Introduction to Youtube).
Obama's first weekly address is now available online and demonstrates how polished his staff have become in the use of Youtube.
I hope we'll see a similar use in Australia of the KevinPM website, even going further to have the Prime Minister respond in a public questiontime to video questions posed by citizens - just as John Howard used his weekly radio talkback - but accessible to a broader audience. More...
Governments leading and fostering change
It's a great living case study on how a government can engage its citizens online in a constructive way.
eGov AU
eGovernment thoughts and speculations from an Australian perspectiveThe rise of the video republic
This looks at how people - particularly young people - are using online video to express their views, share opinions and shape the world views of their generation.
It's a fascinating watch and read and raises the question, how should government be involved in this discussion?
Regardless of what public sector and political leaders decide, this communications channel is growing in strength and will have significant implications on how countries are governed and managed into the future. More...
Internet a more important information medium than TV, radio or print
The report indicates that, at August 2007, 72 percent of Australians used the internet (increasing to 86% when considering those in full employment), and highlights known divides in usage based on income and residential location, it also provides an interesting view on which media are most important to Australians.
The study found that 68.5 percent of users regarded the internet as an 'important' or 'very important' source of information. More...
Prime Minister joins Twitter
For the unfamiliar, Twitter is a free 'micro-blogging' service which allows users to exchange short updates (up to 140 characters long), termed 'Tweets' in a way similar to SMS.
Unlike SMS, these updates are generally public (although private messages are possible). They are delivered via the internet to either the Twitter website or a separate client to a user's PC or mobile device. Any Twitter user simply clicks a 'follow' button to receive another user's public messages in their Twitter feed (becoming a 'follower'). More...
Teaching public servants to blog
It would also be useful to public servants in understanding and communicating the benefits of blogging (as well as how to become bloggers themselves).
Thanks to Stap isi for referring me to the site.
The campaign includes the website, a booklet (PDF) and a video viewable in two parts as below.
Part 1
Part 2
eGov AU
eGovernment thoughts and speculations from an Australian perspectiveThe 2008 Australian Web Analytics survey is now open
Respondents will receive a copy of the survey results, which should provide insights into how your organisation compares to others in their use and prioritisation of web analytics area.
Some of Bienalto's key findings from the 2007 survey included...
89% of businesses actively measure website performanceMore...
77% of respondents were satisfied with web analytics data 75% of the time or more
Google Analytics was the most popular web analytics tool.
Which comes first, egovernment Web 2.0 services or government cultural change?
One argument goes that government must first undergo cultural change in order to deliver effective Web 2.0 services.
The other is that government will undergo cultural change through releasing Web 2.0 services.
I think there's a little truth in both approaches - a government firmly committed to opacity will not be interested in rolling out interactive, citizen-focused services. They are too threatening to the powers that be.
Whereas a government that is already down the road of transparency will be helped along it by hearing, listening to and responding to the wants and needs of its citizens, as delivered online via Web 2.0 services. More...
Is the future portals or mash-ups?
This means reaching out to embed government content in the websites citizens choose to visit rather than simply attempting to encourage all web users to go to a single central portal for all government-related content.
This approach is described well in the Read Write Web article, E-Government Meets Web 2.0: Goodbye Portals, Hello Web Services, which states, in reference to the online channel that,
Gartner's conclusion is that governments "should make sure that their information, services and applications are accessible through a variety of different channels, some of which are not controlled or directly owned by government."
This is similar to how government agencies already distribute physical publications beyond their own shopfronts - into libraries, More...
Craig Thomler
Online Communications Manager at EGov AU
Joined industry in 2007
Based in Canberra, Australia
Member since 7 Jul 2008
Last login 7 weeks ago
I have worked in the online industry since 1995 in roles including company founder, marketer, webmaster, channel manager, eBusiness director, CIO, COO, CFO and internet visionary.I have also worked as a consumer goods marketer, entrepreneur, technology journalist, author (published), editor, oil company financier, game designer, trainer, share trader, property developer and father (my toughest but most rewarding role).I have travelled in Europe, Asia and North America and lived in the UK and, for short periods, in Singapore, but have always returned to Australia. I have lived in Sydney and Melbourne and am currently Canberra-based.I am now working in the eGovernment area, developing online strategy and communications while managing the website and intranet of the Child Support Agency with the assistance of a fantastic team.In my free time I serve on the board of a public unlisted oil company.I play soccer, have a dog and cat and several children. Do not ask me to sing.
On this page
- Guest post: How you can increase traffic to Government websites with Government Press Releases
- US President releases first weekly youtube address
- Governments leading and fostering change
- The rise of the video republic
- Internet a more important information medium than TV, radio or print
- Prime Minister joins Twitter
- Teaching public servants to blog
- The 2008 Australian Web Analytics survey is now open
- Which comes first, egovernment Web 2.0 services or government cultural change?
- Is the future portals or mash-ups?
- Older
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