Reading List: Using Technology to Adapt

Techwire’s staff writes daily, but on our way to finding items of interest for you to read about, we also read a lot of stories. Here are some of the pieces we thought you would find interesting, informative and timely.

Learning to cope, coping to learn: As colleges and universities move courses online, students and instructors who aren’t familiar with the protocols of distance learning are having to figure out what works, according to this report in The Los Angeles Times headlined, “At USC and UCLA, the coronavirus-forced turn to online classes can get awkward.”

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Software for hard times: Recode has its own take on how software companies are affected by, and adjusting to, a new type of demand: “Quarantines, cancellations, and work-from-home policies have greatly driven up the demand for video and chat software that allows people to try and maintain some semblance of business as usual. In response, workplace software companies like Zoom, Microsoft, and Google have offered their software for free. …”

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Citizen savvy spurs scrutiny: A story from Yahoo Finance reports on a study whose indications are that the populace is becoming more sophisticated in what technology they expect from government: “Research demonstrates that citizens perceive a direct correlation between public leadership roles and responsibility for technology updates. Regarding city operations, respondents felt that the city manager (88%), mayor (87%) and CIO (84%) were most responsible for keeping the software up to date. Likewise, respondents identified the city manager (89%), mayor (88%) and police chief/sheriff (88%) as the roles most responsible for keeping emergency management software up to date.” There are some good markers here for leaders in government IT.

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Data-driven decision: The California Public Utilities Commission has decided that although ride-sharing companies (Transportation Network Companies, or TNCs in CPUC parlance) were once allowed to keep their data private, it’s time to pull back the curtain and make much of that data publicly available. CPUC President Marybel Batjer stated: “Times have changed since the CPUC made its decision to treat TNC data as confidential. … This information is essential for the State, local governments, and the public to ensure that TNCs are operating with the highest safety standards, and to mitigate impacts on traffic congestion, transportation systems, and greenhouse gas emissions.”

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Mindful of municipalities: The League of California Cities is keeping its members’ needs in mind with this announcement and a website with a variety of information resources for California city leaders trying to adapt to the restrictions related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. “To support city leaders in navigating the current situation, the League is partnering with the Governor’s Office, the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and federal agencies to provide our member cities with important information as it becomes available,” says an announcement from Executive Director Carolyn Coleman. The site contains breaking news updates, lists of resources for city and regional leaders, and a wealth of official sources of related information.