Authors

Paul W. Taylor

Chief Content Officer, e.Republic Inc.


Paul W. Taylor, Ph.D., is the chief content officer of Government Technology and its parent organization, e.Republic. Prior to joining e.Republic, Taylor served as deputy Washington state CIO. Dr. Taylor came to public service following decades of work in media, Internet startups and academia. He is also among a number of affiliated experts with the nonprofit, non-partisan Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington, D.C. He is creator, producer and co-host of the GovTech360 podcast.

March 1, 2020

Curiosity and Humor Key to Keep Driving Tech Forward

Disruption has long been a cornerstone of technology innovation, and new “hacks” to old problems remain essential to dreaming up and creating what’s new and what’s next — and asking whether we even need it.
September 1, 2019

The Promise and Peril of Investing in Emerging Tech

New technologies like connected cities, autonomous vehicles and machine learning may look and feel like the way of the future, but life on the bleeding-edge raises a key question: Just because we can, should we?

June 1, 2019

Confronting the Ethical Perils of Emerging Technology

Technology is evolving faster than ever before, from autonomous vehicles to facial recognition and beyond, but the charge of technologists to ensure it's introduced ethically is by no means new.
March 10, 2019

SXSW 2019: Hear Gov Tech Startup Founders Pitch the Mayors

For the fifth year, a group of mayors at the South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas, played 'shark' as they judged a handful of civic-minded startups that sought to solve hard city problems.
December 1, 2018

Analytics Startup Uses Robots to Improve Wastewater Systems

Wastewater can be a rich source of data on a region’s health, and Biobot Analytics has created small robotic devices that travel through sewers and capture real-time data on chemicals, pathogens and more.
June 1, 2018

Getting to Tech Woke

As public trust in social media wanes, agencies must look at their own policies, as well as those of the platforms they use.
March 1, 2018

Revisiting the Routine Citizen Experience

As government websites evolve, a simple vehicle registration renewal takes on new meaning.
December 1, 2017

Putting Government Podcasting on the Map

As podcasts grow in popularity, state and local government are finding their voices in the space.
October 6, 2017

Analytics, Blockchain and Cybersecurity at NASCIO

On this season's premiere episode, the Not Safe for Government (NSFG) podcast returns with highlights from this week's NASCIO conference in Austin, Texas.

September 1, 2017

Pokemon Go Challenge Brings Civic Tech to Citizens

Boston's Participatory Pokemon Go program engaged citizens and helped spur policy discussions about our augmented, smart future.
August 24, 2017

The Districts Podcast: Getting to Know Capital Metro in Austin, Texas

Taking a brief look back at our recent on-the-ground events and getting to know Texas' Capital Metropolitan Authority.
July 19, 2017

The Districts Podcast: Detroit and Houston or Bust

Going deep on The Districts' program and purpose.
June 19, 2017

The Districts Podcast: How Tech Is Reshaping Old Industries

The Lower Colorado River Authority's John Miri joins us to discuss how technology is inevitably reshaping old industries — and much, much more.
June 1, 2017

Following Washington’s Lead (No, Not that Washington)

There is an old bit of legislative language in Washington state about imagining the future and then building it. That is still going on here in large measure.
March 27, 2017

Podcast: Is Sarcasm Safer Than Humor in Social Media?

Introducing the podcast for getting your wits around the shock of the new. The newly rebooted Not Safe For Government platform focuses on applied innovation in state and local government.
March 14, 2017

SXSW 2017: Is Virtual Reality the Future of Government?

At South by Southwest on Saturday, mayors took turns exploring a virtual reality rendering of a city CRM system.
March 6, 2017

Rage Against the Routine: Public CIOs Have a Jobs Problem

The blast zone of the “automation bomb” is wider than we once imagined.
February 28, 2017

Podcast: Building the Govie Community Through Social Media with ELGL and GSMCON

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
January 31, 2017

Podcast: Placing Bets on the Next Social Platform, Snow Plows and Other Considerations in KCMO

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
January 4, 2017

GovTech 100: Our Second Take on an Emerging Marketplace

Increased venture capital attention, success stories and a viable exit lend credence to the forward momentum of the gov tech marketplace.

December 20, 2016

Podcast: Going Hyper-Local with Nextdoor in Louisville

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
December 14, 2016

How Public Engagement is Evolving

The continuum of public engagement is bookended by social media and face-to-face consultations.
November 15, 2016

Podcast: Dallas' Strategy to Combine Social Media and Single Sign-On

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
October 18, 2016

Podcast: Governments Add Facebook Live, Nextdoor, Snapchat to Social Media Mix

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
September 27, 2016

Podcast: The Role of Social Media in Response to Officer-Involved Shootings

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
September 23, 2016

Innovation May Be Scary, But Can Lead to New and Preferred Futures

Third parties are doing what government cannot in mitigating risk, providing coverage, literally and figuratively, for the public sector and other players in moving forward with innovations.
August 16, 2016

Podcast: Creating an Authentic Social Voice, Converting Haters Along the Way

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
June 13, 2016

Podcast: Getting Serious About Social Media Beyond Campaigning

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
June 10, 2016

10 Steps to Successful Podcasting on the Cheap

A cheat sheet on how to create a podcast -- presented as a Letterman-esque Top 10 list.

