Web 2.0 Update

In May, at the Association of Local Government Auditors annual conference, my office made a presentation about the potential for Web 2.0 for government and auditors. We noted that we found two instances of government using "Second Life" to have virtual communication with citizens, one in the Netherlands and the other by our own Congress.

Government continues to experiment with this media. Here is a story from New Jersey about the Attorney General's Office using Facebook for citizens to register complaints about unwanted advances on the Internet. Also, the State of Missouri did virtual recruiting on Second Life for IT jobs. Auditors need to be thinking about how to audit these new efforts for effectiveness and efficiency. Also, these new methods potentially might become recommendations in future audits.