Lindahl, N. (2012). “Analyzing social media engagement within e-government implementations using automated data mining techniques: A study of local government social media engagement.” American Society for Public Administration 73rd Annual Conference, Conference Paper, Las Vegas, Nevada.

My favorite public administration academic event of the year has to be the American Society for Public Administration conference. I started attending ASPA conferences back in 2005 when the conference was held in the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This year I will be attending both the MPSA and the ASPA conferences. I am pretty excited about visiting Las Vegas for the first time… anybody got any hotel suggestions? The conference will be staged out of the Flamingo Hotel (so recommendations within walking distance would be appreciated).

Lindahl, N. (2012). “Feedback Driven E-Government: A Survey Based Study of Local Government E-Feedback Methodology.” Midwest Political Science Association 70th Annual Conference, Conference Paper, Chicago, Illinois.

I have never been to the annual national Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) conference before. From what I can tell the conference is held yearly at a hotel (The Palmer House Hotel) located in the City of Chicago, Illinois. I’m looking forward to seeing Andy and visiting Carson’s ribs for some of their famous barbeque. Andy will probably build a list of the best Chicago restaurants.

Each individual living within society needs to understand the nature of contemporary thought with respect to the speed of modern communication. Every new method of digital communication builds a certain degree of shared understanding. The depth of communication seems to be changing.  People seem to have given up classic argument formats in favor of simplistic exchanges of common information. Typical interpersonal exchanges between people have fundamentally devolved from philosophical exchanges to a series of observations and preferences.

After reading the same pages over and over again a certain degree of fatigue sets in for the reader. For a writer this type of document fatigue can be incredibly befuddling. Editing a document to some degree remains conceptual. Grammarian concerns stand as a constant reminder of the grand construct of language hierarchy. Within all of the reminders and concerns that exist within document editing a resolution has to exist. Some method has to exist to allow the writer to strive toward a definable end. Maybe a vision of the completed document stands just within reach of the writer’s ambition. Dedicated writers typically work until the document stands complete.

The following prose involves a few notes about the process of ceiling repairs. Instead of hiring a trained professional, to attempt the repairs a decision has been made to attempt the repair process.

Yesterday, a few early hours of the morning involved a few home repairs. Even a brand new house involves a certain degree of maintenance and that task is the true test of homeownership. Last week a water pipe under the sink collapsed and flooded a kitchen cabinet, the kitchen floor, and a wall in the basement. The repair only took a few minutes of actual labor. Unfortunately, the supply cabinet in the garage was fresh out of extra plumbing supplies. Traveling to the hardware store had to wait until a proper water damage averment protocol could be developed.

The hardware store was selling a new type of orange peel textured spray. However, the repairs involve dealing with the very height of a vaulted room. The weight of the ceiling fan might have caused a series of cracks along the edges of the sheetrock. Could this be a sign of poor construction techniques? In reality, the cracks probably indicate a combination of poor techniques and the inadequate use of building materials.

Currently, after the application of a base layer of drywall tape the first layer of drywall spackling is drying. Eventually, the drywall will need to be sanded down before a layer of orange peel textured spray can be applied. Finally, a coat of paint will cover the layer of orange peel textured spray. Theoretically, after the completion of the process the ceiling will appear to be uniform.

Yet, those questions about the uniformity of a repaired ceiling will have to wait for definitive answers. Those answers will unfold at the end of the project.

Here are a few written notes from the very successful and well attended 2009 El Paso County Citizens’ College. Saturday September 19, 2009, marked the second day of the two day compressed/accelerated 2009 El Paso County Citizens’ College sponsored by the Citizen Outreach Group of El Paso County, Colorado. The selection process included the inclusion of thirty six people to participate in the Citizens’ College. In general, the fiscally conservative citizens of the area wanted to know who exactly was paying for the event. Private donations and sponsorships provide complete funding for the event. Maybe people wanted to know who was paying for the lunch boxes from Jason’s Deli. Free meals are exceedingly rare within the reality of the current economic conditions.

The courthouse security staff is in proud possession of a body scanning device. These devices are exceedingly rare within the United States. I volunteered to go through the system. The video of my courthouse body scanning experience will probably be available on the El Paso County website. Naturally, the technical advancements made within internet infrastructure create the possibility of online content sharing. Overall, this security system improvement will probably help reduce the number of weapons that potentially enter the courthouse.

