At times, public and private sector organizations that fall under media scrutiny feel as if they are engaged in a bruising boxing match; withstanding a series of relentless jabs - some which inevitably land below the belt. And just when they are ready to launch a counterattack the bell dings and the round is over.

While Google’s experiment allowing news subjects to respond to articles they are featured in has limped along thus far, other efforts undertaken by news organizations to allow news subjects a viable platform have proven more substantive.

The Washington Post recently added a “Commentary” column to the Monday Business Section; an editorial outlet that culls bylines, blog entries and event presentations from regional executives and newsmakers. Because daily newspapers offer so few slots in the editorial page for private sector executive bylines, opportunities like this - where executives can speak and respond to coverage of a broader industry trend rather than provide marketing spin - are invaluable.

In today’s column, Brad Antle, president and chief executive of SI International, responded to the congressional and media scrutiny that has swirled around government contractors the past few months. Speaking unofficially on behalf of the Federal Contractor community, Antle addressed not only how - pardon the Halloween analogy - a few sly tricks and under-the-table treats can spoil the whole pumpkin batch, but also how the Contractor talent pool is integral to the current and future success of government and military operations.

Federal contractors are no doubt suffering lingering effects of the cozy relationships exposed between lobbyists and members of Congress and the Administration, as well as the unfettered flow of talent that seemed to pass between the two entities. Antle is quick to point out that, bad pumpkins aside, the Federal Contractor community depends on knowledge transfer from individuals who have experience in an Agency or military setting.

Antle himself, as referenced in the column and my earlier post on current Federal Contractor executives with a Navy background, served on active duty as a surface warfare officer for the U.S. Navy and as a naval reservist for three decades. His background in this capacity, and that of hundreds of other former federal civilian and military personnel who currently serve in the Federal Contractor workforce, is vital to meeting the need for qualified, experienced, technical personnel - especially as government-employed Baby Boomers near retirement.

Much of the innovation and success flowing through the Federal Contractor industry was on display earlier this month at The Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards - which celebrated established and fast-growing leaders such as SI International (named Contractor of the Year award in the $300 million plus category). The Awards event - as well as Antle’s commentary in the Washington Post - serve as reminders of what motivates Federal Contractor workers in providing the service they do each day.

Antle’s piece was not a call to quash legitimate investigations into wrongdoing. The Federal Contractor industry - like many others - is still grappling with ways to improve transparency and for the right blend of self- and government regulation. Instead, it was a call for a measured and appropriate response that does not undermine positive, tangible industry efforts.

United States Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff recently launched a blog in what he hopes will “open a dialogue with the American people about our nation’s security.”

Started in the middle of September, the blog, described by the Department of Homeland Security as a Leadership Journal, has picked up steam to several posts a week from the Secretary as well as other contributors, such as FEMA head R. David Paulison and US Customs & Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham.

The most recent post to date is from FEMA’s Paulison as he headed toward the wildfires in California. In a way, the blog acts as a window into the day to day activities of the country’s top government officials. “I’m writing this from the air as I make my way to southern California with Secretary Chertoff to take a closer look at the areas impacted by the wildfires,” Paulison began as he outlined the steps FEMA was taking to help those affected.

The blog is a unique and at times surprisingly frank outlet for Secretary Chertoff who often comments on articles in the mainstream media. “I am particularly inspired by immigrants and their children who have made this nation their own…” he wrote. “I was reminded of this while reading an outstanding op-ed piece by Jason Lim in last Sunday’s Washington Post.”

In other postings, he seems agitated as he responds to less than favorable assessments in the press. “The New York Times editorial staff …hyperventilates today about our efforts to apprehend criminal gang affiliates in the New York area as part of a nationwide initiative to take dangerous illegal aliens off the street,” he wrote in early October, “…I can’t imagine any community that would urge us to leave illegal alien criminals alone.”

As of today, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt is the only other of cabinet secretary with a blog. Secretary Leavitt’s site “is the result of the Secretary’s continuing desire to engage Americans in the exchange of ideas on health care and the provision of human services.”

In the spirit of collaboration, both blogs allow comments. Though, both sites employ a moderation policy that reviews all comments before they’re posted. A technorati blog search revealed that both sites have received a steady stream of inbound links and the comments are generally positive in nature. “Mr. Secretary, Thank you so much for keeping us informed - I know how busy you are..” wrote one reader in response to Secretary Leavitt’s 8/16 post on pandemic flu.

