GCAmigo
12-21 12:36 PM
>>>How about setting up your own consulting company?
Nothing prevents you from doing it while on H1!
Nothing prevents you from doing it while on H1!
darkblue2007
10-13 11:58 AM
I have a close friend who has floated a company to pursue an entrepreneurial dream.
My husband is currently working in US and has filed for GC (140 approved status). I have an EAD and am working in a company very close to where I am staying.
My friend has requested me to help market clients for the product that they are developing.. Is it ok for me to approach companies, as a representative of my friend's company and try selling the product(strictly non-compensational)? Or will there be legal hassles in doing this? Please enlighten me with your thoughts..
Appreciate your help in advance.
I dont understand why you are hesitating to do this. Since you have EAD, you can do volunteer work as long as you wont get paid. There wont be any legal hassles in doing this
My husband is currently working in US and has filed for GC (140 approved status). I have an EAD and am working in a company very close to where I am staying.
My friend has requested me to help market clients for the product that they are developing.. Is it ok for me to approach companies, as a representative of my friend's company and try selling the product(strictly non-compensational)? Or will there be legal hassles in doing this? Please enlighten me with your thoughts..
Appreciate your help in advance.
I dont understand why you are hesitating to do this. Since you have EAD, you can do volunteer work as long as you wont get paid. There wont be any legal hassles in doing this
ganguteli
06-04 03:17 PM
This is a good thing.
These consulting companies who were abusing the visa will be taught a lesson.
People used to complain a lot about desi companies and now when USCIS has finally become tough they are complaining about it.
You cannot have it both ways.
These consulting companies who were abusing the visa will be taught a lesson.
People used to complain a lot about desi companies and now when USCIS has finally become tough they are complaining about it.
You cannot have it both ways.
coolpal
02-06 10:34 AM
thanks sanju for the quick response..
My information in the profile is the most up to date info I have. My priority date is not current, and I am sorry if something in my previous post gave you that impression.
I am still using my H1B status and my wife is using her EAD, but since we applied for 485 in 2007, we have applied for EAD twice (once with 485 appl and a renewal later) but never received FPs.
Do you think I should still setup an Infopass?
thanks,
pal
My information in the profile is the most up to date info I have. My priority date is not current, and I am sorry if something in my previous post gave you that impression.
I am still using my H1B status and my wife is using her EAD, but since we applied for 485 in 2007, we have applied for EAD twice (once with 485 appl and a renewal later) but never received FPs.
Do you think I should still setup an Infopass?
thanks,
pal
more...
gc_chahiye
11-29 03:33 PM
My attorney received a letter saying "Intent to Deny" reason being not having Mats in graduation.
But the fact is I have Maths and I did 4 Math courses in graduation and provisional clearly shows maths1, Maths2, maths3, maths4.
Letter says Vallabhu has done Courses in Sanskrit,English, Physics and Geology but nothing in Maths.
and This how each year of transcripts look like
Physics1
Maths1
Geology1
Physics2
Maths2
Geology2
Physics3
Maths3
Maths4
Geology3
I don't know how can he miss Maths from this.
Does any one else heard/faced a similar issue in the past.
What does your attorney say? Respond asap with copies of your transcripts highlighting the maths related courses...
But the fact is I have Maths and I did 4 Math courses in graduation and provisional clearly shows maths1, Maths2, maths3, maths4.
Letter says Vallabhu has done Courses in Sanskrit,English, Physics and Geology but nothing in Maths.
and This how each year of transcripts look like
Physics1
Maths1
Geology1
Physics2
Maths2
Geology2
Physics3
Maths3
Maths4
Geology3
I don't know how can he miss Maths from this.
Does any one else heard/faced a similar issue in the past.
What does your attorney say? Respond asap with copies of your transcripts highlighting the maths related courses...
