Municipalist

T. Boone talks to bloggers

Here is the archived call T. Boone Pickens did with bloggers on his energy plan. He speaks convincingly about the use of his Web site in this effort. This kind of thing is just easier and easier. We are now on the hunt for examples in the public sector -- outside campaigns or Congress.

Audio blogging could be good match for public sector bloggers

John Stevens, a quality blogger and public school board member in Loudoun County, Virginia, has added audio posts to his blog. We asked how it is working out:

I've done two audio posts so far, the first on June 6 and another this past Friday, June 13. I'll definitely keep doing it, but I need to be sure that I don't over-use it like a new toy or come to depend on it as a crutch, because there are definite drawbacks to it as well as great advantages.

I decided to give it a try for the same reasons that I started blogging to begin with ... there were times when I felt I had something to share and needed a good way to do it, and I want constituents to get to know me better. Sometimes due to time constraints or limitations of the medium, typing a blog entry just isn't a good option.

I used Hipcast after first trying Gabcast. Gabcast is a free service but after about three days of trying I couldn't get it to post to my blog. Hipcast does have a cost but works very well, though it does have limitations. It's a very new service and I expect that it will become more useful over time.

There are several possible ways to post but the easiest, and the only one I have used so far, is by phone. Call a number, punch in a PIN, speak. It's also possible to upload MP3s and record directly to the website via a PC microphone.

Stevens, one blogger whose commenters tend to contribute useful stuff to the proceedings, adds that they have pointed out some drawbacks to audio, such as search limitations for a non-text post, and one suggestion that "audio is inappropriate for the work setting."

We say: Buy some earbuds, pal. The options, potential, and value here are tremendous. We can see John doing a fast phone conversation with someone on a school issue, and quickly posting the result in minutes.

Another commenter suggested that John's school district could have used audio blogging to great use during a recent storm, where some students were kept after school, and though a recorded phone message system was activated, the district's Web sites were never updated. 

Community engagement made simple: School board tries telephone town hall

The school board in Albemarle County, Virginia recently hosted a telephone town hall meeting. Read about it here on board member Brian Wheeler's blog. Sounds like it was a great way to engage the public. And the board did it together.

Blog Talk Radio: Audio blogging made simple

Wayyy back in the ancient 1990s, fans of any celebrity or band would put up static Web sites. Today, they do this instead.

BlogTalkRadio.com is the Internet equivalent of instant talk radio. The link above is to a guy who does a show all about recording artist and producer Todd Rundgren. He interviews Rundgren's band members, talks about upcoming concerts, etc. Anybody can call in, there is a chat feature which the hosts can read and pull questions or comments from, and the whole thing is easily archived, to be listened to at any time. Again, the potential for this app for those in the public sector: huge. Stuff like this goes viral very fast. A county councilman with his or her own internet radio show, I bet would be a hit. It's all about local. And community. And ease of use. Somewhere there is a public official who will try this. Or is doing it already. The hunt begins.

Here is a BTR show featuring an interview with filmmaker Robert Stone, director of the recent PBS documentary "Oswald's Ghost." Good Reuters story about BTR here. BTR's own blog is here.