Keep an eye out for more from Secretaries Leavitt and Chertoff, as well as other cabinet secretaries to take the plunge into the blogosphere.

While personal blogs continue to sprout up more frequently than technology executives at Tyson’s Silver Diner, the number of bloggers who have been able to transform the hobby into a viable and sustainable business remains minuscule.

But one blogger and former technology journalist has broken through to build arguably one of the nation’s two most influential and insightful technology blogs: Om Malik.

The good news for the tens of thousands of bloggers out there who dream of leaving their 9 to 5 job and live solely off of their blog is that, as Om has shown, it can be done. GigaOm currently boasts venture investors, a growing staff, and hundreds of thousands of devoted readers. The bad news for those wishing to emulate Om’s success - as a recent USA Today profile points out - is that his 9 to 5 job these days is 9am to 5am.

Malik cut his journalistic teeth with stints covering the technology beat at Forbes.com, Red Herring and Business 2.0; experience he has used to deliver insight that extends well beyond breaking news about the products, people and companies moving the needle in the tech sector. Instead, Malik challenges readers to rethink how they consume technology news with biting analysis and angles that mainstream media often overlook.

Throughout GigaOm’s ascendancy from hobby to a business that now includes a family of blogs that complement the main site, Om remains one of the genuine nice guys in the industry. In coming to know him over the past few years, Om’s 23 hour work day never prevents him from responding to as many readers as possible. And while many bloggers shoot first and ask questions later, Om’s blog has become such a trusted news source because he tirelessly researches each post topic, is careful not to pass along unconfirmed gossip, and maintains a division of Church and State by not investing in companies he writes about.

And while Om spends the majority of his time at his home base in California, executives and professionals in the DC area have a truly rare opportunity to see and hear from Om as one of the featured speakers at the upcoming ExecutiveBiz The New New Internet Conference on November 1st. Anyone who has read Om’s blog will certainly look forward to his take on how Web 2.0 is playing out in the DC area for government and business. And for those who have not been exposed to the blog, the speaking slot on November 1st is the perfect time to get acquainted with the man behind it.

Last week, San Francisco hosted the fourth annual Web 2.0 Summit. The event wrapped up on Friday and with over 100 featured speakers, from Tim O’Reilly to ebay CEO Meg Whitman, there was a lot of related news coverage. For a full report on what’s become a yearly west coast tradition, visit the news and coverage section on the event website.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made waves when he announced that Microsoft plans to purchase 20 web companies a year for the next five years, pledging to spend between $50 million and $1 billion on each of the prospective companies.

“Those will be good acquisitions, and they’re important to us,” Ballmer said. “And they’re of strategic importance.”

Open source developers may also be on the table, according to Ballmer. “We will buy smaller companies. We will buy smaller companies that make some use of open source software,” he said, according to CNET. “We don’t want to discourage people who would talk with us just because they do some open source.” Ballmer even went so far as to offered his email address for any interested developers looking to sell.

Here’s a clip of the Ballmer interview from the Web 2.0 Summit:

Click To Play

Ted Leonsis and Om Malik, featured speakers at the summit, will also be at the New New Internet’s Web 2.0 event, this November 1st. While San Francisco’s Web 2.0 Summit was mainly focused on the technology behind many of the popular web 2.0 applications, the New New Internet’s conference will focus on the implication for business and government.

Leonsis, Vice Chairman of AOL, will be the featured morning keynote while Malik, founder and Chief Blogger of GigaOm, will be the featured afternoon keynote speaker. Like the Web 2.0 Summit event, the November 1st event will host a number of speakers and exhibitors who are at the forefront of the web.

If you missed the event in San Francisco, and will be on the east coast on November 1st, it’s not too late to register for this region’s major annual web conference.

Other interesting notes from the Web 2.0 Summit:

News Corp’s Robert Murdoch calls Google both a “threat and a friend” and Facebook “cool, but not that cool.”

Facebook CEO predicts he’ll double his workforce over the next year alone;

AT&T plans to participate in a government auction of the 700-megahertz band that will be available after broadcast television networks switch to digital from analog in 2009.

I just finished reading a fascinating report by David Wyld called The Blogging Revolution: Government in the Age of Web 2.0. Not only was it academically rigorous, but it was also a fun read. Now that’s a rare achievement. Wyld is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he directs the College of Business’s Strategic e-Commerce/e-Government Initiative. He is also a noted speaker, and will be presenting as part of a government track panel at the upcoming Web 2.0 conference.