Sakthisagar
04-30 10:07 AM
I feel I had taken the right decision. I moved back to India in Nov 09 itself. I had a PD of feb 08 and was in EB-2 but looking at all the mess,I had decided to move back.
Good for you do you feel in India politics is much better?? man still a forgein lady is ruling India. if you are in India why you bother about this mess. be at peace with yourself. enjoy life. dont bother ..
Good for you do you feel in India politics is much better?? man still a forgein lady is ruling India. if you are in India why you bother about this mess. be at peace with yourself. enjoy life. dont bother ..
more...
randallemery
03-10 10:22 PM
Immigration Press Briefing
9:00 am PST, February 28, 2006
This week the AFL-CIO Committee on Immigration adopted one of the most innovative and progressive frameworks for achieving real comprehensive immigration reform. As it stands today, our immigration system is nothing more than a blueprint for exploitation of both foreign and native-born workers. Overhaul of our nation's broken immigration laws is long overdue.
We believe that America deserves a more just and democratic immigration system that protects the interests of ALL workers within our borders-immigrants and U.S.-born workers alike.
It's a tragedy that instead of advocating for permanent relief to the millions of undocumented workers already in this country, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, our nation's leaders continue to push for the same old hollow policies that if enacted will only drive immigrants further into the shadows of American society while allowing employers to depress labor protections and standards for ALL workers within our borders.
Instead of comprehensive reform, many of our leaders continue to look to outdated temporary guestworker programs as a cure-all solution. Real immigration reform cannot and should not be designed primarily to enlarge guestworker programs that have served only to provide greedy employers with a steady stream of vulnerable, indentured workers they may exploit for commercial gain.
This week AFL-CIO unions have voted on a landmark resolution that breaks away from this oppressive guestworker mold and offers a more just and viable solution that will benefit all workers. To be effective, comprehensive immigration reform must include three key, interdependent goals: 1) reform proposals MUST provide a clear and well-defined path to permanent residency for those workers already here and contributing to their communities 2) our laws must include uniform enforcement of workplace standards to ensure a more just and level playing field and 3) to achieve a blanket standard of workplace right, we MUST reject outdated guestworker constructs that by their very nature harm the interests of foreign and U.S born workers alike.
The horrific abuses suffered by workers in the first such program, the post -World War II bracero program, are well documented and indisputable. And although most people like to think of bracero programs as a phenomenon of the past, the reality is that their legacy of exploitation and abuse continues to thrive in contemporary American society through modern guestworker programs such as the H1-B and H2-B. President Junemann will talk more about how employers take advantage of H1-Bs and exploit workers while eroding wages and workplace standards within the high tech industry
We believe that there is absolutely no good reason why any immigrant who comes to this country prepared to work, to pay taxes, and to abide by our laws and rules should be relegated to this repressive, second-class guestworker status.
To embrace the expansion of temporary guestworker programs is to embrace the creation of an undemocratic, two-tiered society.
To combat this model, the AFL-CIO has put forth a more humane and democratic alternative. We propose that if employers can demonstrate a real need for outside workers, these workers should be allowed into our country with the SAME RIGHTS AND LABOR PROTECTIONS of any U.S. citizen. When there is a real need for foreign workers, we should embrace these workers NOT as "guests" but as FULL members of society --as PERMANENT RESIDENTS with full rights and full mobility that greedy employers may NOT exploit.
What immigrant workers need is a real path to legalization and a method for addressing America's future needs for outside labor in a way that guarantees immigrant workers--and thus ALL workers--full rights, and a real voice on the job. As a nation that prides itself on fair treatment and equality, we simply cannot settle for anything less.
9:00 am PST, February 28, 2006
This week the AFL-CIO Committee on Immigration adopted one of the most innovative and progressive frameworks for achieving real comprehensive immigration reform. As it stands today, our immigration system is nothing more than a blueprint for exploitation of both foreign and native-born workers. Overhaul of our nation's broken immigration laws is long overdue.
