The results were not what I expected. From the outset, I envisioned GovGirl as a place for other women in digital government to share their own videos and converse on this platform. What I didn’t realize, being the ham that I am, is that getting techies to feel comfortable using video as a medium is HARD. Alas, I am now “the GovGirl“ and my mug will probably reign on the site until I can find equally hammy sisters to share the space with me.

Here we are at the end of 2011 and over 10,000 video views later. Videos are now shot in HD and I have an external mic that gives me great audio. Some of the earlier videos were a little rough around the edges!

We’ve explored the digital divide, hosting civic hackathons, open source in government, the art of sock puppetry and much more. Thank you to everyone over the last year who has re-tweeted, shared, laughed at, and encouraged more GovGirl videos. =) Looking forward to 2012.

The countdown, by most views:

Number 5. GovGirl Episode 1 (715 views)

I truly cannot even watch this one anymore. It was the inaugural episode, and it was the cheesiest thing to ever come out of my kitchen (my ‘studio’ was my spare bedroom, actually). Anyway, watch for yourself and you’ll see what I mean.

Number 4. 8 Ways Government Can Connect with Citizens (738 views)

This video should be number one! It is my all-time favorite GovGirl video, and I shot all the scenes in one day. It’s got Chuck Norris, sock puppets, my famous Michael Jackson moves…and my ferret does a cameo at the end. Make me smile every time (I’m probably 700 of the views).

Number 3. New Utah.gov Website Takes Risks (885 views)

I think I got the advance viewing of the new website at like 10:30p.m. the night before, so I had to record (and edit) this video in time to release it at 8 a.m. in the morning. Very tired the next day, but it was worth it to give my review of their uniquely designed portal.

Number 2. Government Fun on Facebook (1,117 views)

Still getting my feet wet in the fourth GovGirl episode, I received a great response with this lighthearted video. It’s okay for governments to have fun with residents and have a sense of humor on social media. Plus, I got to throw in a sock puppet and had my first ‘guest stars’.

Number 1. What is Your Favorite Conference Laptop? (1,131 views)

This video surpassed number 2 above in video views just yesterday! I can only imagine that people are doing some product shopping because of the holidays. In this video, I reviewed my new HP Pavilion dm1 laptop as a great one to bring along to government conferences. After going heavy on the editing in previous videos, I was proud to do this video all in one take.

Flickr photo of typing on laptop by Spazzo

Remember back in late 2010 when the United States Federal Government (U.S. Access Board in particular) asked the web community for input about proposed rules on website accessibility?

It’s kind of a big deal, so they took all that feedback and want to give it another go around. They call it a “second Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM)”. This means they intend to make some rules, but they really, really want our feedback. These rules would affect requirements for content on local government websites among others.

See the draft rules that include changes based on the feedback we gave them. I was on the NAGW Board at the time, and we analyzed every inch of the proposed legislation.

According to the Access Board, the deadline for comments is March 7. During the comment period, the Board will hold public hearings in Washington, D.C. on January 11 and at the annual CSUN Conference in San Diego on March 1. Then, you can expect them to follow-up with a “proposed rule” based on the input received. Finally, there will be yet another round of comment before the rule is finalized.

Check out the realtime planning for the hackathon going on over at Github. The last video in my hackathon series will cover the actual event. Wish us luck!

Got any questions about hosting a hackathon, or do you have any advice to share? Please comment below!

This isn’t an exhaustive look at the issue, but it’s a start. Please comment below and share some of your ideas, challenges or questions related to preparing your web environment for an emergency situation.

Check out these related links:

• Govloop discussion on ads on government websites
• Wall Street Journal article by Mark Lewyn
• Washington State DOT pilot website ad project

What’s your favorite conference laptop? Is the iPad sufficient? I’ve had trouble finding the perfect laptop solution for government conferences and training activities, as an attendee or speaker. Finding something tiny and portable was easy enough, but like Tim the Toolman Taylor, I just needed more power! I saw an article on Wired.com for the HP Pavilion dm1 a while back, and I finally decided to take the plunge. My review shows that it just might be the perfect blend of portability and power. I’m calling it a “lapbook” because it’s a great cross between the slimness of a netbook and the strength of a laptop.

Note: I upgraded my HP a bit. For instance, two gigs RAM is standard; mine is four. I forgot to mention that a six cell battery comes standard, but don’t expect it to last 9.5 hours like HP says. Maybe if it’s sitting dormant. Mine gives me up to 5 hours, depending on what I’m doing.

Customize your own HP Pavilion dm1 on HP’s website.