Transparency

"Yesterday we discussed how predictive analytics and big data will be critical components of the 2012 bid for the White House. Today we will continue with the U.S. government theme. The security of data that resides in the cloud continues to be a volatile topic, both in the public and private sector."[read more]

The Office of Consular Systems and Technology (CST) leads the State Department‘s IT efforts.  This is an amazing organization that has been delivering high quality, high throughput systems and solutions for years. This group really is our first line of defense against threat actors so we should all be thankful the team here performs...[read more]

Editor’s Note: The piece below is reprinted with permission. It was written by the highly regarded observer of federal technology trends Steve O’Keeffe at the MeriTalk blog, and has resulted in quite a bit of discussion at that site. Open Government Dead – Pass the Beer Nuts… The date on the tombstone – September 15.Open gov that was...[read more]

"...there is no transparency without “queribility”. There will be no transparency without an integrated database that consolidates the complete expenditures from all levels and sectors of government. An easy-to-use, standardized front end would help, too. I realize that this would take a little effort. But frankly, isn’t it simply our right as citizens to check the public sector by the same means that a CFO uses to control a company?"[read more]

"Just as words are the basic unit of written stories, visualization techniques (charts, visualizations, colors, font sizes, sparklines, etc.) are the tools we have when telling data stories. No matter the form, authors will agonize about choosing the right units of expression, finding a balance between being concise and being comprehensive, simplicity and sophistication."[read more]

"ACES...uses a unique approach similar to social gaming to fine-tune predictions. No money changes hands on ACES’ website, only bragging rights, as users compete to produce the most accurate predictions. Over time, the website shows them where they stand, for example that events they predict to be 60% likely only occur 40% of the time, letting them adjust their confidence down."[read more]

If you and I talk on our cell phones, we're actually not speaking with each other, but with each other's avatar. The real you is where your body is. The "you" that I experience is a digital representation of your voice. Through the conditioning of the modern age, we've come to associate these strings of numbers with ourselves and each...[read more]

With the soft launch of Google Plus, it's an opportune time to thinkabout digital privacy, insofar as Google is explicitly targetingwidespread user dissatisfaction with Facebook's treatment of theirpersonal information. The tagging feature, for example, that was usedto build a massive (hundreds of millions of users) facial...[read more]

"Looking into my inbox, I came across something that turned discomfort into disbelief. I had a communication from one of the brands on Empire Avenue, explaining that while there had been a run on their stock price, they were firmly committed to turning thing around and delivering shareholder value!"[read more]

"...since Groupon filed it's S-1 to go public. I guess it's not surprising that S-1 filing generally generates some interesting conversations, it is often the first deep look into a company's finances. The fact that Groupon is the fastest growing company in US history based on revenue just puts this filing under a bigger microscope. "[read more]