We believe that America deserves a more just and democratic immigration system that protects the interests of ALL workers within our borders-immigrants and U.S.-born workers alike.
It's a tragedy that instead of advocating for permanent relief to the millions of undocumented workers already in this country, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, our nation's leaders continue to push for the same old hollow policies that if enacted will only drive immigrants further into the shadows of American society while allowing employers to depress labor protections and standards for ALL workers within our borders.
Instead of comprehensive reform, many of our leaders continue to look to outdated temporary guestworker programs as a cure-all solution. Real immigration reform cannot and should not be designed primarily to enlarge guestworker programs that have served only to provide greedy employers with a steady stream of vulnerable, indentured workers they may exploit for commercial gain.
This week AFL-CIO unions have voted on a landmark resolution that breaks away from this oppressive guestworker mold and offers a more just and viable solution that will benefit all workers. To be effective, comprehensive immigration reform must include three key, interdependent goals: 1) reform proposals MUST provide a clear and well-defined path to permanent residency for those workers already here and contributing to their communities 2) our laws must include uniform enforcement of workplace standards to ensure a more just and level playing field and 3) to achieve a blanket standard of workplace right, we MUST reject outdated guestworker constructs that by their very nature harm the interests of foreign and U.S born workers alike.
The horrific abuses suffered by workers in the first such program, the post -World War II bracero program, are well documented and indisputable. And although most people like to think of bracero programs as a phenomenon of the past, the reality is that their legacy of exploitation and abuse continues to thrive in contemporary American society through modern guestworker programs such as the H1-B and H2-B. President Junemann will talk more about how employers take advantage of H1-Bs and exploit workers while eroding wages and workplace standards within the high tech industry
We believe that there is absolutely no good reason why any immigrant who comes to this country prepared to work, to pay taxes, and to abide by our laws and rules should be relegated to this repressive, second-class guestworker status.
To embrace the expansion of temporary guestworker programs is to embrace the creation of an undemocratic, two-tiered society.
To combat this model, the AFL-CIO has put forth a more humane and democratic alternative. We propose that if employers can demonstrate a real need for outside workers, these workers should be allowed into our country with the SAME RIGHTS AND LABOR PROTECTIONS of any U.S. citizen. When there is a real need for foreign workers, we should embrace these workers NOT as "guests" but as FULL members of society --as PERMANENT RESIDENTS with full rights and full mobility that greedy employers may NOT exploit.
What immigrant workers need is a real path to legalization and a method for addressing America's future needs for outside labor in a way that guarantees immigrant workers--and thus ALL workers--full rights, and a real voice on the job. As a nation that prides itself on fair treatment and equality, we simply cannot settle for anything less.
Blog Feeds
08-08 09:30 AM
These are fun and hot summer days for us Immigration lawyers filing H1B cases (http://www.h1b.biz/lawyer-attorney-1137085.html). As employers are starting to hire again, we are faced with the challenges of the new Labor Condition Application System, iCert.
The Labor Condition Application is a document which must be certified by the US Department of Labour and it an integral part in the H-1B applications. This document details the terms and conditions of employment, details of the employer, the work profile, rate of salary, prevailing salary (it means the lowest salary that can be paid to a h-1b visa holder) and the location where the h-1b holder will work. As of July 1, 2009 all LCA applications must be done via the icert system (http://icert.doleta.gov/)
In the past week or so many LCA cases came back with denial notices. The notices had the following language:
Reason for Denial: Section C.12 of this application contains an obvious inaccuracy. The Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) value entered in Section C.12 of the ETA Form 9035E could not be verified by the CNPC as a valid nine-digit FEIN assigned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In order for the employer to overcome the issue identified on the denial determination for any future LCAs submitted using this exact FEINThe solution according to AILA for correcting an LCA denial when DOL states it cannot verify the FEIN is to provide FEIN documentation to the LCA Helpdesk in Chicago. This morning, DOL revised the FEIN-based iCERT denial notice, and it contains information on what documents to send via email to DOL or by fax. We hope this will resolve the problem and the unnecessary delays as the system takes almost a week to process a regular case. We will keep you posted.
