RealGov.com: Government Accessibility, Responsiveness, and Transparency, By the People, For the People!

I've embarked on yet another little project I feel is a great emerging example of how modern technologies can enable new and better collaborations -- such as those between government and the governed. The relevant news release appears below. Please visit RealGov.com and participate!

Edison Innovations Launches RealGov.com, a Web-Based Platform for Creating Better Government

Public “Wiki” Designed to Enable New Government Accessibility, Responsiveness, and Transparency Seeks Content, Ideas, and Funds

KENWOOD, Calif., March 2009 – Edison Innovations, a company focused on delivery of “innovation as a service,” announced today an open testing and collaborative development initiative for its RealGov.com project. RealGov.com, an evolving online resource designed to help build new, citizen-controlled bridges and communications channels linking government with the governed, in any locality and nation-wide.

RealGov.com is a public “wiki” for which any interested citizen can contribute, edit, or comment upon content. RealGov.com is much like Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia, and is based on the same supporting technologies and principles. Citizens, employees of government agencies, politicians, and others interested in increased government accessibility, responsiveness, and transparency are invited to visit the RealGov.com Web site (at http://www.realgov.com), and to contribute to its features, development, and support.

“Wikipedia has evolved from a Web-enabled experiment and curiosity to perhaps the preeminent collaborative information source in the world,” said Michael Dortch, RealGov.com's chief evangelist and 30-year information technology (IT) industry veteran. “Similarly, modern 'social media' tools are evolving into essential enablers of communication and collaboration. RealGov.com will leverage these technologies and trends, to provide new connections between and among those in government and those they govern.

“Our situation as a species, as a nation, and as distinct communities has changed and requires new models for the relationship between our civil servants and the civic body,” said Cliff Figallo, an Edison Innovations and RealGov.com advisor and a founder and coordinator of SociALCHEMY, an expert network focused on transforming how groups think and the media they use to do so. “Governments and the citizens that elect them must be more communicative and coordinated about who takes responsibility for what actions, because there will be more to do than either can do alone. RealGov.com is not an adversarial play – it's a collaborative play.”

“With RealGov.com, we can bring the wisdom, experience, and creativity of millions to bear on solving the problems President Obama is so clearly bringing to the forefront of our collective consciousness,” said Larry MacDonald, founder of Edison Innovations. “These resources have always been there, but almost never well utilized. The ability to collect and focus them is America’s secret weapon, and one with global reach. Just as America played a major part in ending World War II, it will do the same with this economic war, thanks to RealGov.com, a strong example of the types of needs-driven, opportunity-rich projects Edison Innovations pursues.”

RealGov.com is open now to any and all interested contributors of content, funds, or ideas. Functionality will be expanded during the next few months, as user input is received and integrated. For more information about RealGov.com, contact Michael Dortch at mdortch@realgov.com or at (US) +415/310-6480.

About Edison Innovations, Inc.

Edison Innovations is a company that combines unique intellectual property, real-world experience, modern technologies, and the intuition of crowds to provide smart solutions to address significant market needs. The company provides “innovation as a service” via outsourced research and development (R&D) services, focused on identifying and selecting high-potential market needs and pains, then developing and bringing to market solutions to those pains. Founder and CEO Larry MacDonald, founder/CEO, brings strategic direction, innovation and vision to the company, based on 40 years of experience across multiple industries and services. Larry hosted the world’s first online entrepreneur’s conference for ten years. More information is available at http://www.edisoninnovations.com, or through lmacdonald@edisoninnovations.com, or at (US) +707/833-2280.