1. EPA Web 2.0 Workgroup Patti Nelson, Dennis Schulte, Tracey Westfield, Guy McMickle, Rajbir Parmar, Patricia Scott, David Gray, Kurt Wolfe, Chris Wilkes, Michael Hessling, Barry Everett, Cathy Edstrom, Mark Gordon, Mike Markowski, David Eng, Patricia Suarez, Mark Heflin, Jared Joven, Karen Reshkin, Brenda Gaillard, Rebecca Astin, Mike Weaver, Ethan McMahon, Jeff Morin, Summer Goodwin, John Shirey, Fisseha Kefle, Vicent Cusumano, Thomas Nelsom, Jason Kaldani, Brand Niemann, Walter Dove, Jean Balent, Michael Adam, Tina Kottemann, Tina Chen, Kol Peterson. 40 members and growing….

2. Objectives Introduction Web 2.0 technologies (show and tell) Challenges –(Policy, Workforce, Information Architecture, Infrastructure) Discussion –(Jeffrey Levy from OPA, Amanda Babcock from OEI) Next steps

3. Whitepaper for the 'EPA Web council‘ Providing Web 2.0 literacy for EPA Recommendations  Guidance  Policy EPA Web 2.0 Workgroup

6. Web 2.0 technologies covered Blogs Wikis Video Sharing (and Multimedia) Photo-Sharing Audio and Podcasting Virtual Worlds Social Networking Sites Syndicated Web Feeds Mashups Widgets Social News Sites Webinar/Webcasts

7. Technologies 1. Blogs -http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/ 2. Wikis –OEI/NCC working on it. Wikipedia foundation. 3. Video Sharing- http://www.youtube.com/usepagovhttp://www.youtube.com/usepagov 4. Photo-Sharing- 100 independent galleries 5. Audio and Podcasts – Few dedicated podcast feeds 6. Virtual Worlds – Dipping our toes 7. Social Networking Sites - Nada 8. Syndicated Web Feeds – Doing it, but not coordinated, not much guidance 9. Mashups- Obtained VE license. GE product on home page. 10. Widgets – Zilch. 11. Social News Sites- Delicious, Technorati linksDelicious, Technorati links 12. Webinar/Webcasts- Abundant use. Not coordinated.

8. We have to talk to people in the way that they are listening

9. Blogs ‘Flow of the River’, a blog written by Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock is EPA’s only public-facing blog as of February, 2008. (http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/)http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/ http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/News/blog.shtml

10. Wikis Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. It hosts a wealth of information about everything, even topics that the EPA deals with, such as the Clean Water Act. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_water_act)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_water_act

11. Video Sharing (and Multimedia) Youtube is a well-known video-sharing Web site where individuals and organizations or federal agencies like NOAA can host their videos on their own YouTube channels. (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=oceanexplorergov)http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=oceanexplorergov

12. Photo-Sharing Flickr.com is a website where individuals can post and share their photographs. Other users can then ‘tag’ those images allowing others to then search for images using terminology that others have applied to that image. Here is a search in Flickr.com for images that have been tagged with the terms “cow” and “water”. (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=cow+water)http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=cow+water

13. Audio and Podcasting itunes is a podcast aggregator that can be used to ‘subscribe’ and listen to particular podcasts, such as the Office of Wetlands, Ocean’s and Watershed’s monthly Webcasts that are republished as podcast feeds. (http://www.clu-in.org/live/archive.xml)http://www.clu-in.org/live/archive.xml

14. Virtual Worlds NASA History through Second Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu2hvrMjgu0

15. Social Networking Sites This informal, Facebook EPA group has over 600 members.

16. Syndicated Web Feeds EPA has a number of RSS feeds that users can subscribe to using RSS readers. (http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/RSS)http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/RSS

17. There are a many free RSS readers that can be used to subscribe to one’s favorite RSS feeds. This MyYahoo page is aggregating many of EPA’s RSS feeds to quickly allow the user to review recent RSS feed updates from across the agency. (http://my.yahoo.com/) \http://my.yahoo.com/

18. Mashups Map mashups Data mashupsData Audio/Video mashupsAudio/Video

19. Mashups An example of Google Maps API mashup. This EPA Web page offers directions from nearby transit to the office, both as a visual map and as text. The Web design approach addresses 508 issues. (http://epa.gov/region09/visitor.html)http://epa.gov/region09/visitor.html

