Using Web 2.0 to Improve Communication in Your Town
1. Using Web 2.0 to Improve Communication in Your Town Craig Tunks
2. Website Development Redesigned in 2008 Survey of Town Meetings with Departments Ease of Use No Webmaster – Departments maintain the site Provide Access to Information including Web 2.0 networking tools Communication
21. What we learned about e-mail Try to reduce SPAM Craig “at” monroect.org Make sure staff reply in a timely fashion Develop a retention policy and make the public aware of it Work with your IT Department to ensure the back-ups are done and being retained by policy
22. Highlight: Monroe On the Record TV News Show Partnership between the high school video students & teachers and the First Selectman Filmed at Charter Communications’ Channel 21 Offices Communication: Information
23. What we learned about video We host our own website to ensure control of content Stream video from a commercial site to save bandwidth. Check with your IT Department. YouTube Files need to be uploaded in 10 minute segments and then connected to create one video Turn off comments and feedback functions because we are not monitoring this site for responses
25. Departments Maintain their Sites Planning & Zoning Tax Collector Taxes Owed/Paid First Selectman Presentations News & Calendars Parks & Recreation Events/Information Registration Registrar of Voters Voter Registration Status Board of Education Web editor that looks like Microsoft Word Department Leaders
32. Highlight: Distribution of Meeting recordings Started with our Planning & Zoning Department Still developing the implementation Intent to allow the download of the sound files to computers to be played using a local media player Not streamed from our website Other departments and Town Council are interested in this model Communication: Access
39. Blogs Blog is to present information We do not allow responses or conversations Responses are sent to an email address and questions and answers are posted on the blog Control the space Limit statements made in public areas Blogs What we learned Communication: Information
40. Blogs Public Blogs Newspaper Special Interest Groups Commercial Extra care needs to be taken to ensure a clear presentation of facts and information Avoid opinion and emotion Excellent communication tool when managed correctly Similar to the beginnings of email
41. Twitter Easy to use Quick news blasts Meeting updates Project updates Special events Collects information about your interested parties by viewing who is following you. Put follow us links on your web page Twitter What we learned Communication: Information
42. ListServ Largest users right now Schools Library Parks & Recreation Great tool for distributing documents and fliers Only select people can send to the listserv We do not archive Make the sign-up process simple Attached the website Make sure people can leave the list easily ListServ What we learned Communication: Information
43. Surveys We use an in-house system for control and training Departments create their own surveys Wide range of uses Website development Road Maintenance complaints Work order follow-ups Many free services are now available Survey Monkey Online Surveys What we learned Communication: Two way communication
45. Up and Coming Tools N-Ing Site Develop online community Wiki Allow document sharing Conversation Change tracking Linked-In Professional groups Community members Facebook MySpace What we are thinking of using What we are not thinking of using