El Paso County has a twenty year capital improvement program based on a system of master planning. This roadmap provides a schedule of expected costs and potential expenditures based on potential revenue sources. Should people develop a capital improvement program with complete schedule for private property? Maybe a market exists for a homeownership based capital improvement program. Somebody could probably build a template and market the template. Apparently, employment prospects exist for people interested in either law enforcement professionals or the health care industry. El Paso County probably should invest more money into maintaining infrastructure. What happens when the tax base cannot support the maintenance of the infrastructure? Could this possibly be a nationwide infrastructure problem? When major infrastructure failures occur within government the ability to provide services dissipates.

The health department in El Paso County, Colorado has a mission… the health department deals with the planning for and the response to pandemics… a list of essential services from the health department does exist… who certifies this list? Emergency preparedness has become a primary focus of the health department during the last few years…

Veterans affairs receives funding based on the number of veterans begin severed within the area. The Colorado Springs area has a substantial number of veterans. What is the Veterans Outreach Group?

The clerk and recorder found increased efficiencies by getting almost half of the documents submitted in electronic format…

Under future consideration for attendance:

1) The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office holds a Citizens’ Academy…
2) The City of Colorado Springs holds a Citizens’ Academy…
3) The Colorado Springs Police department holds a Citizens’ Academy…

Standing Questions:

1. How does performance contracting work?
2. How does information technology change expectations for the capital improvement program?
3. What funding streams exist to support the elements of master planning?
4. What is the Whitestone Research Institute?
5. How much does a basic project and project screen cost?

The following prose represents a few notes taken at the Citizens’ College on Saturday September 12, 2009, the first official day of the El Paso County (Colorado) Citizens’ College. Apparently, the City of Colorado Springs also offers a citizens college experience. According to a nonscientific simple headcount, thirty six people are participating in the 2009 El Paso County Citizens’ College. A quick review of the room provides evidence that El Paso County has moved to a single stream recycling program. What is single stream recycling? Single stream recycling involves a contract with a company that can separate multiple types of waste from a single trash receptacle recycling system.

Why do people attend a citizens’ college?
What do people learn from attending a citizens’ college?
What is the 12 week Sheriff’s Citizen Academy?

This is the third citizens’ college sponsored by the Citizen Outreach Group. The two previous citizens’ colleges were much longer… the new format condenses the previously presented content into a two Saturday format. The Citizens Outreach Group also sponsored a table at the Colorado State Fair. A delivery of box lunches will arrive at lunchtime.

The following prose represents a few notes taken during and about the citizens’ college on Saturday September 12, 2009.

This is an education seminar about the various functions of local government, “El Paso County Government 101.” Is county government really the oldest form of government in the United States? A history lesson of the Middle English terminology associated with the derivation of the words: shire, county, and sheriff. The speaker provided a brief history of how terms from Great Britton appeared in the United States. The State of Colorado came from a number of states and territories including Texas, Utah, Nebraska, and Kansas. Arapahoe was the first county founded in the State of Colorado. Colorado has seventeen original counties including El Paso County. Who was General William Jackson Palmer? Who was Spencer Penrose? Why did General Palmer and Spencer Penrose not get along?

Individuals can generate prose in many ways. Writing almost becomes a way of life. In some ways, conversation becomes almost tedious. Without hesitation, writing provides a more direct controlled method of disseminating information compared to conversation. The very relationship described by dialogue introduces a degree of complexity. Written communication offers the writer a simpler mechanism. Sometimes the individual should utilize the simplest method available for information dissemination.

Civil society provides a network of social interconnectivity. Individuals willing to participate within civil society inevitably find communities of purpose, place, interest, and circumstance. Occasionally, a community will develop into a high functioning group. Significant research surrounds various elements of group dynamics.

Sometimes distractions can stall the process of writing. Anything could potentially be a distraction. Over the course of the last year, everything has fundamentally changed. The pervious assertion is not hyperbole. Everything somehow seems older. Everything somehow seems different. Maybe the profound independence of youth has shattered across the ocean of unflinchingly honest modernity. For the social animal to understand society, the social animal needs to experience society. A world exists outside the comforts of technology. Regardless of technology, interpersonal relationships typically change over time. Occasionally, interpersonal relationships substantially change forever.

