The last decade has seen an evolution in terms of the participatory role of the Internet user in the lives of other users. The evolution has been brought about by what Tim O’Reilly termed Web 2.0 (2005). O’Reilly discovered the rising phenomenon, tagged it as Web 2.0, and analysed the success factors which characterise some of its most successful products – FlickR, Wikipedia, blogs, syndication etc… Governments have been slow to adapt and have traditionally been stuck in the Web of hyperlinks, venturing slowly to RSS feeds but staying away from blogs and social networking which are probably deeemed to need a degree of control before they can be used safely in an e-Government context.

Governments have not yet jumped on to the Web 2.0 bandwagon… but SocialGov.EU (http://www.socialgov.eu/) is knocking at their door! This new social networking site markets itself as the “Social Networking for the EU27 and beyond” and as yet, has but a few enthusiastic members from Malta. However, it promises to bring together stakeholders interested in Europe’s governments from across the continent and probably beyond its shores.

(blogged on http://www.ePractice.eu 31/10/2009)