Following up on my post of yerterday about the UK blog on Afghanistan, Bev Godwin pointed me to this USA.gov listing of active Federal blogs. I'll take a more critical look at these in the coming weeks - but here are some quick observations of three favorites:

Eye Level of the Smithsonian American Art Museum was an early and innovative government/museum blogging effort effort, working to keep some public awareness of the collection during the building renovation that kept their doors shut from about 2001 to 2006. Michael Edson of Eye Level presented some of the experiences and lessons of their blogging at our Web Executive Seminars on "policy blogging" this past April.

The Peace Corps Volunteer Journals provides personal insights into volunteers lives, and is no doubt a great recruiting tool! Back in the mid 80s when I was a volunteer in Nepal (pardon this reminiscing older person...) most of us would have to hike/travel the better part of a day to get to a PTT office that might be able to place a phone call to Kathmandu... so it's pretty amazing to me that volunteers are blogging in real time from China, Benin, and other places around the world.

And the effervescent Marcus Peacock, who I know from my policy wonk days at OMB/OIRA, is now Deputy Administrator at EPA and blogging about his work there in Flow of the River. He's having some fun with it and it is worth reading. Many of his posts are promoting the good and varied things EPA is doing, and he has not (yet) taken on any controversial issues or allowing public comments; still, he is breaking new ground and providing a personal perspective on the work of a senior government appointee.

Bev also mentioned this guide to blogging for government entities.

I'd be interested in other examples of government blogging - send them along!