Without further ado, here’s my graphical resume.

• Work: We launched that CMS back in the day for the Department of Defense – it was super cool and unlike anything I still have yet to see in the CMS world. I left the company and now am a contractor for the Department of Justice doing more web development work and communications outreach. I host a monthly webinar series focused on criminal justice topics which has been pretty successful. I have really honed my skills in online outreach and hope to build-up my “traditional” press-shop skills. Ideally I’d write more on public policy, but since my current job isn’t in line for that, I’m looking at other means (see podcasting below).
• Academic: I graduated with my MBA and am preparing for my next adventure. Long term sites are still on a PhD – looking at public policy or some other interesting area where I can blend government and technology. On the side – I’m starting to compile more research on social media for my Facebook Study site and have plans to launch a sister site for Twitter (probably not focused on college student research, but Twitter research in general).
• Personal Biz: Webtomic officially closed last year and DemConnect is still a work in progress. Programming and time were lost these past few months, had a few bad developers come into my life, and now I’m spending time refocusing the company prior to launching. I want to make sure it’s hitting the mark I want it to hit and I’m really prepared. I’m seriously hoping that in the few months I’ll have our first product up and running.
• Podcasting: I’m working on launching a podcast site that will feature regular (looking every 2 weeks to start) discussions on the intersection of technology and government. My first show will be a 30-45 minute discussion on policy-centric issues around Congress and the White House. Hoping to get some regular guests and a cohost too. The second show I’m planning is a weekly look at the social media arena in government – who’s making moves and who’s falling behind.

I spent some time thinking this past weekend also thinking about this blog, where it’s been, where it’s going, etc.  and I’m thinking it’s time to figure out it’s real purpose. In the past, I’ve covered everything from tech tutorials to startups, to e-commerce (partly required), to research, to gov-tech. I am thinking it’s time to decide if this blog will continue to be the randomly update potpourri of things it has been or if it’s time to chart a course for what it will be in the future. I have plans for what I want to be doing in life – lots of plans. How this blog fits into all those plans will not necessarily shape the plans themselves, but can enhance the message being sent out to world.

The reality is, I’m probably going to write about what’s on my mind at the time. I don’t think this blog will be limited to any one topic — it’ll probably the be catch all for other blogs I’m writing on (assuming I write on other blogs). So, what to see moving forward (theorically):

• Gov-tech stuff: it’s what’s on my mind for the past year. Really interested in the intersection of politics/government and technology. I’m working on a blog post around the research of Bartle which I hope/expect will start to draw connections between classic MUDs and current online political campaigns.
• Business and Startups: I like tech and I like my MBA (thank you George Mason). I want to keep talking about the trends and what’s hot in the online IT space. There are some cool business models out there, and some I just don’t get. I wrote a some notes regarding Twitter last May I might through up in the upcoming months regarding its potential business future. I’m curious which of those will come true and how they will evolve.
• Research: I still am into social media research. In the past I’ve focused in the 18-24 year-old market and now I’m focusing on government social media outreach. I have a few things I’m working on from the business side to try to tie things together, but the reality is I will be gathering a ton of data…and with data we’ll be able to do something with it. I’m hoping to do some serious research this next year on Twitter and Facebook and the impacts it has had. Additionally, I wouldn’t mind finding an institution to sponsor a continuation of my master’s research. (I’m happy to say I tend to be the most viewed thesis at K-State’s online library…available worldwide!)

What you probably won’t find moving forward (unless something crazy happens or pure brilliance):

• Tutorials: I never posted many of them, and my ability to do a great tutorial is past my time now. Many others are doing great tutorials which are far more detailed and current than what I can do. I might throw something up if I get frustrated enough not seeing one online that’s needed, but this really won’t be the go-to place for tutorials.

So, that’s the update on my blog (and parts of my life).

• The intersection of technology and government
• Research and developments in the social media space
• General topics of interest in the area of technology and the web

There might be a random post announcing new sites I launch, but for the most part, that’s the focus.

With that, I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new website: The Facebook Study. This website is really rooted in my 2006 research and is carrying it forward – hopefully a bit farther that it went before. I’m hoping to post some great resources on social media on college campuses (primarily focused on Facebook of course) and also work on organizing a 2011 follow-on study to the 2006 study (some good ol’ longitudinal research). I’m hoping to partner with other researchers and organizations – more on that too be found at the new site.

Let me know if you have any thoughts – looking forward to chatting in the comments!