Generating prose tends to be a habit. In other words, people who write tend to keep writing. Very few writers produce one manuscript and walk away from the habit of writing. This weblog provides a platform for the distribution of prose. Technically, the weblog software can support the presentation of more prose than an individual can possibly generate.

A reader will always be able to read at a brisker pace than any writer can possible maintain. In general, fiction readers demonstrate the ability to easily consumer the work of a multitude of writers. Understanding, the sustained nature of writing within the cultural landscape involves remembering the size of the landscape. Every day the total amount of prose available to readers expands. No reader will ever be able to consume all of the available prose. A reader could potentially read all of the available literary classics or every scientific paper written about a specific topic.

Higher education provides individuals within a guided tour of specific subjects. Most of higher education involves reading the works of other while learning how to write about a variety of subjects. Educators should avoid allowing students to leave an academic program without mastering the process of writing. First, consider a topic worthy of investigation. Second, after the initial process of topic consideration begin the process of generating prose. Third, after drafting a piece of prose revise and edit the manuscript. Sometimes, a writer has to set down the manuscript for a few hours or days to gain perspective on a second round of revisions.

Perhaps now would be a good time for a few words about the subject of continuity. At some level, most of the basic interactions between individuals occur based on a degree of assumed continuity. The people living within a society can share a general sentiment. Over the last few months or even over parts of the last few years the general sentiment of the people has gradually started to change. Civil society stands on the foundation of democratic institutions. Gradually, the very democratic institutions that have endeared since the founding of the United States have transitioned into bureaucratic institutions. Make no mistake the very nature of perpetual bureaucratic institutions remains questionable within a democratic framework.

What exactly is privileged about certain types of discourse? Academics tend to use a specialized language for discussions with academics within the same field or a related field. Even discussions between academics from different disciplines can remove the conditions necessary to engage in privileged discourse.

Consider the ramifications of randomly engaging in discussions with strangers about various academic theorists considerations on the street or at restaurant? Some conversations allow for the possibility of explaining the viewpoints of different academic theorists to define a definitive starting point. Certain discussions are simply complex enough to preclude engaging in exhaustive discourse.

Political dialogue is generally a good place to find examples of truncated conversations. Within the context of political dialogue complex thoughts are generally reduced to axioms and soundbites. Even in televised debates or town hall meetings individuals to not have the capacity to engage in protracted dialogue with the community at large. Modern presidential addresses cannot fulfill the function of mass communication.

One potential method of encouraging political communication would involve requiring local and national political candidates to engage in written dialogue during campaigns. As a mechanism for achieving dialogue between candidates every Saturday and Sunday during the entire campaign the candidates would be responsible for providing about one thousand word essays to all relevant newspapers. For the most part modern politicians do not engage in direct dialogue with the people or other candidates. Providing a written forum for dialogue would change the way information is presented and disseminated.

Most people who take the time to research individual political candidates become frustrated. Determining what a political candidate actually stands for is inherently a complex and frustrating process. For the most part political candidates avoid providing definitive plans and proposals. Perhaps expecting the representatives of the people to provide a definitive representation is overly optimistic.

Part of the essence of early political dialogue during the formation of the United States of America involved the publication of essays and papers. Maybe someday the conditions will exist again to foster the development of another federalist/anti-federalist debate. Perhaps modernity obscures the abilities of the modern essayist to encapsulate the greater ambitions of society.

At what point will society reach the point where complex discourse will be common? Perhaps one single truth defines modern society. Philosophy has reached a degree of complexity that precludes casual conversation. Right now the possibility of philosophy influencing practical discourse does not exist.

Go to the office to work. Sit down at the computer to write. Wait for the computer to start. Maybe getting a drink would help. The coffee maker is in the kitchen. Ignore the distractions and focus on the immediate tasks. Maybe get a glass of water until the coffee maker is finished. Just think after a few cups of coffee it will be time for breakfast. Why did work have to be done in the office?