According to Wyld, public officials are just beginning to have blogs, despite the fact that blogs have become popular on corporate and individual Web sites. However, a handful of officials do have them, including members of Congress, Congressional committees and caucuses, governors, state legislators, mayors, city managers, police and fire chiefs, and college and university presidents. Wyld’s report includes links to dozens of their sites. And of course, we are seeing blogs used in the 2008 presidential campaigns; Barack Obama’s blog is probably among the best known.

Blogs aren’t just for individual public figures. Some public organizations are beginning to have blogs. Wyld illustrates this using the U.S. military, which is trying to deal with terrorism in the Information Age through the use of STRATCOM. One core function of STRATCOM is to allow blogging and chats between everyone from generals to privates. The system radically cuts through the hierarchy that normally defines military culture by allowing anyone—at any level—to respond directly to others’ questions.

Wyld is an expert on what government officials should and should not do when setting up and running and a blog, and believe me, he’s seen it all. A few of his key recommendations include making a serious time commitment, posting regularly, writing it yourself, and allowing comments. (He also recommends not posting angry messages at 2 a.m., but you’ll have to see the report for his juicy example.)

Allowing comments is the most delicate area. According to Wyld, Mayor Bill Gentes of Round Lake, Illinois, says, “I allow uncensored comments so I get the negatives, positives, and the inane!” But Gentes loves the format and feels it allows for an honest exchange. However, a much more common model in both the public and private sector for comments is to have registration, moderation, comment policies, and CAPTCHA technology. Without these measures, anonymous negative posters can hijack your blog; this very thing happened to one unfortunate school superintendent, as Wyld illustrates in a case study.

I highly recommend his report, and I know he’ll be an informative and engaging speaker. To hear from David Wyld in person, come to the Web 2.0 conference and attend his panel on Current Web 2.0 Initiatives within Government Agencies.

At times, the path from subcontractor to prime contractor can appear so steep and fraught with peril that many companies retreat to the cozy confines of a sub role. But Diana Gowen, Senior VP & GM at Qwest Government Services, is used to scaling unthinkable heights. Gowen confided to ExecutiveBiz back in April that she successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the tallest free-standing mountain rise in Africa – 19,340 feet. She added that less than half of those who attempt to climb the mountain actually make it all the way to the top.

It is this unfailing desire to reach for greater heights - beyond what is thought to be possible - that contributed to Gowen being named Industry Executive of the Year for the 2007 Government Computer News Awards. Gowen’s colleagues described her as someone not afraid to take risks and make mistakes, and she took a big one in convincing corporate leadership in Denver that they needed to move beyond the sub role and pursue larger government opportunities - like Networx - as a prime contractor. This pursuit was rewarded when Qwest snagged a piece of the $48 billion Networx Contract, as well as winning a 10-year, $100 million Defense Information Systems Agency contract.

Since elevating the company to a prime role, Gowen and her team - which she is quick to credit for the recent success - haven’t looked back, and instead Gowen is searching out the next mountain to climb.

Since 9/11, the intelligence community has been looking for ways to do a better job of sharing information between agencies. Chris Rasmussen is a knowledge manager and trainer for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency within the Department of Defense, and he’s a dynamic part of that effort. He’s a thought leader in the application of Web 2.0 tools to intelligence goals, especially social software. You won’t want to miss his session in the government track at the upcoming Web 2.0 conference on November 1; Rasmussen is an exceptional speaker.

If you’re part of the intelligence community, then you know about Intellipedia and A-Space, two huge Web 2.0 developments that promote better interagency communication. Rasmussen has made it his mission to promote both tools, along with other social software tools like blogs and mashups—all of which are inexpensive and agency-neutral.

Let’s take Intellipedia first. If you’re unfamiliar with it, here’s a quick rundown. It’s a set of three wikis—one each for JWICS, SIPRNet, and Intelink-U—used by all 16 agencies in the US intelligence community. On screen, it looks exactly like Wikipedia, because it uses the same software, Mediawiki. Just like with Wikipedia, any user can make changes to any piece of data. However, with Intellipedia, the author’s name is always attached to the change.

Rasmussen points out that Intellipedia lets users connect with people who have the knowledge they need. He also believes that information that’s been edited by a huge number of people is much stronger than a single report. And everyone from generals to privates can use the system, he stresses. So people at all levels, from all agencies, involved in all kinds of projects, get involved in improving the information on Intellipedia.