More to come as I continue to update the site, integrate some social media within the blog, and do a bit more in the ‘exciting features’ realm.

In the meantime, all the old posts are here and the stuff people have enjoyed (tutorials, etc.).

More to come in the future – as well as updates on the redesign of matthewvb.com and the launch of a site in stealth right now (shhhh, it’s a secret!).

In the next few weeks you’ll find all the blog posts, tutorials, and info over at webtomic. I’ll post here once it’s all updated, but don’t be confused if you start seeing double.

• Work: I’ve been cranking away hard at MPRI (L-3) as a Technical Lead / Project Manager on a really cool CMS we’ve built. There’s nothing like it on the market and we’re wrapping up our beta preparing for a  launch any day now. Our client is loving it and I’m happy to be launching probably the most powerful CMS I’ve ever run across.
• MBA: I’m cranking away with just over a year left to go to complete my MBA program at Mason. I’ve decided to forgo the official specialization for a hybrid of entrepreneurship and information systems. I plan on focusing on web technologies and building businesses around them (no surprise there). I’m also heading over to China for my international residency at the end of May which I’m very excited for.
• Personal Biz: Webtomic is pretty much gone now and I’m migrating my efforts to a new business. I started Webtomic as a blog back in 2003 and have migrated it to be my business center. My freelance has started to become specialized so soon I’ll be launching my new company, DemConnect, LLC. DemConnect will focus on building online brands and social networks for Government individuals, agencies, and departments. The website will be launching in a few weeks, but business has already started!

That’s where I’ve been. My plans are to keep this blog as my professional blog devoted to the web practices and business philosophies. You can hit up DemConnect for great info (soon) on Government and the web.

You can always follow me on twitter (@matthewvb).

Oh…and anyone interested in getting OpenCoffee Club in VA/DC back up and running, hit me up (comment, twitter, email, etc) and we’ll chat. Thanks to Paul for keeping it kicking this past year. I’m hoping to be able to step back up and get involved more (but we gotta start meeting back in NOVA )

I argue that the evolution from 1.0 to 2.0 (and now 3.0) is more than just technology and ability of things online, but the level of interaction online. I know I’m right, but for the sake of your disbelief, I’ll elaborate.

Web 1.0, if there really was such a thing, was just putting up text on a site. Every did it, and they still do it. Any news site is a simple web 1.0 site. Just slap some content on a page and boom! Web 1.0.

Web 2.0 then came around whenever it did (jury is still out on that I think…but they argue 2004). Web 2., in my view, is the simple addition of interaction online. Allow people to comment, chat, and hold a discussion — now you’re talking web 2.0. Sure, the developers out there are going to start saying that web 2.0 has “a look.” Sure does! but that’s not what I’m talking about in this post. Web 2.0 brought with it a certain level of interaction. Things could be pending and moderated. People could flame and parade around the net with an open level of interaction. Every site needs a profile and you have to get your username before someone else does. Oh! And we can share some info with some people and hide it from others.

Which all brings us to the currently non-existent web 3.0. How does the level of interaction change? Well, I’d argue, but I don’t have to. Web 3.0 is going to bring internet conversations to the real world. We’re going to see not a shift from online conversation to offline, rather conversations existing in both online and offline worlds. People will bring their online networks to the real world and bring their real world networks to the online world. I’m not just talking about discussing with your BFF what your mutual friend posted on their wall today. (wall being a web 2.0 thing). What I’m talking about is there being specific mediums and ways to meet people, communicate with people, interact with people, above and beyond what we have seen so far.

The things I’m talking about are involving mobile devices, PDAs, heck — why not a good ol’ fashion piece of snail mail? There are going to be new ways to reach out and connect to people. To see what’s happening where you are at and access live info on that. I remember seeing on American Inventor someone trying to pitch a device where you set up a profile with your likes/dislikes and then you go to a bar. If someone has a profile that is compatible with yours, the device (cell phone app, whatever) would tell you and then you go meet up.

The web is always changing. Web 2.0 will be around for about another 2 years. We need more videos online before people are tired of them. The music and movie industries have more battles to fight and I feel major TV networks need to get the rest of their shows online (come on CBS! Get full episodes of the Amazing Race!).

So, welcome back and sorry for the outage last night. I’m not at WP 2.3 and enjoying it!

I’ve also updated my feed. You can still use the old feed; it just redirects to the new feed. I’ve gone with Feedburner and the new link is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/matthewvb/XfId

Thanks all for reading as we bear through these random messes of the online world.