Over the past few months, 803 people completed our random phone survey and 2,128 people took the survey online.  Thank you for caring about Seattle’s technological future and taking the time to tell us how we can communicate more effectively throughout the city.

Your survey responses will help guide the City of Seattle’s work on digital equity, broadband services, public outreach and engagement, cable franchising, the Seattle Channel, and the City’s web and social media.  We also hope your responses will be useful to community groups and educators, and others planning to deliver information and applications to our diverse residents.

If you’d like to receive a note when the results come out, email us at communitytechnology@seattle.gov.

THANK YOU.

The Technology Indicators Survey covers:
•    Internet,
•    Cable TV customer satisfaction,
•    How you want to give your opinion or get info from the city
•    Social media preferences,
•    Cell phones usage,
•    Concerns about cost or security
•    High-speed Internet services

Help us also connect with non-internet users. We encourage Internet users to help others complete the survey. For those without a computer at home, the City offers public access to computers at libraries, Neighborhood Service Centers and some community centers. Visit www.seattle.gov/tech/freeaccess.htm or call 206-684-0600 for more information.

Answers from this survey will help shape the City’s strategic and engagement efforts regarding cable re-franchising, the City’s web site, Seattle Channel and public outreach.

The online survey results will add to a random telephone phone survey currently underway and a series of focus groups in multiple languages. The City expects to publish comprehensive survey results this summer. Past results have been used in decisions about the Technology Matching Fund grant program, and in outreach for neighborhood planning, utility assistance and health education programs.

For more information on the Information Technology Indicators Project, visit www.seattle.gov/tech/indicators/ or contact communitytechnology@seattle.gov.  Also see the press release.

Encuesta de Televisor, Computadora e Internet – Para los residentes de Seattle

See more about the technology advisory board at seattle.gov/cttab.  Please email any questions or apply by sending your resume and letter of interest to CommunityTechnology@seattle.gov.

The City of Seattle is committed to promoting diversity in the city’s boards and commissions. Women, persons with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, young persons, senior citizens, persons of color, and immigrants are encouraged to apply.  You must be a City of Seattle resident or work in Seattle.

Additional information:
Position requirements (consider before applying)

• Applicants must:
  • either reside or work in Seattle
  • not be employed by the City of Seattle
  • not serve on more than one City of Seattle board or commission
  • attend monthly meetings (2nd Tuesday, 6-8 pm, generally held downtown at Seattle Municipal Tower)
  • participate in at least one CTTAB committee (times set according to committee members’ schedules)

• Service to the board expected to begin February 2012
• This is a two-year appointment, potentially renewable for one additional term
• Time commitment (5-10 hours per month, depending upon activity)

Originally posted on Dec 6, 2012.

• Joint Technology Matching Fund and Neighborhood Matching Fund Workshop, January 17, 6:00 to 7:30 at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
• Ask the Mayor, January 23, 7:00 to 8:00 PM on Seattle Channel
• Inclusive Gigabit Libraries Forum, January 24, 10:30 to noon at Hyatt at Olive 8
• Catch Some (Air)Waves: An Information Session on Low Power Community Radio, January 24, 1:00 at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center

Read more about these events and other stories of community and technology interest at Brainstorm.Seattle.gov

More About Get Online Week and public computing centers:
Get Online Week is being offered by participating centers in partnership with the City of Seattle Department of Information Technology and the Seattle Public Library.

The only way some people have access to computers, the Internet or technology training is to use the services of nearby public computing centers and libraries. Even for those with computers or Internet devices, these centers also offer valuable training in how to find and use essential services and learning materials online. Many of the centers offer instruction in other languages or specialize in serving specific residents, such as youth, seniors, or the disabled community.

Get Online Week started in 2010 as a one-day event at 10 participating centers in Seattle’s central and south neighborhoods. Get Online Weeks are also held in Europe. This Community Technology education program is part of the City’s effort to ensure digital inclusion and foster broadband adoption.