A-Space incorporates Intellipedia and takes another step forward in complexity. It’s essentially a portal designed to eventually include all kinds of things: wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, joint Web-based word processing, mashups, tagging, and more, built on a services-oriented architecture. The goal is to provide an even larger framework in which the intelligence community can share information efficiently.

Intellipedia and A-Space just might be changing the face of intelligence communications. Chris Rasmussen is convinced that these open source methods of intelligence are the best thing for the future. Intrigued? Come hear more.

By the time it was reported earlier this week that Sprint CEO Gary Forsee resigned from the company, the news - which had been rumored for some time - held as much shock value as a 2pm traffic jam on I495 . Forsee, who assumed the CEO mantle in 2003, engineered two mammoth corporate moves that will forever shape the company. In 2005 the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier executed a $35 billion merger with rival Nextel in a move designed to elevate its national footprint on par with that of Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Second, Forsee spearheaded Sprint’s $5 billion headfirst dive into WiMax – the technology aiming to be WiFi on steroids, minus the disgraced athletes and tarnished medals of course.

What Sprint hopes to deliver with its branded WiMax offering, Xohm (due out in Spring 2008) is in fact what consumers ultimately seek: a nationwide wireless network that will enable them to pass from hot spot to hot spot with zero interruption in calls, emails and multimedia content – at faster speeds, a lower cost and covering a broader area.

It is unclear how the departure of the chief architect of Sprint’s WiMax strategy will impact the longer term prospects for the technology. With the likes of Motorola, Intel, Nortel Networks and other marquee names behind WiMax it is unlikely to fade without a fight. The backers view any skepticism of the technology as less a case of its viability and more an issue of timing. When will WiMax be ready and will those ushering it forward have the patience to stick with it until that tipping point occurs?

Though Sprint has become the poster child for WiMax, the technology isn’t just about mobile phones. Other companies focused on leveraging WiMax for wireless broadband are seeing positive traction. For example, Ashburn, Va.-based DigitalBridge Communications provides broadband wireless to underserved communities via WiMax. While Sprint is attempting to weave together a nationwide WiMax network for mobile phones and other devices with its partner Clearwire, DigitalBridge is exclusively focused on delivering broadband access to residential and business users in towns with 10,000 to 75,000 residents that have few, if any, existing broadband options.

This approach holds the potential for low capital costs and high subscriber self-install rates, and this past June DigitalBridge Communications launched one of the first commercial WiMax systems in the United States in Rexburg, Idaho. While residents are certainly enjoying high-speed broadband, I can tell you two things they won’t be doing on the Web: making online campaign donations to Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and buying hard liquor. An October 2006 Salon.com article referred to Rexburg as the “reddest place in America” for its conservative leanings (93% of the County’s residents voted for George W. Bush or candidates running for small, conservative political parties in 2004). As for hard liquor, local establishments have been banned from serving it since 1947.

Despite the loss of Forsee, WiMax still has some strong winds gliding it forward. Whether or not the technology drops anchor for too long before eventually setting sail remains to be seen.

All of the panels at the upcoming Web 2.0 conference on November 1 look excellent, but there’s one I’m particularly interested in. “Politics on the Web, by the Web, and for the Web” at The New New Internet conference features four very talented individuals from the world of politics and technology. Together, this panel should offer a fascinating and balanced look into the way Web 2.0 technologies are shaping our political future.

Joe Trippi

Joe Trippi, one of the panel members, is the Senior Advisor for John Edwards’s presidential campaign. You may remember him as a Campaign Manager for Howard Dean—the man who was known for being the first to integrate the Web into his presidential campaign in earnest. Joe Trippi was the one making the magic happen.

Trippi has a long history of working on Democratic presidential campaigns—he’s worked in politics for 30 years. In recent years, he has focused on using the Web as a political tool, and he’s earned a solid reputation.

He’s currently guiding the Edwards campaign in implementing various Internet strategies to try to cut through the two-sided Clinton-Obama race. Trippi and Edwards know that using traditional means alone won’t do it, so they’re using social networking, blogging, Web videos, and other Web 2.0 techniques.

Cyrus Krohn

Then there’s the GOP. They dominate talk radio, and now they’re determined to master the Internet. They’ve chosen Cyrus Krohn as their man. More specifically, the Republican National Committee recently picked Krohn to be the Director of their eCampaign Division.