More... (http://www.visalawyerblog.com/2009/08/h1b_visa_lawyer_about_icert_wo.html)
The Labor Condition Application is a document which must be certified by the US Department of Labour and it an integral part in the H-1B applications. This document details the terms and conditions of employment, details of the employer, the work profile, rate of salary, prevailing salary (it means the lowest salary that can be paid to a h-1b visa holder) and the location where the h-1b holder will work. As of July 1, 2009 all LCA applications must be done via the icert system (http://icert.doleta.gov/)
In the past week or so many LCA cases came back with denial notices. The notices had the following language:
Reason for Denial: Section C.12 of this application contains an obvious inaccuracy. The Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) value entered in Section C.12 of the ETA Form 9035E could not be verified by the CNPC as a valid nine-digit FEIN assigned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In order for the employer to overcome the issue identified on the denial determination for any future LCAs submitted using this exact FEINThe solution according to AILA for correcting an LCA denial when DOL states it cannot verify the FEIN is to provide FEIN documentation to the LCA Helpdesk in Chicago. This morning, DOL revised the FEIN-based iCERT denial notice, and it contains information on what documents to send via email to DOL or by fax. We hope this will resolve the problem and the unnecessary delays as the system takes almost a week to process a regular case. We will keep you posted.
More... (http://www.visalawyerblog.com/2009/08/h1b_visa_lawyer_about_icert_wo.html)
more...
jcrajput
12-31 09:26 AM
Thank you for your help. I really appericate your response.
I have one more question. How I can apply for AP? How long AP is valid for?
I have one more question. How I can apply for AP? How long AP is valid for?
.jpg "1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32)")
ck2009
06-19 12:17 AM
Hi,
I received an RFE on my H1-B application this year with the following questions. My H1-B sponsorer is currently discussing with the attorneys to better handle this situation. I would appreciate if someone can respond me how to handle this scenario properly.
Following are the context from the RFE document.
---------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is in receipt of your Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129). Additional evidence is required in order to process your application:
Y ur company provides IT Consulting services. The record does not establish where, when, or for whom the beneficiary will work. USCIS regulations at 8 CFR part 214.2(h)(2)(i)(B) provide that an H petition which requires services to be performed in more than one location must include an itinerary with the dates and locations of the services to be provided.
Submit an itinerary of the work sites the beneficiary is assigned to, to include specific dates, locations, and the name of each work site where the beneficiary�s services will be delivered.
Submit a letter from each work site that identifies the name of the project and beneficiary is assigned to, the name of the vendor through whom the beneficiary�s services are provided, and whether the work site has the ability to assign the beneficiary to a different employer. Each letter must provide the address and telephone number where a contact can be reached.
For each of the beneficiary�s work assignments, identify the succession of consulting or staffing businesses involved in the assignment of the beneficiary to each ultimate work location. Include the related succession of contracts and work orders. The contracts and work orders must provide the address and telephone number where a contact can be reached. All contracts must be signed.
For each of the beneficiary�s work assignments, submit a letter from the business with ultimate control and authority over the beneficiary�s work. The letter must address the title and duties of the beneficiary�s position, the minimum education requirement for the contracted position, and the name and title of the person who primarily supervises or will supervise the beneficiary at the work site. This information is necessary to determine whether the actual duties to be performed under contract for an end client are duties associated with the specialty occupation sought.
If the beneficiary will work on an in-house project, submit evidence describing the in-house project, the length of time the beneficiary is expected to work on the project, team members assigned to the project, their titles and duties, and invoices showing the sale of the product to your customers. Explain the qualification necessary for the project and how the beneficiary is qualified for the project. Provide copies of client contracts with details that specify the in-house project name, location, definite starting and ending dates. All contracts should be current and include signatures and contact information from representatives of both companies.
