Device costs? ... Device costs!

NOTE: This is content from the web re:Brand posts going back to November 2010. We have kept the re:Brand posts as a legacy archive but, on a go forward basis as of October, 2011, the new DATA eh? content takes over this space.


Read an interesting piece on the subway in Metro this morning (Sept 30) via the Associated Press.  All about how "device" bills can really add up when you are away from your local zone (all that roaming has its price).  Got me thinking about tourists coming to Toronto and how some of our plans for apps etc will impact users.  They will have to pay their service provider to access the data.  The article references data usage as the main expense.

... a re:Brand doesn't help with that

NOTE: This is content from the web re:Brand posts going back to November 2010. We have kept the re:Brand posts as a legacy archive but, on a go forward basis as of October, 2011, the new DATA eh? content takes over this space.


We had a coment come into the Comments Wall this morning (Sept 29) that I think is worth bringing forward for more discussion. The comment:

please, please, enter the 21st century and stop seeing web design as a VISUAL DESIGN exercise!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it's about finding and using information in a timely fashion, a re:Brand doesn't help with that. There are way better approaches to this, stop waisting money.

GovLoop throws gov a loop

NOTE: This is content from the web re:Brand posts going back to November 2010. We have kept the re:Brand posts as a legacy archive but, on a go forward basis as of October, 2011, the new DATA eh? content takes over this space.


A great social media tool a lot of government employees are using is GovLoop.  Think facebook for government.  We can do every kind of social engagement from creating a group to creating an event.  Following up on my last blog, GovLoop provides lots of ways for connecting and I've gotten huge amounts of insight from participating.

WIREDcamp

NOTE: This is content from the web re:Brand posts going back to November 2010. We have kept the re:Brand posts as a legacy archive but, on a go forward basis as of October, 2011, the new DATA eh? content takes over this space.

Had a chance to go to an event at the Ontario Showcase this past week (Sept 22) here in Toronto.

It was called WIREDcamp and brought together many of the folks working in the social media milieu in the federal, provincial and municipal level governments.

Now, I haven't use the word "milieu" in a sentence for some time, but there certainly are a whole whack of people who are hoping to see web 2.0 take hold within government.  Many of them shared success stories, action plans and hopes for where things can end up.

One giant (baby) step ... our first post

NOTE: This is content from the web re:Brand posts going back to November 2010. We have kept the re:Brand posts as a legacy archive but, on a go forward basis as of October, 2011, the new DATA eh? content takes over this space.




A City of Toronto blog?
What's this web re:Brand thing?
_____ is to _____

Answering two questions and issuing one challenge today on the web re:Brand blog.

Lots of people, when they find out I work on the City of Toronto web pages, ask why the City has no blogspace. Those who know I am a part of the toronto.ca web rebranding team go even further and say things like: "D'ah, why haven't you started a blog yet?" Or, "I'm really surprised you haven't done a blog." Or, "seriously, why haven't you been blogging?"

So, if I'm hearing all of you right, there is some agreement "out there" ... we should be blogging!

Even more about Blogger, Google, the City of Toronto and privacy

In case you are not aware
Google's Blogger application is an external web publishing service with hosting services in the United States of America.

To use Blogger, we have to agree to specific terms of service.  We do so as staff working with the City of Toronto and this creates a series of inter-locking privacy frameworks that may impact you.

The interlocking privacy framework:

• Read Google's privacy policy and other Google privacy notes. 
  
  
• Read the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act -  MFIPPA.
  
  
• Read the City of Toronto's corporate privacy statement.

When information is collected on the DATA eh? blog it is collected under section 27 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as a record available to the public. Since the authors work for the City of Toronto we have an obligation to remove material that does not meet the terms and conditions posted on this site.

COMMENTING?

Let's get some of the fine print business out of the way...

You need to know:
The blog is moderated and comments are read before being posted. Moderation times are generally Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. but you can make comments at any time. They may not appear until the next business day or after the weekend. That doesn't mean that postings won't happen on the weekends or in the evenings, it just means we don't want to set up a 24/7 immediate expectation around it.

Information when collected is collected under section 27 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as a record available to the public. We may remove material that does not meet the terms and conditions posted on this site.

What's going to get posted:
We are ready and willing to post anything related to our content and discussion points as set out in our posts subject to the exceptions noted in "What's not going to get posted". Please note, we don't care if you criticize, whine or generally complain about data or the toronto.ca website but let's be mannerly in how we go about talking to each other.

What's not going to get posted:
Here is a list of what will prevent us from posting your comments:

information deemed by us to be someone's "private or personal" information, profanity, abusive language, abusive comments, threats, off topic comments, racist comments, sexist comments, comments requesting services or comments about service delivery complaints (unless they relate specifically to a post) and anything even remotely resembling spam. No malicious links, advertising or advertising of services and forget about pornography.

Privacy:

Your privacy is important to the City of Toronto. Really important! By default, Blogger allows users to comment under existing blog accounts. The City of Toronto is not asking for your personal information as a criteria to comment. Should you comment other than anonymous, please be aware that your agreements with Google or others allow users to view profile information you may have authorized in your own account. If you choose to remain private, be so kind as to give yourself a screen-name at the end of your post.

Please don't include phone numbers or house addresses etc. in your comments. We will delete such references (including references to others you might include) before posting. This will mean copying your text into a separate submission box and approving this version of your comment.

Even more on privacy.

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