A few cups of coffee, breakfast, and the morning paper will help set the stage to work at the kitchen table. An entire section of the newspaper is devoted to reviews for new restaurants. Lunch or dinner at one of the new restaurants might be a good plan. Maybe a lengthy dinner would provide a spark of creativity. In this case creativity will just have to wait until dinner.

Distractions are slowing down the entire day. Now it is time to go back to the office and work. Thanks to all the distractions working through lunch will not be an option today. Sit down at the computer to write. Wait for the computer to start. Skipping lunch does not involve forgoing all beverages. Maybe another glass of water will help. The coffee maker is still dirty from breakfast. Now is a good time to clean the coffee maker and finish the dishes from breakfast before they get worse. Does the newspaper on the table have any coupons for the new restaurants?

Focus on the immediate tasks. Coupons in the newspaper might cause the restaurant to be very busy. The restaurant does not have a phone number on the coupon. Get the phone book and call the restaurant. Maybe the restaurant will take reservations. Every dinner time reservation is already taken. Right now skipping lunch seems to have an advantage the restaurant still has some late afternoon reservations.

Better get ready for dinner time to turn the computer off. The new restaurant is all the way on the other side of town. At least traffic will be reasonable. Did the newspaper say the highway bypass was going to be closed today? Better find a map and look up alternate directions to the new restaurant. Maybe the new restaurant put coupons in the newspaper because of the construction. Work will just have to wait until after dinner. Creativity simply does not have a place in the middle of all of this stress.

Finding tasks that provide a sense of accomplishment is not always easy. I know that waking up in the morning is the beginning of a process that requires letting Peppercorn the dog outside, reading the newspaper, and then writing the rest of the morning. Something about the freedom to write about whatever topic comes to mind is exhilarating. However a sense of urgency and pressure surround the responsibility to complete current writing projects before rushing into new writing projects. I realized several years ago that the planning, brainstorming, and design phases of a project are captivating. Shortly after that realization I came to understand the difference between creativity and implementation.

Consider that during a particularly insightful patch of creativity a writer could layout the basis for an entire manuscript. At the same time the brilliantly manuscript layout might require months of research and writing. In this case a single afternoon of creativity could result in a yearlong commitment to the manuscript. Certainly the best manuscript layouts almost write themselves, but at times a technical draft can be rather tedious.

Sometimes the simple act of typing can be the gateway to creativity. Writing a few stream of consciousness based sentences in the morning provides the opportunity to exercise the mind. I often wonder what exactly motivates people on a daily basis. If a task is compelling, then finding the motivation necessary to complete the task should not be a problem. Determining what factors contribute to results and what factors contribute to problems is not an easy task. Part of the challenge involves knowing exactly what to do during the day to achieve real and lasting results. Maybe household chores can take precedence over striving to accomplish long-term goals.

Some projects require so much time and effort during the beginning that they overshadow everyday duties and responsibilities. Working on a major project can require a degree of devotion that requires putting everything else on hold. Some people are not willing to make the commitment to devote an entire day to completing a task. Sometimes it is necessary to find a balance between completing daily activities and talking major projects. Personally, I have a hard time reconciling the balance between devotion toward work and a healthy life.

What are the factors that actually cause a person to be more productive on a daily basis? I need to determine a way to figure out how the factors that contribute to productivity can be studied. At times things seem to be developing the momentum of a boulder rolling down a mountain. At other times everything seems to move forward at the consistency of molasses in January. Certainly having a solid understanding of what actions need to be taken to move forward helps. Defining a set of goals and working to realize those well defined goals involves having a plan of action.
Taking action is often easier to talk about than to actually accomplish. For example writing can often follow a path of expectations and requirement completion. You have to find a way to write with a personal voice while still maintaining an edge that pushes toward social change is difficult to sustain. During the last few weeks the seasons are starting to change, the grass is beginning to day from the watering moratorium, and Peppercorn the dog is beginning to recover from a broken hind leg.