May 17, 2016

Podcast: When Cops Troll Back, Streaming Live Video from Drones, the Mic Drop Heard Across the Internet

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
April 8, 2016

Podcast: Social Media Metrics that Work for Government, GSMCON 2016 Recap Recorded Live in Reno

Meet the 2016 Government Social Media Conference scholarship winner, and hear the answer to the question that earned her a ticket to the conference.
April 4, 2016

Podcast: Boaty McBoatface and Trolling of Government on Social Media, Plus Countdown to #GSMCON2016

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.

March 11, 2016

Podcast: #GSMCON Scholarship Opportunity, and Are Potholes the 'Gateway Drug' of Community Engagement?

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package. This episode features Ben Berkowitz, CEO and founder of SeeClickFix.
March 3, 2016

Confronting Yesterday’s Future: It’s Hard to Look Forward Through the Rearview Mirror

It would be a pity for public officials and policymakers to revert to DeLorean-style thinking and double down on the familiar at the cost of missing a larger, future-leaning opportunity.

February 23, 2016

Podcast: Be Like Boston — Leverage Memes, Policy, Infrastructure for Effective Social Media

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
January 20, 2016

Introducing the GovTech100: Civic Innovation’s Next Phase

The public-sector technology market has evolved to be broader and more robust, to the tune of $1 billion in private capital investment. Here we unveil the GovTech100 — the top 100 companies focused on government customers.
January 13, 2016

Podcast: Social Strategy for 2016, Plus Politwoops' Return and Twitter Breaks its 140-Character Limit

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
December 18, 2015

Podcast: Social Media Runs Counter to Police Culture — but Law Enforcement Should Embrace It Anyway

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package. This episode: an interview with Lauri Stevens, founder of LaWS and the SMILE conference.
December 9, 2015

Is 2016 the Year of Government as an API?

Looking forward, public APIs will play a key role in helping to complete the e-government experiment.
November 20, 2015

Podcast: Social Media Safety Checks Following Attacks on Paris, the Rise of Hacktivism

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.
October 22, 2015

Podcast: Speaking Emoji, Controlling Rumors and FCC CIO David A. Bray on Being a Social Exec

News and views on social media in state and local government in one tidy little package.

October 2, 2015

Can Urban Innovation Projects Survive Political Shifts?

They have become a staple in several cities. Whether they stay around is up to new mayors in charge.
July 15, 2015

Podcast: Doing Social Media on a Shoestring, During Times of Social Change

The GovTech Social podcast welcomes the co-author of the original field guide for social media in government to provide practical advice on getting buy-in, getting started, and the tricky business of moderating social media comments.
June 10, 2015

Podcast: 5 Takeaways for Expanding Your Social Presence, Verifying Accounts

Government Technology magazine and special guests discuss what it means to respect the platform, align with the agency’s strategy and stay alert in a rapidly changing social media environment.
December 12, 2014

4 Things From 2014 You’ll Remember in Five Years

Getting at what mattered amid the noise of public service.
October 3, 2014

College Republicans Unveil 'Say Yes to the Dress' Ad Campaign

Playing off the reality TV show, the ads compare gubernatorial candidates to wedding dresses. Critics call the campaign a failed attempt to connect with female voters.
September 9, 2014

What Apple's Big Announcement Means for Government

Larger iPhones, Apple Pay and the Apple Watch will all impact the public sector.

August 19, 2014

The Big Leagues: Government Must Reclaim its Role as a Driver in the Innovation Economy

Government is more than a venture capitalist with patience or a market fixer, and is uniquely able to take on the crazy risks of failure.
July 23, 2014

Making Innovation Safe for Government (Again)

In his first book, former U.S. CTO Aneesh Chopra sets out to do nothing less than recover and redeem government’s reputation for innovation.
June 4, 2014

Big Data Raises Questions about Privacy, Innovation and Choice

Big data has just begun to show us the potential for solving intractable problems, and powering innovation and economic growth, but analytics have the potential for misuse of personally identifiable information.
February 20, 2014

Everything is Awesome: The LEGO Movie as Metaphor for FutureStructure

Animated feature about building blocks and the people who love them illustrates the softer side of FutureStructure
February 3, 2014

When Social Media Hits Home

How one agency handled a tragedy as it unfolded live on Twitter.
January 9, 2014

Video: A Strong Progressive Streak in Mayors' Inauguration Speeches

New York City, Boston, Pittsburgh and Seattle all welcomed new mayors in the last seven days.
November 13, 2013

