Top 10 Things (We Think) You Don’t Know about DigitalGov
Things you don’t know about this website, DigitalGov.gov, that is. It’s our first birthday, and we’re celebrating by sharing some fun facts with you. A more sober look at our strategy can be read on our 6-month post, but this is a party post! w00t!
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We’ve published an impressive 480 articles and counting (this post is like #485), and we are learning more and more about you. You still love posts on metrics and on customer service, but “Government Open and Structured Content Models are Here”? We didn’t know you were that deliciously nerdy!
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We swapped over to DigitalGov Search from the native WordPress search for better searching of tags and authors, but also because we plan to use feeds from our tags to revamp the currently messy, non-scalable Resources page. Don’t believe us, just watch!
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Articles on DigitalGov.gov have informed the research agenda for Deloitte, Gartner and Forrester. It’s where all the smart people go to learn about trends and practices, don’t you know?
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People love behind the scenes stuff. So, under the hood, DigitalGov.gov uses the WordPress-Enlightened theme with some clever CSS hacks and is hosted on sites.usa.gov. Yes, we are eating our own dogfood—or maybe drinking our own champagne! #betteranalogy
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The project to combine four related properties into DigitalGov.gov was initiated in September 2013. Just after we convened our internal team–WHOMP!, the government shut down for most of October. We picked back up and soft launched in three months: design, UI content integration, build. Yes, we roll that hard.
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We’ve only been “visited” by legal once. But that was a four attorney alarm! Hot!
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The death of email is greatly exaggerated. We get as much traffic from subscriber emails as we do from Google. Also, our referrals from social media continues to grow. At the risk of sounding like Sally Field at her Oscar win: Follow us! Like us!
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Less than 4% of you use the site search. “Terms of Service” is your #1 query, but you are more likely to search for three of our authors than for “responsive Web design.” Hmmmmm.
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Comments!?! The community listserves (you can sign up from here) are a-buzz with comments and sharing, but we just don’t see that much discussion on posts. We’re not intending on turning them off, but it’d be nice to hear from you once in a while.
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While we owe everyone who has written for DigitalGov.gov a piece of birthday cake, since we don’t bake, we are going to wish that someone brings them all cake. Instead we will thank our authors for their fabulous contributions. Each and every one! Thank you!! Aaron Snow, Alan DeLevie, Alan Greilsamer, Alberto Navas, Alison Lemon, Alison Rowland, Allison Alexander, Alycia Piazza, Ammie Farraj Feijoo, Amos Stone, Andrea Sigritz, Angela Hooker, Anthony Calabrese, ¡Muchas gracias! Arianne Miller, Arlene Hernandez, Ashley Braun, Ashley Wichman, Barbara Walton, BEA Team, Ben Rosset, Beth Cobert, Beth Martin, Betsy Steele, Merci beaucoup! Bill Brantley, Blogger Bob, Brandon Barr, Brandon Kopp, Brenda Wensil, Brian Dunbar, Brian Forde, Byrhonda Lyons, Candace Maynard, Carolyn Cihelka, Carolyn Kaleel, Thanks! Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Cheryl Hackley, Christen Geiler, Christine Kundrat, Clair Koroma, Colleen Bayus, Communications Community Office–Government of Canada, Corinna Zarek, Crystal Peeler, Merci beaucoup! Curt Tilmes, Dan Wendling, Danita Stenberg, Dannielle Blumenthal, Darlene Gamble, Darlene Meskell, David A. Kennedy, David Fern, David Hale, David Hebert, David Hebert, David Herring, David Kaufmann, Deb LeBel, Debra Harris, Dominic McDevitt-Parks, Donavan Albert, Donna Canestraro, Merci beaucoup! Dorothy Amatucci, Dr. Taha Kass-Hout, Dustin Renwick, Eden Savino, Elizabeth Hochberg, Ellen Arnold Losey, Ellen Langhans, Emily Canis, Eric Mill, Erika Brown, Erin Twamley, Federal Citizen Information Center Marketing Team, Gary Morin, ¡Muchas gracias! Genevieve Contey, Georgia Gallavin, Glaceria Mason, Gray Brooks, Gwynne Kostin, Hannah Gladfelter Rubin, Hyon Kim, Jackie Kazil, Jacob Parcell, Jacqueline Snee, Jamal Mazrui, Janelle Thalls, Jason Kelly, Jay Benforado, Jean Fox, Thanks! Jeanne Holm, Jed Sundwall, Jeffrey Levy, Jenn Gustetic, Jennifer Dorsey, Jennifer Reeves, Jessica Milcetich, Jessica Orquina, Jill James, Jim Costello, Thanks! Jim Wilson, Jini Ryan, Joanna Widzer, Joël Virothaisakun, Jon Booth, Jonathan Rubin, Jordan Higgins, Judith Snyderman, Justin Goldberger, Justin Herman, Kanika Tolver, Karen Trebon, Katherine Spivey, Merci beaucoup! Kathryn Hambleton, Katie Chan, Katie Gorscak, Katie Gresham, Katie Messner, Katie Steffy, Katina Stapleton, Kendrick Daniel, Kevin Downey, Kin Lane, Kristen O’Nell, Lakshmi Grama, Laura Godfrey, Lauren Caldwell, Lauren Lipovic, Lawton King, Lea Shanley, Leah Bannon, Leilani Martinez, Linda V. Priebe, Lisa Nelson, Lisa Wilcox, Lisa Wolfisch, Logan Powell, Loren Siebert, Margot Lawton Kern, Thanks! Marietta Jelks, Marina Fox, Mario Damiani, Marion Royal, Mark Anthony, Martha Dorris, Mary Ann Monroe, Mary Krakowiak, Matt Goodrich, Michael Bloom, Michael Niedzwiecki, ¡Muchas gracias! Michael Pulsifer, Michelle Chronister, Miguel Gomez, Mike Bland, Mike Kruger, Minette Wilson, Mobile Gov Team, Monte Desai, Myehsha Boone, Nancy Merritt, Nicholas Garlow, Nick Sinai, Nicole Wong, Noah Kunin, Noah Manger, Ori Hoffer, Phaedra Chrousos, Pooja Sawant, Rachel Flagg, Rachel Hurley, Rachel Mundstock, Merci beaucoup! Randy Abramson, Raphael Majma, Ray Bryson, Rebecca Williams, Richard Easterbrook, Robert L. Read, PhD, Robin L. Kaplan, Rosetta Carrington Lue, Ryan Leisinger, Ryan Leisinger, ¡Muchas gracias! Ryan Xue, Sally Bourrie, Sam Bronson, Sara Harris Smith, Sarah Crane, Sarah Kaczmarek, Scott Horvath, Sean Herron, Shashank Khandelwal, Simchah Suveyke-Bogin, Stephanie Santoso, Stephanie Sharpe, Stephanie Stover, Stephanie Thum, Stephen Buckner, Steven VanRoekel, Structured and Open Content Models Working Group, Thanks! Susan Bell, Tammi Marcoullier, Tim Brice, Tim Hudak, Tim Lowden, Todd Park, Tonya Beres, Treci Johnson, Troy Kitch, ¡Muchas gracias! Tyrus Manuel, USAJOBS Team, Victor Diaz Zapanta, Victoria Wales, Wendy Littman, Wendy Wagner-Smith, Zeshan Khan, and 18F Team.
Want your name on this list? Let us know! And feel free to wish us “Happy Birthday” in the comments.