Making time to finish the tasks that need to be finished on a daily basis requires focus. Ensuring that you have the time to finish the tasks that should be finished requires determination. Believing that you have the ability to make the most of your time requires inner strength. Striving to ensure that tasks that are personally important to you are completed requires a strong personal belief in what you are doing. Anyone can dream about a wide variety of things, but realizing the dream requires motivation, determination, and the ability to strive forward.
Sometimes a task becomes so daunting that trying to complete it requires defining a series of manageable segments. Writing a book usually requires working on chapters, sections, paragraphs, sentences, and even individual word choices. Every part of the book is important to completing the book. Without proper word choice a chapter would never develop. Without chapters the individual word choices would never develop from sentences into paragraphs forming sections that make up chapters. As a manuscript develops the writer has to maintain perspective on what requires attention and what does not require immediate attention.

Working toward the goal with the end product in mind requires understanding both the end product and the process necessary to achieve that end product. Maybe it is the daily grind that favors monotony over opportunity. Perhaps it is easier to realize stability than creativity. Moving forward requires a willingness to accept change instead of embracing the stability of monotony. Asking someone to embrace endless changes can create an illusive moving target that obscures the realization of a dream or the achievement of a specific goal. A better path toward success involves defining the changes necessary to realize a dream of achieve a goal.

Some congratulations should be extended to Dr. Jaccie for a successful dissertation defense yesterday. It seems like just yesterday that Dr. Jaccie and I graduated beyond bachelor degrees to the somewhat elusive degree of master from the University of Kansas. Right now, I tip my hat to the accomplishments of Dr. Jaccie for winning the race to earning a doctoral degree. Maybe this good news will raise my level of writing awareness and provide me with additional motivation. During the writing process, sometimes the goals of a writer can be obscured by false promises of temporary relief.

Perhaps it is important to note that every once in awhile someone sends an email full of questions about doctoral education after reading the weblog. I am glad people are able to find the weblog. Doctoral education programs are about the training an individual receives in terms of research skills, critical thinking, and of course written communication. Consider for a moment that not all areas of the United States of America have a public administration or public policy and administration doctoral program. Higher education is a dream of mine and to realize that dream I decided to attend Walden University. First, I would tell you that a Walden University dissertation rests in the same database with all dissertations from other institutions of higher education. Second, a doctoral degree only provides an individual with potential opportunities. An individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities define how an individual capitalizes on opportunities. If an individual is pursuing continuing education, then Walden University works with current employment, family obligations, and of course educational requirements. If an individual were interested in being a traditional full time student, then Walden University would not be able to provide the individual with a traditional brick and mortar environment.

As the academic residency enters the second week, students seem to work toward accomplishing goals and objectives. During the Applied Management and Decision Sciences conference last week, questions about the path to publishing developed. Writing a journal article is about finding a voice to communicate meaningful commentary and findings on a topic of importance to a community of interested readers. A degree of consideration exists between a journal article writer and a journal article reader. Academics will suspend disbelief and criticism to read an academic journal article up until the moment when credibility fades away. Academic writing serves a very well defined pursue within the academic community. Journal articles provide a forum to communicate complex ideas to a community of interest for the purpose of disseminating information and soliciting public comment.
New scholars often face the academic publishing challenge of self-censorship. Overcoming the effects of self-censorship on academic publishing requires setting personal goals and staying on the path toward publishing. A scholar that never writes a paper will never have a paper published. The following example includes one possible strategy for staying on the path toward publishing. Understand all of the available publishing opportunities by identifying local conferences, regional conferences, national conferences, and journals. Start an idea journal and never stop writing down ideas! Each idea in the journal has the potential to become a journal article. Take some of the ideas can create journal article folders to hold article outlines, initial drafts, and a list of the journal requirements. Certain ideas will stand out from the rest allowing a writer to pursue publishing options by maintaining at least three active journal article folders.
Everyday does not have to be entirely devoted to the pursuit of publishing, but some time each day should be devoted to the pursuit of scholarly endeavors. Between conducting original research, scholarly reading, and other scholarly responsibilities, writing everyday almost has to become a habit. Being able to write everyday requires knowing what to write about on a daily basis. Keeping a journal of potential article ideas or topics of interest can provide the foundation necessary to write on a daily basis. Depending on the skill of the writer and the importance of the topic in question, some writing can be more productive than other writing. For example, some writers need to engage in active debate by writing down all of the arguments in affirmation and negation of a concept or idea before integrating the arguments.