A Berkman Center for Internet & Society Talk on How Web 2.0 Technologies Are Being Incorporated into Governments and Society

As part of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society luncheon series, journalist Alexander B. Howard –correspondent for O’Reilly Media—will address the question, what can 21st century open government learn from open source, open data, open innovation and open journalism? His talk takes place Tuesday, March 20th at 12:30 pm, and will be webcast live. Details for viewing the event are below.

In the 1990s, the Internet changed communication and commerce forever. A decade later, Web 2.0 technologies enabled hundreds of millions of citizens to publish, share, mix, comment, and upload media to a dynamic online environment. Now in 2012, we live in the era of big data, where mobile devices and a real-time Web shift the dynamic between governments and the governed. Consider the historic events of the last year: from Egypt to #Occupy to the SOPA debate, they have each used technology to challenge the idea of open government. At the same time, autocracies are applying filters and tracking technologies to suppress speech, distort public opinion, and capture or kill protestors.

In this talk on the power of platforms, Alexander Howard will talk about where the principles and technologies that built the Internet and World Wide Web are being integrated into government and society -- and by whom. Howard is the Government 2.0 Washington Correspondent for O'Reilly Media, where he writes about the intersection of government, the Internet and society, including how technology is being used to help citizens, cities, and national governments solve large-scale problems. He is an authority on the use of collaborative technology in enterprises, social media and digital journalism.

What can 21st century open government learn from open source, open data, open innovation and open journalism?