I received an RFE on my H1-B application this year with the following questions. My H1-B sponsorer is currently discussing with the attorneys to better handle this situation. I would appreciate if someone can respond me how to handle this scenario properly.
Following are the context from the RFE document.
---------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is in receipt of your Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129). Additional evidence is required in order to process your application:
Y ur company provides IT Consulting services. The record does not establish where, when, or for whom the beneficiary will work. USCIS regulations at 8 CFR part 214.2(h)(2)(i)(B) provide that an H petition which requires services to be performed in more than one location must include an itinerary with the dates and locations of the services to be provided.
Submit an itinerary of the work sites the beneficiary is assigned to, to include specific dates, locations, and the name of each work site where the beneficiary�s services will be delivered.
Submit a letter from each work site that identifies the name of the project and beneficiary is assigned to, the name of the vendor through whom the beneficiary�s services are provided, and whether the work site has the ability to assign the beneficiary to a different employer. Each letter must provide the address and telephone number where a contact can be reached.
For each of the beneficiary�s work assignments, identify the succession of consulting or staffing businesses involved in the assignment of the beneficiary to each ultimate work location. Include the related succession of contracts and work orders. The contracts and work orders must provide the address and telephone number where a contact can be reached. All contracts must be signed.
For each of the beneficiary�s work assignments, submit a letter from the business with ultimate control and authority over the beneficiary�s work. The letter must address the title and duties of the beneficiary�s position, the minimum education requirement for the contracted position, and the name and title of the person who primarily supervises or will supervise the beneficiary at the work site. This information is necessary to determine whether the actual duties to be performed under contract for an end client are duties associated with the specialty occupation sought.
If the beneficiary will work on an in-house project, submit evidence describing the in-house project, the length of time the beneficiary is expected to work on the project, team members assigned to the project, their titles and duties, and invoices showing the sale of the product to your customers. Explain the qualification necessary for the project and how the beneficiary is qualified for the project. Provide copies of client contracts with details that specify the in-house project name, location, definite starting and ending dates. All contracts should be current and include signatures and contact information from representatives of both companies.
more...
up_guy
08-27 04:09 PM
What was the cause for H1B rejection??
My H-1 B was not rejected, just application got returned back to the lawyer because some form was missing in it. They had refiled it back.
I donot know any other details, as lawyer did not share it with me..
My H-1 B was not rejected, just application got returned back to the lawyer because some form was missing in it. They had refiled it back.
I donot know any other details, as lawyer did not share it with me..
qasleuth
05-06 12:51 AM
My employer needs to pay me back wages for 3 months from Dec-2008 to Feb-2009. I travelled to India in March and informed the employer about the same after reaching India. Now the employer have filed a civil case against me for contract dispute. Can I file a complaint against my employer in Department of Labor, to get back the pending wages till March from outside the country?
Please help, as we are in a difficult financial situation and I cannot pay the employer the amount he demands for contract dispute, if the court rules against me, unless he pays me my pendng wages.
As per your post, your employer did not pay you for 3 months and yet he filed a case for breaking a contract. What contract does he say you have broken ?
Please help, as we are in a difficult financial situation and I cannot pay the employer the amount he demands for contract dispute, if the court rules against me, unless he pays me my pendng wages.
As per your post, your employer did not pay you for 3 months and yet he filed a case for breaking a contract. What contract does he say you have broken ?
more...
saxx
01-11 08:23 AM
Thats ****ing amazing dude.
bobbydalal
05-21 10:13 AM
Guys whatever will happen we got to start sending faxes to white house too. We got to overdo the numberusa pepole by far if we want any hope of relief for EB category.If u go on numberusa they r sending fax everyday to whitehouse n congress. So we got to do the same and overdo them. We got to get congress look at our cases and the years of waiting to get our green cards So the forum should do something and we all should start faxing.
more...