20. A data mashup of Census demographic data showing age distribution in Washington, DC, layered on a dynamic AJAX API. (http://www.cynergysystems.com/blogs/blogs/andrew.trice/strikeiron/Dashboard.html)http://www.cynergysystems.com/blogs/blogs/andrew.trice/strikeiron/Dashboard.html

21. A Virtual Earth map that shows the Region 3’s office location in Philadelphia, PA. (http://www.epa.gov/region03/interactive_map.html)http://www.epa.gov/region03/interactive_map.html

22. Widgets FBI has a number of widgets available that users can republish from their own Web pages. http://www.fbi.gov/widgets.htmhttp://www.fbi.gov/widgets.htm

23. Desktop Widgets NASA has widgets that users can put on their desktops to keep track of planet discoveries. (http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/widget.cfm)http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/widget.cfm

24. Social News Sites Social news sites are community-based websites that can help popularize Web content. Standard social news site links like these can help users easily link their favorite EPA content to the social news sites.

25. Webinar/Webcasts Web conferencing tools allow users to share their desktop views, allowing people to collaborate about virtual over long distances. In the image below, the user is viewing his associate’s desktop and together, they are reviewing her powerpoint file.

26. We’ve discussed Web 2.0 opportunities Now well discuss the Web 2.0 stumbling blocks

27. Stumbling Blocks Lots of interest….but very limited knowledge. Haven’t been permitted to use and explore these tools. Volunteer group. No commitment. No incentive to engage. EPA has lots of Web managers but it’s not in our job description to work on the barriers to success and managers aren’t asking for it. No guidance from anyone. Every innovative project takes SO MUCH effort because it’s new. Other agencies have been more experimental due to their decentralized Web governance. The Opportunities Lots of interest. Work group has 40+ volunteer members. Apparently, many of us love this stuff. If the applications and knowledge base is there, people will use these approaches and techniques. Centralized Web governance structure could leverage a centralized, coordinated approach.

28. epa.gov in 1998 Multimedia

29. epa.gov in 2008 What will epa.gov look like in 2018? Multimedia

31. 58% of those who had recently experienced one of those problems said they used the internet (at home, work, a public library or some other place) to get help. 53% said they turned to professionals such as doctors, lawyers or financial experts. 45% said they sought out friends and family members for advice and help. 36% said they consulted newspapers and magazines. 34% said they directly contacted a government office or agency. 16% said they consulted television and radio. 13% said they went to the public library. http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/231/report_display.asp Those who had government-related problems were asked where they went for help: Multimedia

32. http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm - 54 people http://airnow.gov/http://airnow.gov/ - 85 people Delicious Rank ……New metric?.gov sitebookmarkspages > 1 save IRS16116 NASA7541 NOAA3112 NPS289 CDC2415 EPA187 USGS169 USDA169 Senate1410 User-oriented Website

33. Environmental Information on the Web symposium- Web 2.0 technology http://www.epa.gov/oei/proceedings/2007/sessions.htm NASA https://sciencewebfed.hq.nasa.gov/web-fed/web-fed NOAA http://webshop.noaa.gov/ NSA/GSA http://colab.cim3.net/cgi- bin/wiki.pl?ExpeditionWorkshop/ModelingAndSimulation_WalkingThroughVirtualEnvi ronmentsTogether_2007_11_13 Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds http://ndu.edu/irmc/fedconsortium.html All these conferences happened…in the same week! Federal Collaboration, anyone??? Workforce

34. Search for “Clean Air Act” in Google, February, 2008 “36% of online American adults consult Wikipedia It is particularly popular with the well-educated and current college-age students” http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Wikipedia07.pdf Can EPA Staff edit Wikipedia during work? Social Media guidance

35. 6) Policy Issues and Web 2.0 Initiatives at the EPAPolicy Issues and Web 2.0 Initiatives at the EPA –6.1) Ensuring Access to EPA Information on EPA Servers ProcedureEnsuring Access to EPA Information on EPA Servers Procedure –6.2) Social Media GuidanceSocial Media Guidance –6.3) Copyright and Web 2.0Copyright and Web 2.0 –6.4) Privacy and CommentsPrivacy and Comments –6.5) Accessibility and Section 508Accessibility and Section 508 –6.6) Enabling Access to EPA Information on non- EPA ServersEnabling Access to EPA Information on non- EPA Servers 7) WorkforceWorkforce –7.1) Office of Environmental Information (OEI)Office of Environmental Information (OEI) –7.2) Office of Public Affairs (OPA)Office of Public Affairs (OPA) –7.3) Collaborating and Coordinating with Web 2.0 Working GroupsCollaborating and Coordinating with Web 2.0 Working Groups –7.4) Web Workgroup MembersWeb Workgroup Members 8) Information Architecture/Content Management SystemInformation Architecture/Content Management System –8.1) Let Our Data GoLet Our Data Go –8.2) Multimedia WebMultimedia Web –8.3) Pilot ProjectsPilot Projects 9) Ensuring Web Infrastructure Supports Web 2.0Ensuring Web Infrastructure Supports Web 2.0 –9.1) Asynchronous Javascript and XML (AJAX)Asynchronous Javascript and XML (AJAX) Policy, Workforce, Information Architecture, Infrastructure