If you’re a new voter and you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late. New voters can register in person until Oct 29. Here’s how:  http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.aspx

Registered voters should receive ballots no later than October 23. Track your ballot packet and get questions answered at http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections.aspx.

The Seattle Channel has covered the election during the last few weeks, and a roundup of the video election coverage can be found below:

• Initiative 502 – The marijuana debate (CityClub, in partnership with the UW Debate)  – http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=5551206
• Referendum 74 – Same sex marriage (Seattle Speaks) – http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3381202 
• Governor’s race  (City Inside/Out) – http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3061227 
• Proposition 1 – Alaskan Way Seawall funding (Council discussion) – http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=216122 
• Election debate (City Inside/Out) – http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=306122
• Find more videos about this year’s election issues at http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/watchVideos.asp?program=Elections

 Don’t forget to vote on or before Nov. 6!

Entries were reviewed by a panel of expert judges, including Francis Benjamin, of Washington State University; Adam Gentz, of BizXchange; Mónica Guzmán, of Geekwire; Susannah Malarkey, Executive Director of the Technology Alliance; Manny Medina, CEO of GroupTalent; Jason Preston, co-founder of Dent the Future; and Bill Schrier, Deputy Director of the Center for Digital Government.

Read what judge Monica Guzman had to say in her Seattle Times blog at  http://blogs.seattletimes.com/monica-guzman/2012/10/02/living-voters-guide-whichbus-win-top-honors-in-state-app-contest/#.UGtfv6ts8hM.twitter

The apps were assessed against a range of criteria including innovation, user experience and design, potential impact on Washington State, King County, and/or Seattle residents, visitors and businesses. They also had to be available for public use for the next year.

More than 100 people joined dignataries at the awards event, which  included Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and Washington Governor Chris Gregoire (via video).

 “The intersection of technology and society inspire our storytelling at GeekWire, and this event combines these themes along with one that is close to my heart: doing well by doing good.  I can’t wait to see what the app developer community has created for this challenge,” said Rebecca Lovell of GeekWire, who is emceeing the awards ceremony.

Registration is free at http://bit.ly/UQkLvy. The event will be held Monday, October 1, in the Bertha Knight Landes Room, Seattle City Hall, 600 4^th Avenue, in Seattle, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Music and light refreshments will be provided.

See entire announcement here: http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=13122

Projects will be showcased here in Seattle at SIFF and via the international Youth Voices web site, where they’ll join other youth producers from around the world. Reel Grrls, the award winning media training program for girls, is coordinating the Seattle program and just finished training teachers from the participating sites. All sites are receiving curriculum, software and mentoring. Adobe offers free curricula and tools for educators on their website as well. Based on the best practices of educators from around the world, the curricula promotes youth expression, creativity, and engagement, helping young people build critical 21st century technology and life skills.

David Keyes from the City’s Community Technology Program helped recruit and select participating sites. The schools and organizations chosen will give voice to a rich diversity of youth. Partnering with the City is also enabling Adobe and Reel Grrls to leverage other support that the City has provided through its Technology Matching Fund and cable broadband grants. The City will continue to help advise projects on creating media for civic engagement and encourage submission of completed videos for screening on the Seattle Channel.

The sites selected to participate are:
Seattle Public Schools (The World School -BOC, Pinehurst Middle School, Aki Kurose Middle School) Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC), Meadowdale High School in the Edmunds School District, Bellevue Big Picture, the Seattle –King County Metrocenter YMCA’s Y-Tech program, Arts Corps, Youth In Focus, Multi-Media Resource Training Institute (MMRTI), Unified Outreach, Technology Access Foundation (TAF), Longhouse Media/Native Lens, KCTS 9, and City of Seattle RecTech Computer learning labs at Garfield Teen Life Center, Delridge, Rainier, Southwest, South Park and Yesler Community Centers.

2012 Seattle Adobe Youth Voices teachers’ orientation at SIFF