Not a week after PennDOT joins the other powerhouse of Social Networking, the Turnpike Commission has joined Facebook. You can "Like" the Pennsylvania Turnpike at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pennsylvania-Turnpike/119580304720921 (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pennsylvania-Turnpike/119580304720921).
I miss "becoming a fan" of things.
I was about to say "What, you'd become a fan of PennDOT? What did they do that's so great all of a sudden, for you to be a fan of them?"
Then I reread your username :P
Quote from: Scott5114 on May 25, 2010, 01:43:32 PM
I was about to say "What, you'd become a fan of PennDOT? What did they do that's so great all of a sudden, for you to be a fan of them?"
Then I reread your username :P
I like PennDOT because it is the DOT from my home state. Even though they should get their act together to get things done, I do like their signage and how they use that symbol on the bottom of their signs.
To be frank, I think many DOTs have been getting into social media (Twitter, Facebook, their own Web forums, etc.) without a clear and concrete idea of how to use them to advance their core mission. I am not saying that they shouldn't, or that useful applications will not eventually emerge, but personally I wish more attention were paid to "back end" projects such as making construction plans 100% downloadable at the time of letting and also establishing comprehensive, publicly accessible as-built archives.
PennDOT, to its credit, has one down and one to go. It is just such a shame that their lawyers are still trying to drive eighteen-wheelers through the RTKL exemptions.
I believe many of these are a result of Facebook's extracting of personal information to automatically make pages recently.
Quote from: J N Winkler on May 26, 2010, 01:47:55 AM
To be frank, I think many DOTs have been getting into social media (Twitter, Facebook, their own Web forums, etc.) without a clear and concrete idea of how to use them to advance their core mission. I am not saying that they shouldn't, or that useful applications will not eventually emerge, but personally I wish more attention were paid to "back end" projects such as making construction plans 100% downloadable at the time of letting and also establishing comprehensive, publicly accessible as-built archives.
If you survey the general public to find out whether what you propose is more important, or getting real-time updates on traffic delays or road closures or weather conditions, I'd venture to guess the latter will be the highest priority. As it should be.
"511" facilities are already well developed. The general public can't be expected to care about producer innovations like downloadable plans and as-built archives, even though they benefit indirectly from the efficiencies realized.