Comments on: City of Austin Website Controversy http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/2009/03/25/austin-website-controversy/ Home Base for Ian Strain-Seymour: social media, search, web analytics, usability Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:14:08 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: ianstrainseymour http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/2009/03/25/austin-website-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-9 ianstrainseymour Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:51:50 +0000 http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/?p=87#comment-9 It is ironic, but not atypical. Just as many of the rules and lessons of word of mouth marketing are being relearned b the social commerce set, so are many of the rules of grass roots and neighbourhood politics. <br><br>The folks are Responsible Growth for Northcross for example, have done a great job of using the web and social media to get their message out and to organize. It is ironic, but not atypical. Just as many of the rules and lessons of word of mouth marketing are being relearned b the social commerce set, so are many of the rules of grass roots and neighbourhood politics.

The folks are Responsible Growth for Northcross for example, have done a great job of using the web and social media to get their message out and to organize.

]]> By: Pete http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/2009/03/25/austin-website-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Pete Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:45:23 +0000 http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/?p=87#comment-8 Doesn't it seem ironic to use globalized social networking software to transcend distance in order to protest a local issue? Cool confluence, though, of distance/software/local issues.<br><br>Pete Doesn't it seem ironic to use globalized social networking software to transcend distance in order to protest a local issue? Cool confluence, though, of distance/software/local issues.

Pete

]]> By: ianstrainseymour http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/2009/03/25/austin-website-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-6 ianstrainseymour Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:29:00 +0000 http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/?p=87#comment-6 For you Sam? All if forgiven. <br><br>You raised some great points. I think the comparison to the music industry is a good one. While not as sexy as the music & film industry, the technology industry is a big driving force in Austin's rise of the last 20 years. For you Sam? All if forgiven.

You raised some great points. I think the comparison to the music industry is a good one. While not as sexy as the music & film industry, the technology industry is a big driving force in Austin's rise of the last 20 years.

]]> By: Sam Eder http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/2009/03/25/austin-website-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Sam Eder Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:19:11 +0000 http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/?p=87#comment-5 ps- forgive the typos, no coffee for me, yet ;) ps- forgive the typos, no coffee for me, yet ;)

]]> By: Sam Eder http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/2009/03/25/austin-website-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Sam Eder Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:17:37 +0000 http://www.ianstrainseymour.com/blog/?p=87#comment-4 Sound like a great idea! Leave it to you to come up with something like this so quickly! <br><br>I do disagree on one point in your post, however. I think we are right to be outraged about this issue. The city, like others across the country, is facing a major budget crisis- driven in good measure by falling tax revenue. In this environment, injecting $700k in to the local interactive industry, has immediate impact on the economy and trickle down benefits to the City's coffers. There numerous studies that show that money spent with local companies has a great impact on that economy than money spend with companies elsewhere. But that isn't the only focus of our outrage. <br><br>The other issue at hand is that this decision reveals a huge disconnect between the City Council and the Austin interactive and tech communities. Why is it that an RFP of this size was a surprise to all but a handful of people in Austin? Were there townhall meetings? Did the city reach out to leaders in the Interactive community for feedback? When only 3 of the 200 plus RFPs were returned, did they reconsider the how the RFP was conducted? I think these are all valid questions to be asking our local government, especially before they spend that much on a project like a website overhaul.<br><br>Finally, given our reputation nationally, it seems almost insulting that the City would consider this selection and not reach out proactively to quell the uproar. If the City had picked a regional band out of California for its opening day celebration, they would have anticipated the firestorm and (hopefully) gotten in front of the story before it spiraled out of control. I guess our reputation as a leading city in interactive design and that reputation's impact on our local economy means very little to our city government. Sound like a great idea! Leave it to you to come up with something like this so quickly!

I do disagree on one point in your post, however. I think we are right to be outraged about this issue. The city, like others across the country, is facing a major budget crisis- driven in good measure by falling tax revenue. In this environment, injecting $700k in to the local interactive industry, has immediate impact on the economy and trickle down benefits to the City's coffers. There numerous studies that show that money spent with local companies has a great impact on that economy than money spend with companies elsewhere. But that isn't the only focus of our outrage.

The other issue at hand is that this decision reveals a huge disconnect between the City Council and the Austin interactive and tech communities. Why is it that an RFP of this size was a surprise to all but a handful of people in Austin? Were there townhall meetings? Did the city reach out to leaders in the Interactive community for feedback? When only 3 of the 200 plus RFPs were returned, did they reconsider the how the RFP was conducted? I think these are all valid questions to be asking our local government, especially before they spend that much on a project like a website overhaul.

Finally, given our reputation nationally, it seems almost insulting that the City would consider this selection and not reach out proactively to quell the uproar. If the City had picked a regional band out of California for its opening day celebration, they would have anticipated the firestorm and (hopefully) gotten in front of the story before it spiraled out of control. I guess our reputation as a leading city in interactive design and that reputation's impact on our local economy means very little to our city government.

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