FCC Launches Social Network for 'Crowd-Sourcing' Ideas for National Broadband Plan
WASHINGTON, September 11, 2009 – The Federal Communications Commission continues to expand its social networking efforts. On Friday, the agency launched a crowd-sourcing platform, Ideascale, at http://broadband.gov/ideascale [http://broadband.gov/ideascale].
WASHINGTON, September 11, 2009 – The Federal Communications Commission continues to expand its social networking efforts. On Friday, the agency launched a crowd-sourcing platform, Ideascale, at http://broadband.gov/ideascale.
The Web 2.0 tool allows users to comment on particular points in a national broadband plan, voting items up or down on a rolling scale, or to add new ideas into the mix.
As of 12:51 p.m., the top three ideas on the site were “Broadband plan must address needs of people with disabilities;” “Some specific points about accessibility,” including obtaining detailed disability information in surveys and market research activities, and “Data coordination” between the FCC and other government agencies.
In a statement, the FCC said that “crowd-sourcing allows the online community to discuss, evaluate and rank ideas. The platform will be especially useful as the Commission develops a National Broadband Plan, which will provide a strategy for reaching all Americans with robust broadband.”
Also on Friday, the FCC launched on social media sites Facebook and YouTube. It had previously launched on Twitter. An easy connection point for all of these social network feeds is http://fcc.gov/connect.
Also, the FCC on Friday launched http://www.fcc.gov/rss as a central repository of data feeds from the agency, building on the first data feed that it launched in August.
On Thursday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski posted his first video blog on the FCC’s Yesterday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski posted his first video blog on the FCC’s Blogband page at http://blog.broadband.gov/?page_id=185.
Broadband Breakfast Club
Don’t miss the opportunity to register for the September 15, 2009, Broadband Breakfast Club at Clyde’s of Gallery Place. The theme of the September meeting will be, “Setting the Table for the National Broadband Plan.” Register at http://broadbandbreakfast.eventbrite.com.
Confirmed panelists for the event include Joe Waz, Senior Vice President, Comcast; Aaron Smith, Research Specialist, Pew Internet & American Life Project; Bruce Kushnick, Executive Director, New Networks Institute; and Joanne Hovis, President-Elect, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.