The Republicans are definitely playing catch-up when it comes to the Web, but Krohn has an excellent background to tackle the job. A 10-year Microsoft veteran, he was the publisher of their webzine, Slate.com. He’s done political advertising for Microsoft MSN.com, directed election strategy at Yahoo!, and even interned for Vice President Dan Quayle.

Krohn takes an interesting approach to using Web 2.0 as a political tool. While he feels that social networking and similar “hot” techniques are important, he’s more interested in the solid favorites like Yahoo! and Microsoft MSN. This may be very smart thinking, considering how many people still center their activities around mainstream sites like these.

John Della Volpe

Everyone uses Web 2.0 technologies these days, but the younger generation was the first to discover things like blogging and social networking. John Della Volpe is the third member of the panel, and he understands how young voters’ opinions are being shaped by these kinds of tools. He’s the Director of Polling at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. Volpe leads public opinion survey groups regarding the Millennial Generation’s attitudes toward politics, public service, and the media. (The Millennial Generation constitutes young adults between 18 and 30.)

Volpe has more than a decade of experience with presidential campaigns and has analyzed dozens of high-profile races. He has seen how voter turnout has increased among young people, the kinds of political issues that motivate young adults today, and how their views on foreign policy differ from those of earlier generations—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. He understands how social media and technology are influencing the 2008 campaign, especially with respect to young voters.

Gary Arlen

Gary Arlen is the panel’s fourth member. He is President of Arlen Communications, a DC-area research and consulting firm that specializes in converging media, telecommunications, and information services. What Arlen brings to the panel is a rich background in new media and emerging technology, areas he’s been analyzing for more than 20 years.

Arlen has foreseen new trends, like the way video and data services would come to be controlled by the customer. He’s also a leader in interactive content and Internet e-commerce. His extensive understanding of media and telecommunications should inform the panel discussion on how Web 2.0 technologies have evolved to become so effective as political tools.

Four Top Leaders

This panel discussion should be lively. Any time you combine politics with four intelligent leaders, you get interesting results. Perhaps we’ll even hear a debate between Trippi and Krohn—Democrat versus Republican—about the relative merits of blogging versus MSN tools. Attend the Web 2.0 conference to find out.

Dr. Brand Niemann is a leader in the use of Web 2.0 technology in the public sector. With a 27-year government career under his belt, he currently serves as Senior Enterprise Architect in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Environmental Protection Agency. ExecutiveBiz is honored to have him speak in the government track at our upcoming Web 2.0 conference on November 1 at the Reston Hyatt.

Dr. Niemann has received a number of accolades for his work in technology and Web 2.0. He’s been recognized by the EPA; the Department of the Interior; LOTUS Best Application; ComputerWorld-Smithsonian Innovation Competition; and the Office of Management and Budget and the Quad Council—just to name a few.

Interoperability—so critical to cross-agency communication—has been a central focus of Dr. Niemann’s work. In fact, he’s using his Web 2.0 knowledge to write an online book titled Data Architecture, Modeling, and Networks: EPA and Cross-Agency Data Architecture, Sharing, and Reuse.

Dr. Niemann is also known as a leader for using Web 2.0 technologies to enhance communities of practice (CoP). For example, he uses Wiki technology to provide training in conjunction with communities of practice. He’s also the Co-Chair of both the Federal Semantic Interoperability CoP (SICoP) and the Federal Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) CoP.

In line with his work supporting communities of practice, Dr. Niemann helps them put on Web 2.0–related events, like the 4th SOA for E-Government Conference. He stays busy with conferences, it seems; Federal Computer Week asked him to help organize The 22^nd Semi-Annual Spring Government CIO Summit, which he did, including giving a keynote speech.

Dr. Niemann sees Web 2.0 as an integral part of the government’s future, and he’s actively involved in making it happen. For example, he has served as Secretariat of the Best Practices Committee of the Federal CIO Council. Also, having worked with XML Web services, emerging technology, eBusiness, webcasting, and many more Web 2.0 technologies, he has seen the agility and productivity they bring to the workplace.

In addition to the upcoming Web 2.0 conference on November 1, those interested in the subject may find the Collaborative Expedition Workshops hosted by the GSA and the NSF to be helpful. And for free Wiki and other Web 2.0 tools, users can go to the Collaborative Work Environment. Thanks go to Dr. Niemann for pointing out these helpful resources.