I have posted before about the seismic change that social media is bringing about for the public sector. As communicators, more than most other staff, we need to be able to track the impact of this change and begin to experiment and engage in order to provide our managers with the advice they need to remain abreast of developments or, in a perfect world, capitalize on this changing environment.

Are you getting the support and the tools you need to do your job well now and to grow and develop professionally? Or are you stuck in a backwater where managers are dismissive of the impact of this change and are determined to continue to pursue a course that was first plotted in the late ’90’s?

Unsure? Here’s how you can tell.

Internet access

Do you have unrestricted access to the Internet? No blocking of social media sites?

What about the ability to download files to your local machine? Do you have a bandwidth limit that means you have to prioritize your podcasts? Or is your internet traffic one-way only?

What about the ability to FTP files to a remote server?

Do you have a configurable web browser like Firefox, or are you stuck with Internet Explorer (I call IE7 ‘the pendulum,’ because it spends most of the time hanging…)?

RSS

If you haven’t got your head around this yet, then it should be at the top of your priority list. Being able to source, process and file an enormous quantity of fresh content from news sites, blogs and search engines is a basic competency for a communicator.

Do you have access to an online feed reader or aggregator, like Google Reader, Pageflakes or Bloglines?

Or have you installed a desktop client, like the free and brilliant NetNewsWire?

Mobility

Do you have a mobile device that allows you to access the Internet? What about reading your RSS feeds on the commute to work in the morning? Can you visit your agency website in a meeting and retrieve relevant documents quickly and easily? That last one is probably unfair, as we know it is not the technology that is the problem…

Conclusion

If you found yourself nodding smugly as you read through this post then you are obviously working in the public sector somewhere, but probably not here in New Zealand. If you were running at around 50%, then you are way ahead of the curve and you should probably contact me so I can hand over responsibility for this blog.

If, on the other hand, at the end of that list you realized that your agency is in the social media equivalent of the dark ages, then you have two choices:

1. start agitating for change
2. embrace the 21st Century

The clock is ticking. What are you going to do?

Photo: J.McPherson

meanwhile, public servants are busy implementing hacks, convincing friends in the IT department to open ports on firewalls, and IM’ing from their PDAs.

This got me thinking about the ‘hacks’ that I use to get around the public sector IT typically risk-averse mindset. So I have started a list of the tools that I use to circumvent these (occasionally ridiculously) restrictive policies.

Portability

First up, if you are locked down to a dumb terminal, you need to bring your own bag of tricks. I use a 1GB thumb drive with a few essential portable apps loaded on to it. There are a terrific array of programmes available to run from a thumb drive, and it will depend on what you are trying to achieve, but the ones I think are essential for a public sector communicator in the social media space are the following.

Firefox

You have to work from an intelligent browser, so Firefox is a no brainer. Once you have got it running, I would load up with the extensions that you need to get your job done, for me that would be:

• Web Developer Toolbar – pretty much does what you would expect
• Firebug – amazing tool for debugging HTML, CSS, Javascript etc., live in your browser window: priceless
• Operator – the microformat detector & application tool
• Del.icio.us extension – for social bookmarking

Instant Messaging

Email is broken, no question. Install Gaim and free yourself from the tyranny of the inbox. While you are it, try and convince as many of the people you work with to do the same; the sooner we are all using IM, the better.

Thunderbird

I don’t use this so much as an email client (however, it is handy to set up IMAP access to non-work email addresses – and there is a hack for Gmail – if you want to manage your email from work), but Thunderbird is also an excellent RSS aggregator. I find it much faster than the online varieties and it has the added advantage of storing all the feeds indefinitely.

Filezilla

If you need an FTP client, then Filezilla is the package for you. You just need your server list and settings and you are good to go.

Mobile Phone

I haven’t thought nearly as much about this, mainly because it is so damn expensive, but as a minimum I would recommend Opera mini. It is a terrific browser for phones and, once we see prices become a bit more realistic here, should be a key tool for the future.

Conclusion

One point that we should always bear in mind is that, as Colin notes, you can’t beat good old human relationships. Getting in tight with your IT people is the best way to move your organization towards Enterprise 2.0.

This is only a start, one that is heavily oriented towards my interests and needs. I am sure that there are many of you who have developed far more ingenious ways of getting round your firewalls. Add any suggestions, recommendations in the comments and we can expand this list out to provide a resource for fellow communicators stranded at dumb terminals…

SoSaidThe.Organization

Colin McKay has set up a new blog, So Said The Organization. It is, in Colin’s words:

A collaborative blog intended to help government communicators from around the world share ideas, tips and practical examples of how to integrate new technologies into their daily work.

Content is contributed by a number of authors working on different continents. Their work does not represent the interests, policies or intentions of their employers, and should be considered as personal opinion.

Keep an eye on it. This is a welcome development and could turn into a tremendously useful resource for public sector communicators. Well done to Colin for kicking it off.