Pagal
06-02 09:49 AM
Hello,
Sorry to read that! Definitely file a lawsuit to ask not only for 30k, but also for financial hardship resulting from the outcome.
Regarding reentry, there should not be any problem for your Mom as the bills were addressed to you (so her name should not be on defaulter list).
There is insurance (Visitor Health Insurance, Pre-existing condition coverage, AIU (http://www..us) - which covers pre-existing conditions) and their rates are competitive. But I've never had to file a claim, so don't know if they would be different...
Sorry to read that! Definitely file a lawsuit to ask not only for 30k, but also for financial hardship resulting from the outcome.
Regarding reentry, there should not be any problem for your Mom as the bills were addressed to you (so her name should not be on defaulter list).
There is insurance (Visitor Health Insurance, Pre-existing condition coverage, AIU (http://www..us) - which covers pre-existing conditions) and their rates are competitive. But I've never had to file a claim, so don't know if they would be different...
LOL123
06-24 09:12 AM
I had the same experience. exactly the same message and then the day after it was showing delivered. You should be fine.
Yes. I sent my ead renewal app on friday to reach on saturday. On saturday, when I checked the status, it was exactly the status you have written. When I checked again this morning (Monday), it said the mail was accepted at 5.30 am this morning.
I find it hard to believe the mail was delivered to and was signed by someone at USCIS at 5.30 in the morning. So I think it is just a problem with USPS and the way they update status.
Yes. I sent my ead renewal app on friday to reach on saturday. On saturday, when I checked the status, it was exactly the status you have written. When I checked again this morning (Monday), it said the mail was accepted at 5.30 am this morning.
I find it hard to believe the mail was delivered to and was signed by someone at USCIS at 5.30 in the morning. So I think it is just a problem with USPS and the way they update status.
more...
abheja
08-25 10:47 PM
Thank you for clarifying snathan. The company will definitely not do anything illegal, in fact it is the legality that is creating challenges. One other question came up today. If a qualified candidates applies for the job (PERM), does the company have to accept the candidate and let me go? All of these questions did not come up while filing EB3 but they are now concerned.
.jpg "1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32)")
BharatPremi
11-30 06:16 PM
You need to invoke IV-21 :D
Good One...:D.. Then I will have to wait for 6 months from today...:D
Good One...:D.. Then I will have to wait for 6 months from today...:D
PDOCT05
10-29 12:32 PM
Pls check the fees to be sent with new application, you might have to send the new fees. consult your lawyer
Thanks much for all your suggestions..i will inform lawyer about this.,
Thanks much for all your suggestions..i will inform lawyer about this.,
zerozerozeven
05-07 12:00 AM
Time to get our voices heard
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1896482,00.html?cnn=yes
The first tweet the White House Twittered was not about the weather. It had nothing to do with how the President was feeling, what he was doing or what he wanted for lunch. The First Dog, Bo, failed to receive even an oblique mention.
Instead, the Obama Administration jumped with both feet into the 140-character Twitterverse on May 1 with a one-sentence post on how Americans can learn about swine flu directly by joining social networks with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We wanted to use these tools to some end, some effect, some public good," said Macon Phillips, the White House Director of New Media. (See the best social-networking applications.)
So it has gone in the first few months of the Obama Administration. At the new President's urging and by his example, the entire Federal Government has bounded into the world of social-networking. Twenty-five agencies now have YouTube channels. The Library of Congress has begun posting thousands of free historical photos on Flickr. In the past week alone, about 30 agencies, including the White House, have joined Facebook.
"The whole pondering process � Should we do it? Should we not do it? � has been truncated because the White House is doing it," says Theresa Nasif, director of the Federal Citizen Information Center, which helps coordinate Web outreach. "It's very exciting to be in government."
