We live in a time when technology is transforming almost every aspect of our lives, from how we shop and travel, to how we communicate and find entertainment.
But one sector that has been very slow to change is government. Continue…
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Tag: information technology
Residents complain electronic devices close open meetings
From The Marietta Daily Journal: MARIETTA — Elected leaders across Georgia have been using smartphones and iPads for city business, helping them work smarter and more efficiently, they say.
But when they tap out a message to a fellow board member during a meeting, some residents have complained that they feel locked out of a business meeting that is supposed to be open to the public.
Visit The Marietta Daily Journal for more.
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Opinion: Technology pushes the boundaries of Iowa sunshine laws
From The Gazette: Times sure have changed since the first public meeting convened in the Senate Chamber of the Old Capitol in Iowa City.
Many of the dozen or so attendees at the Iowa Public Information Board meeting there on Thursday were messing around with some electronic devices.
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This technology is more than a distraction, it’s pushing at the boundaries of Iowa Open Meeting Law first drafted back in 1978.
Visit The Gazette for more.
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What tech can do for your health and your government
Rock County, Wis., takes streamlined approach to FOIA requests
From Government Technology:
Last year, as word got out about Rep. Paul Ryan running alongside then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the clerk’s office in Ryan’s home county, Rock County, Wis., began fielding a variety of open records requests.
When he was officially named Romney’s running mate in August, an influx of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests funneled into the department, right up until the presidential election.
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Poderopedia Launches Public Beta with Crowdsourced Data Journalism
Federal judge prods FBI over future Internet surveillance plans
From CNET:
A federal judge has rejected the FBI's attempts to withhold information about its efforts to require Internet companies to build in backdoors for government surveillance.
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Google privacy audit leaves lingering questions
From Information Week:
Privacy rights group Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) recently released the “Initial Assessment Report on Google’s Privacy Program,” which is an audit conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), dated June 22, 2012. EPIC obtained the report via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
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Mass. Reading puts all records into online cloud
From The Boston Globe:
As state lawmakers consider creating a municipal record preservation commission to help ensure that essential public records are protected, the sleepy suburb of Reading is emerging as a role model for small towns statewide, replacing stacks of manila folders and dusty filing cabinets with digital software.
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Sarasota puts 2 workers on paid leave amid investigation into possible public records deletion
From Herald-Tribune:
SARASOTA — A director and manager in Sarasota's Information Technology Department have been placed on paid administrative leave amid an investigation into whether city officials deleted public records and accessed secret materials tied to an ongoing federal investigation.
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