State and Local Leaders Discuss Building Toward the Future

State, local and community leaders grapple with the hard issues -- and the huge opportunities -- of FutureStructure at San Francisco Summit.
November 7, 2013

The Long, Strange Journey of Toronto's Crack-Smoking Mayor

The mayor of Canada's largest city admitted to smoking crack but has no plans to resign or go to rehab. The news has been a boon for late-night comics.
September 23, 2013

The Blurred Lines Between Social Media and Censorship

Indiana’s governor and D.C.’s transit agency sparked controversy by removing comments from social media accounts. Do public officials need to learn to keep their fingers off the delete button?
August 5, 2013

Scaling Down the Data Center

Data centers don’t need to be a permanent fixture on the IT landscape.
March 28, 2013

Column: Leadership and the Real-World Risks of Innovation

The terms transformation and innovation are imbued with a sense of solving old intractable problems and modernizing old, tired processes to produce better outcomes through better and smarter means -- and that's a tall order.
December 4, 2012

4 Things We've Learned in 2012

What Father Guido Sarducci would make of the year in public-sector IT.
August 16, 2012

The Slow Government Movement (Opinion)

In a world focused on faster, better and cheaper, a well timed pause may produce better decisions.
June 8, 2012

CIO’s Role Shifts From Managing Information to Promoting Innovation

Every generation in government has come with an impulse to reform or innovate.

May 25, 2012

7 Ideas for Next-Generation Strategic IT Planning

More than half of states are improving their strategic plans, while others need to make their goals clearer.
November 29, 2011

When Talking Becomes Doing: 4 Tech Issues We’ll Recall in the Future

A year in review the way Father Guido taught us.
August 17, 2011

State CIOs Shift Away from Direct Operational Responsibilities (Opinion)

The sands of public-sector IT are shifting as state CIOs get a seat at the cabinet table.
May 27, 2011

CIOs Become Business Process Experts

Mission pivot means being more flexible with agency methods.
February 11, 2011

CIOs Anticipate Increased Information Sharing (Opinion)

Innovation matters more during lean times.
August 18, 2010

Cloud Computing Needs a Meteorologist (Opinion)

A new set of analogies for a cloud-based world.
May 17, 2010

Transparency Has Become Another Unfunded Mandate (Opinion)

Somebody must pay for the plumbing if transparency is to fulfill its promise.
January 4, 2010

New Year's Resolutions for Zombie Governments (Opinion)

'Aging funk' among politicians and government agencies, as well as zombie programs, demand a good housecleaning.
December 31, 2008

Opinion: Five Thoughts for 2009

Digital investments are key to nation's future.
May 21, 2008

How to Cut Data Center Energy Consumption

Green strategies for reducing energy consumption and improving performance of government data centers.
May 6, 2008

Shared Service Keeps Inglewood, Calif., Competitive for Parking Ticket Processing

Public-private partnership lets California city upgrade multi-jurisdiction processing service.
February 29, 2008

Aging Population Triggers Huge Economic and Policy Implications.

Baby boomer retirements and weakening economy influence 2008 legislative priorities.
February 8, 2008

NASCIO Top 10 List Counts Down State Government's IT Priorities

Strategy by Top 10 Lists.
October 12, 2007

Simply Green II

An errand on the road home
October 2, 2007

Awarelessness

Awarelessness
August 8, 2007

Simply Green

On the road to environmental stewardship.
April 24, 2007

A Remembrance

Farewell to a modern Tom Sawyer.
December 27, 2006

Lost in Translation

On the Internet, nobody knows you're unilingual.
September 26, 2005

FEMA Not On Alert

"The Department is in contempt of Congress. If I were called by Congress to testify on why public warnings did not go forward, it would only take one word: FEMA" -- NASCIO Consultant Peter Ward
June 5, 2005

Lessons Learned?

http://www.govtech.net/magazine/story.php?id=94116
May 7, 2005

Seeking Cover

Riding out the ferment in the field
November 18, 2003

Nebraska Governor Directs Agencies to Convert Paper Forms to Digital Format

High-use forms must be ready by end of this year
November 18, 2003

Nebraska Governor Directs Agencies to Convert Paper Forms to Digital Format

High-use forms must be ready by end of this year
June 27, 2003

Weight and Height Health Crisis

Evaluating portal health at middle age.
May 21, 2003

Seize the Inevitable (Again)

Looking offshore but not over your shoulder
April 22, 2003

The New Public Square

Fear inhibits conversation between citizens and government.
February 14, 2003

Governing into Adversity

What will we do the morning after?
January 29, 2003

Privacy: A Civilized Luxury

The Next Vital Public Conversation
December 20, 2002

'Much Worse than Expected'

Predictable headlines coming soon to a newspaper near you.
October 31, 2002

All Over But the Shouting

Examining the changing nature of the polling place.
September 24, 2002

The Essential CIO

The case for a catalyst and collaborator in chief.
Platforms & Programs