Government Social Media Policy

The usage of the Internet websites, tech knowledge and social media businesses changed the landscape for government entities. The DOT/GOV Act of 2020, was passed by the Federal Government for all government entities to utilize and give trust to being at an actual government location. Cybersecurity was also provided to DOT/GOV websites.

(blog archive July 16, 2022)

With the growing usage of social media, word definitions as well as recognizing the position or usage of these words is of the utmost importance. The DaDa art movement at the end of WWI grew out of the colliding times of politics. My blog article, This Dadaist Sorts Hats defines these definitions.

In 2011, the FTC defined its first opinion / warning to professionals utilizing social media as a tool in their advertising and marketing campaigns: 

"Social media advertising is subject to the same rules and standards as traditional advertising. The FTC's focus is on the integrity of the communications from the marketer to the consumer - whether the communications are accurate, transparent and non-deceptive. In other words, brands must tell the truth, not exaggerate any claims and be transparent through the disclosures and disclaimers." Holland and Knight, LLP / JDSupra 

Roughly eight years, professional advertising and marketing firms brainstorm and develop their programs to comply with the FTC warning for conducting business utilizing social media platforms. 

As social media platforms multiply and expand more tools to the consumers to use on the internet, the FCC finds a need to become involved in monitoring whether the communications are accurate, transparent and non-deceptive. 

By 2019, politicians form a bill that passes in congress as the DOT/GOV Act 2020.

During this same time period, the FCC and FTC suggested that government entities write their own Government Social media policy. 

Elected officials should be held to the same policies as other government employees. Elected officials also need to make sure that their social media use complies with laws about campaigning and open meeting laws. 

Building a city takes time and money

There is a demographic area in Arkansas that has the ability to now declare itself, "newest city" in the State.

The process hit many bumps along the way but, with the help of Arkansas State Senator Bob Ballinger the laws were re-written to accommodate. 

The Arkansas Decomocrat Gazette wrote this article, Holiday Island gets ball rolling to become incorporated city, in December 2019.

When it was approved to place on the 2020 General Election Ballot, many people later expressed their misunderstanding as to what they were actually signing. 

Then when it actually passes, the anticipated money "turnback funds" was not immediately available. Those are dispensed funds to entities based on the previous year and that would be tax money of 2019. 

The community receives some poor information. Some were told, If you vote to be a City then the SID goes away. That is false info. The second government entity is the Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District (HISID). 

The City consists of resident property owners and renters. (voter's registration)

The SID is property owners both resident and non-resident. This group receives a Tax Assessment. It is not an HOA contrary to real-estate forms. 

In 2000, the Federal Government told all government groups to acquire a (dot) gov website for conducting government business. Everyone even received a one year grace on paying the (dot) gov fee. 

The FCC and FTC also advised government groups to have a written "government social media policy." 

Social media businesses have established policies. There is a reason. Let you ponder this comment for a moment.

So, I read in local social media groups, over and over that the communication is horrible for this new city. Don't disagree. I know where that info is but, not my job to keep directing people to a site that is not a (dot) gov. 

I did watch the city's June meeting live online and again today as an archive.

Image by Marc Manhart from Pixabay 

Google Town

Called to order. All board members present. Held up while phone numbers being exchanged; waiting for one person to join online. That person seems to be someone hired by contract to actually take the minutes.

 

• The position of Code Enforcer has a candidate that accepted the City's offer. 
• An interview with one applicant for Building Inspector. No offer given yet.
• Short term rentals discussed and still researching
• The Broadband Grant is not progressing.
• The Sheriff contract is not progressing, at this time.
• The City approves the interlocal contract between The City and the Suburban Improvement District. No details. Moves to The Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District (HISID) board of commissioners (BOC) on their agenda for Monday, June 27,2022 for discussion and a vote. The contract agreement begins on July 1, 2022 and runs through December 31, 2022.
• Mayor has no quotes for bag tags. His phone is filled with calls regarding the City's mandatory trash collection. He said, the City also needs a City dumpster. 

1. City planning commission repeatedly points out that zoning / planning ordinances and regulations are all under review by the City attorney.
2. At this meeting, Lynn Dumas informs the Mayor and the Board that all plans from the planning commission by law have to be published in a newspaper for 15 days prior to a meeting. (Not just any newspaper; One with a circulation certificate)
3. And: The planning commission is required by law to hold public hearings before an ordinance / regulation is approved.
   

Back to the top:
Bryan King won the Republican Primary Run-off against Senator Bob Ballinger. 

New Home for Creekside News Journal (CNj)

I have and still write about local, national and World News. I earned a lifetime membership in the Golden Key International Honour Society and would like to reconnect with other global members.It is my opinion that one should be aware of their local happenings, as well as global issues.

  

I named my press website Creekside News Journal (CNj) in 2007.
A name that could always journey with me.
I am forever living near a creek and if that should ever change well, photographers and the World Wide Web keep me grounded. There is always a forever canopy of stars, trees, creeks and oceans captured by photographers from around the world that share their images with those of us that surf the World Wide Web.

I have been scattered all over the internet and I thought I had finally started pulling all the parts of me back into one location but, not just yet.

 
I needed to find a new location once again for CNj.
I got older and wasn't keeping up with web designing and coding.
Dropped CNj off at Tumblr and now I am pulling away after years.
There is a technical reason for me but, I will keep an eye on the Tumblr photographers' community. 

 
Many activities have taken place and this is my last attempt to catch-up.

I am condensing my time spent. 

For those of us that have been using Twitter since Jack Dorsey and his partners created the platform, it is not new to me to return to private ownership there.

I read through all of Twitter's updated Terms of Service. They go into effect in June. No matter who you might be as a user of the Twitter platform, I suggest you read the new TOS.

New update: Who Knows? Has Elon Musk completed the purchase of Twitter?

Keep an eye on this: Business Insider and Politico

Politico 7/8/2022  Elon Musk quits Twitter deal roiling Trump world

New update:  "District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine has sued Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal."
All those share buttons that people insert on their websites need to catch-up with the current times. 
I find more and more individuals, organizations, local newspapers and governments that have not placed their websites into https compliance.
 
Organizations, local newspapers and governments will find themselves loosing more and more of their identity and audience on the internet. 
Then there are government websites that will begin to realize why they needed to become .gov websites two years ago. 
Remember? Government was told by the FCC & FTC to have a Government Social Media Policy.