The federal technology transformation remains very much a work in progress, with several agencies just beginning to grapple with allowing employees to even access social-networking sites. The White House communications team, for instance, is not able to access the government's Facebook postings and Twitter feeds, let alone those of reporters from the press corps, because of filters installed at the White House. (The White House New Media team, which posts on the networks from four old speech-writing rooms in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, has been able to win an exemption from this policy.)
Still, the Administration has already made great strides in opening up to technological innovation. On Jan. 21, his first full day in office, Obama signed an Executive Order calling for all departments and agencies to "establish a system of transparency, public participation and collaboration." At the same time, White House lawyers, working with other federal agencies, sought to create new "terms of use" agreements with private companies that would allow government to sign up for social networks like MySpace, YouTube and Facebook as if they were just another person. What was once the sole domain of adventuresome government agencies and officials soon became standard policy.
At present, government lawyers have drafted agreements with 10 private social-networking companies. (The tailored agreements take into account certain federal privacy statutes and require that disputes be settled in federal court, not state courts.) Six other private-sector products, including iTunes, are being considered for further expansion, potentially clearing the way for easy iPod downloads of Obama Administration messages.
At some agencies, like the White House, other considerations had to be taken into account. To comply with the Presidential Records Act, every Twitter and Facebook posting, for instance, generates an e-mail record that can be stored with other records. Citizen responses to the White House postings are also sampled and archived for the sake of history. On Monday, to coincide with the announcement of a crackdown on corporate overseas tax havens, the White House Twitter feed asked followers � who now number more than 40,000 � for their reaction. Jason Furman, deputy director of the White House National Economic Council, responded to three of the questions in a follow-up posting, which was linked to the White House blog. The questions, far from softballs, led to a discussion of the difference between statutory and effective tax rates, among other things. (See the 50 best websites of 2008.)
Other areas of government have had success on a far greater scale. The CDC, which began experimenting with social media three years ago, has created a raft of YouTube videos, podcasts, webpage widgets and Twitter-size feeds to inform the public about the latest news on the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. Between April 22 and May 4, the CDC received 1.2 million views of flu-related material on YouTube and 46.6 million Web-page views, and attracted 99,000 followers on its Twitter feed "CDCemergency," which provides breaking updates on health issues. Janice Nall of the CDC's Center for Health Marketing says the agency is interested in employing any social media that people use. As for Twitter, she added, "It just happens to be sexy right now."
Several agencies have been struggling to free themselves of bureaucratic restraints, like filtering software that bars employees from accessing social networks from work computers. In recent months, both the Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have opened up employee access to social-networking tools. The Defense Department has also been going online, with a new Air Force Twitter page and a Facebook page for General Ray Odierno, the U.S. commander of multinational forces in Iraq.
Nonetheless, the entire project of making the government social-network-friendly remains in its infancy. As it stands, the government controls about 24,000 websites but is only beginning to utilize the social-networking sites on which citizens are spending an increasing amount of their time. Yet the historic bureaucratic resistance to adapting to new media has clearly begun to fade, says Bev Godwin, director of Online Resources and Interagency Development at the White House. "I think you will see a huge increase in use across the government of social-networking tools," she says.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1896482,00.html?cnn=yes
The first tweet the White House Twittered was not about the weather. It had nothing to do with how the President was feeling, what he was doing or what he wanted for lunch. The First Dog, Bo, failed to receive even an oblique mention.
Instead, the Obama Administration jumped with both feet into the 140-character Twitterverse on May 1 with a one-sentence post on how Americans can learn about swine flu directly by joining social networks with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We wanted to use these tools to some end, some effect, some public good," said Macon Phillips, the White House Director of New Media. (See the best social-networking applications.)
So it has gone in the first few months of the Obama Administration. At the new President's urging and by his example, the entire Federal Government has bounded into the world of social-networking. Twenty-five agencies now have YouTube channels. The Library of Congress has begun posting thousands of free historical photos on Flickr. In the past week alone, about 30 agencies, including the White House, have joined Facebook.