36. Can EPA Staff edit third party Websites during work? Social Media guidance

37. Over 70% of the visits to Wikipedia in the week ending March 17 came from search engines, according to Hitwise data. Wikipedia has become the #1 external site visited after Google's search page, receiving over half of its traffic from the search engine. Social Media guidance

38. Workforce OEI should consider allocating additional staff/labor dedicated to Web 2.0 technologies and applications. OPA should have staff/workforce dedicated to Web 2.0 efforts to allow program offices to leverage OPA expertise for their program office outreach goals. OPA and OEI management should help coordinate related Web 2.0 efforts throughout the agency for internal and external Web 2.0 workgroups. Web Workgroup Web Workgroup members should start or join subgroups within the WWG and provide feedback or findings to the Web Council to help contribute to EPA’s learning process. We should use Web Workgroup meetings to share popular and upcoming Web technologies that we wish to promote. Web Workgroup members should begin to offer trainings on these technologies in OPA’s Web Trainings.

39. Information Architecture/Content Management System OEI and Infrastructure Coordinators should ensure that any IA/CMS is aligned with the goal of making our information, data, and content interactive, accessible, and exportable. Web managers should use Web services to deliver information and should encourage third party developers to extend and leverage our data, tools, and applications. OPA should continue to promote multimedia content on EPA’s home page and throughout EPA. OEI should ensure that EPA’s Web infrastructure is capable of organizing and leveraging rich, multimedia content. Web managers should use our intranet to begin experimenting with their ideas with the goal to make our Web projects public on the internet. Web Infrastructure OEI should examine how EPA can embrace AJAX and other new ubiquitous technologies.

40. Web managers and EPA communications staff should read and absorb the ‘overview’ concepts presented in the ‘Technologies’ section. Web managers across EPA should be web 2.0 literate and inform their respective program office communication staffs of new Web formats that may help them achieve their objective. (Effective communication and marketing strategies employ a multi-faceted, multi-media outreach approach.) Start or join subgroups within the WWG and provide feedback or findings to the Web Council to help contribute to EPA’s learning process. Share your expertise at WWG and in OPA’s Web Trainings on technologies that you wish to promote at EPA. Use Web services to deliver information and let your data go. Use the intranet to experiment with your ideas with the goal to make your Web projects public on the internet. Recommendations for Web-related staff (ie. YOU)

41. EPA Web Governance Principles: Receptivity to New Ideas – EPA recognizes that a supportive, creative organizational environment is vital to achieving and sustaining the goals established for epa.gov. Both management and the Web community should encourage visionary thinking, be receptive to change, and foster a culture that celebrates innovation and actively removes obstacles to implementing new ideas. Let’s advantage of our current agency leadership: Chief Information Officer (champion Molly O’Neill) Deputy Administrator (EPA’s blogger, Marcus Peacock) receptive OEI Web management receptive OPA Web management Who knows what a change of administration may bring? Either way, we should be ready on day one to show them plenty of examples of great stuff that EPA can do on the Web.

42. Kol Peterson Phone:(202)566-2656 Peterson.Kol@epa.gov U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds Whitepaper available at http://intranet.epa.gov/webgroup/meetings/02-08/presentations/web20/ or, write your name down on signup sheet for a hardcopy of whitepaper.

43. Discussion How have people overcome these challenges? How can EPA overcome them so that we can take advantage of the capabilities that Web 2.0 technologies offer? Next Steps/Getting Involved Visit and add your ideas to the new blogs and wikis (David Eng) Start experimenting with your new ideas on the intranet Contact leads for each technology (raise hands) Web 2.0 workgroup(s)? IT Security, Records Management, Freedom of Information Act, and the Federal Advisory Committee Act.