A great idea -- a government IT wiki

An organization called GovITwiki.com has created...well, a government IT wiki.

Here is their release:

Introducing GovITwiki.com: A Major Project Designed to Track All Types of Government Information Technology

Government information technology can be notoriously difficult to understand. Widely different IT solutions are designed, developed, purchased, installed and maintained across multiple government locations.

Without a central roadmap to help decipher what all these systems do, who owns them, and how IT budgets are spent, trying to traverse this complex landscape is nearly impossible.

The solution: The Government Information Technology Wiki Project announces the launch of its unique new interactive website -- designed specifically to meet the research needs of government IT professionals.

The new site, GovITwiki.com, offers a powerful and open solution. Created as a way to organize details on all types of IT solutions throughout various levels of government, the GovITwiki also provides a way to promote best Government IT practices while exploring the business value of new solutions.

The GovITwiki site is written in plain English, yet it tracks multiple complex technology issues, such as computer networks, government business applications and data, system standards, enterprise architecture requirements and a wide range of government contracts and contact points.

The cross-linked information can be viewed in multiple ways, such as by government agency, by equipment type, or by specific technology or topic. Each wiki entry has its own discussion page. There’s also a set of powerful search tools and version control that allows page content to be rolled back to a previous state, if needed. By design, this wiki (like most wiki sites) can be supplemented or edited by anyone who has an interest in government computer systems and associated information technologies.

The GovITwiki should be of particular interest to:
· government employees who work with computer systems and information technology;
· vendors of information technology solutions who work directly with government offices; and
· citizens or members of the press who desire a better understanding of how the government plans for, buys and uses information technology equipment and integrated solutions.

The site’s chief objective is to help government IT decision-makers to achieve their desired results while also meeting mandated agency missions. Highly specialized research is also available from the GovITwiki project managers, including an extensive guide that examines U.S. federal government IT spending, by agency, by the president’s Line of Business initiatives.

To learn more, visit the Government IT Wiki at www.govitwiki.com. Or email servicedesk@govitwiki.com.

About The GovITwiki

The GovITwiki is a leading Internet reference site focused on tracking, documenting and analyzing the various ways federal, state and local governments use information technology. Developed as a wiki-style website that can be added to or edited by all visitors, the site also investigates the various business process behind how the government uses information technology, including how changes in this arena are driving procurement decisions. The GovITwiki site is a collaborative project between staff members and end users. They help contribute to and update the large reference area. Current staff members have accumulated over 40 years of experience in government or in the specialized information technology industry which serves the government.

The site is interesting, although it is not as fleshed out as, say, Wikipedia is. I have only spent a few minutes on it, but...I think it is a great idea.