"The whole pondering process � Should we do it? Should we not do it? � has been truncated because the White House is doing it," says Theresa Nasif, director of the Federal Citizen Information Center, which helps coordinate Web outreach. "It's very exciting to be in government."
The federal technology transformation remains very much a work in progress, with several agencies just beginning to grapple with allowing employees to even access social-networking sites. The White House communications team, for instance, is not able to access the government's Facebook postings and Twitter feeds, let alone those of reporters from the press corps, because of filters installed at the White House. (The White House New Media team, which posts on the networks from four old speech-writing rooms in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, has been able to win an exemption from this policy.)
Still, the Administration has already made great strides in opening up to technological innovation. On Jan. 21, his first full day in office, Obama signed an Executive Order calling for all departments and agencies to "establish a system of transparency, public participation and collaboration." At the same time, White House lawyers, working with other federal agencies, sought to create new "terms of use" agreements with private companies that would allow government to sign up for social networks like MySpace, YouTube and Facebook as if they were just another person. What was once the sole domain of adventuresome government agencies and officials soon became standard policy.
At present, government lawyers have drafted agreements with 10 private social-networking companies. (The tailored agreements take into account certain federal privacy statutes and require that disputes be settled in federal court, not state courts.) Six other private-sector products, including iTunes, are being considered for further expansion, potentially clearing the way for easy iPod downloads of Obama Administration messages.
At some agencies, like the White House, other considerations had to be taken into account. To comply with the Presidential Records Act, every Twitter and Facebook posting, for instance, generates an e-mail record that can be stored with other records. Citizen responses to the White House postings are also sampled and archived for the sake of history. On Monday, to coincide with the announcement of a crackdown on corporate overseas tax havens, the White House Twitter feed asked followers � who now number more than 40,000 � for their reaction. Jason Furman, deputy director of the White House National Economic Council, responded to three of the questions in a follow-up posting, which was linked to the White House blog. The questions, far from softballs, led to a discussion of the difference between statutory and effective tax rates, among other things. (See the 50 best websites of 2008.)
Other areas of government have had success on a far greater scale. The CDC, which began experimenting with social media three years ago, has created a raft of YouTube videos, podcasts, webpage widgets and Twitter-size feeds to inform the public about the latest news on the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. Between April 22 and May 4, the CDC received 1.2 million views of flu-related material on YouTube and 46.6 million Web-page views, and attracted 99,000 followers on its Twitter feed "CDCemergency," which provides breaking updates on health issues. Janice Nall of the CDC's Center for Health Marketing says the agency is interested in employing any social media that people use. As for Twitter, she added, "It just happens to be sexy right now."
Several agencies have been struggling to free themselves of bureaucratic restraints, like filtering software that bars employees from accessing social networks from work computers. In recent months, both the Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have opened up employee access to social-networking tools. The Defense Department has also been going online, with a new Air Force Twitter page and a Facebook page for General Ray Odierno, the U.S. commander of multinational forces in Iraq.
Nonetheless, the entire project of making the government social-network-friendly remains in its infancy. As it stands, the government controls about 24,000 websites but is only beginning to utilize the social-networking sites on which citizens are spending an increasing amount of their time. Yet the historic bureaucratic resistance to adapting to new media has clearly begun to fade, says Bev Godwin, director of Online Resources and Interagency Development at the White House. "I think you will see a huge increase in use across the government of social-networking tools," she says.
pdakwala
02-24 04:45 PM
Oh actually I was working with Spector so that we can have markup out asap. Just Kidding. Got busy with work.
Any way fox please wake up now. It's a show time. We have 27 days left. We all have only one option and that is to "Kill Retrogression virus". There will be no negotiation on that.
Cheers
Any way fox please wake up now. It's a show time. We have 27 days left. We all have only one option and that is to "Kill Retrogression virus". There will be no negotiation on that.
Cheers