Tuesday
May052009
How can you get involved with Philly?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 5:09AM
Everyone knows that government organizations are known for having terrible web sites and even worse customer service when you need something right away. Just go ahead and try to get information from the IRS or the DMV -- it's terrible, really. But Philadelphia's government along with their CIO, Allan R. Frank, is trying to do something about this outdated system. At an event called Refresh Philly last night Allan spoke to a crowd of over 75 people all about what the city is trying to do with their $100 million that they'd like to invest in technology. So far the answer is clear, there is no answer.
Allan was asking the crowd what they'd like to see and I believe that he actually wanted to listen. He explained how safety services and schools and libraries need to be connected. He talked about how two of the biggest problems that need solving are 1) how to get broadband to everyone in the city (this includes all the far corners that Philadelphia reaches) and 2) how to give people access to that broadband. He even mentioned giving out iPhones (or at least iPod Touches) to the poorer communities to help stimulate their need and use of such a service.
One thing that Allan did make clear is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer and the only way they're going to be able to solve the 1000s of problems and "basically blow the damn thing up" is with the community's input. This means more events like Refresh where a room full of smart people sit down to discuss and solve a problem. This means more emails bouncing back and forth about how to wire trash collectors up to the city's mesh wireless network. This means people speaking up all over the city about the things that need fixin' and then how to fix them.
I heard Kevin Fitzpatrick, of Comcast Interactive, mention that he would love to see something like rapid-prototyping being used to fix http://www.phila.gov (Roz Duffy pointed out to the CIO that it didn't work without the www -- he responded) and other city-wide problems. This means sitting down in small groups and tackling problems head-on. Not shooting ideas back and forth all day long about what could and should be done.
But don't stop there, email Allan and the city your suggestions and make sure you stay involved. You might be the next designer or coder for Phila.gov or the fixer of broadband for our great city of brotherly love.
Allan was asking the crowd what they'd like to see and I believe that he actually wanted to listen. He explained how safety services and schools and libraries need to be connected. He talked about how two of the biggest problems that need solving are 1) how to get broadband to everyone in the city (this includes all the far corners that Philadelphia reaches) and 2) how to give people access to that broadband. He even mentioned giving out iPhones (or at least iPod Touches) to the poorer communities to help stimulate their need and use of such a service.
One thing that Allan did make clear is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer and the only way they're going to be able to solve the 1000s of problems and "basically blow the damn thing up" is with the community's input. This means more events like Refresh where a room full of smart people sit down to discuss and solve a problem. This means more emails bouncing back and forth about how to wire trash collectors up to the city's mesh wireless network. This means people speaking up all over the city about the things that need fixin' and then how to fix them.
I heard Kevin Fitzpatrick, of Comcast Interactive, mention that he would love to see something like rapid-prototyping being used to fix http://www.phila.gov (Roz Duffy pointed out to the CIO that it didn't work without the www -- he responded) and other city-wide problems. This means sitting down in small groups and tackling problems head-on. Not shooting ideas back and forth all day long about what could and should be done.
All of these things that people mentioned are great ideas. What we need now is to prioritize. Just like any great project, get the brainstorming out of the way, prioritize and then tackle iteration by iteration. That's why I setup a Google Moderator page (I've also emailed Allan about this) that people can submit ideas for the city. You do need a Google account (it's their requirement but they're free) but once you're logged in you can submit suggestions, vote for your favorites and maybe, your ideas will make it to the top.
But don't stop there, email Allan and the city your suggestions and make sure you stay involved. You might be the next designer or coder for Phila.gov or the fixer of broadband for our great city of brotherly love.
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