Friday, February 10, 2012

FCC To Launch Social Networking Site

August 27, 2009

The FCC is taking major strides to keep pace with the popularity of social networking Web sites like MySpace and Facebook by offering its employees an internal electronic forum for communicating about the Commission's priorities and activities. FCC Managing Director Steven VanRoekel, an ex-Microsoft executive, told commissioners at a Thursday meeting that a site -- reboot.fcc.gov -- is allowing hundreds of staffers engage in discussions about how to improve the agency and connect in "an organic way." The announcement came on the heels of the FCC's launch of a broadband blog and feed on the micro-blogging platform Twitter last week.

Working groups and task forces have been formed through the closed site to help find solutions to a range of challenges faced by the FCC without instructions or a directive from their superiors, he said. For example, employees last week formed an online committee to help the Commission become more eco-friendly. VanRoekel said the Web site will be opened up so external stakeholders can join in the conversations "in the very near future." "We want to ensure the experience the public has with the agency is consistent, innovative and evokes trust," he said.

For more news from the FCC's August meeting, read CongressDaily's article: "FCC Opens Investigation Into Wireless Issues" here (subscription required).

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Juliana Gruenwald

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Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.


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Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.