E-Government 2.0 : back to reality, a 2.0 application to vet

E-government 2.0 refers to the inclusions of features like social web, user-generated content, the delivery and use of open data, and network effects through more user engagement. Integrating Web 2.0 technologies into e-government is expected to create opportunities to improve online public services quality, change the relationship with citizens and businesses. The integration of web 2.0 in e-government can contribute to achieve new e-government strategic objectives and policies. Yet it provides many practical and theoretical challenges as research is limited in this field. The accomplishment of the benefits and strategic contribution might be more difficult than initially anticipated. This chapter goes back to the origins of e-government 2.0 concept and compares to initial e-government concept with regard to characteristics, related issues and research questions. Then, this chapter provides an overview of the book content-a comprehensive collection of research works concerning e-government 2.0 implementations by showing cases and business models enabled by various technologies and developed in different countries across America, Europe, Africa and Asia. E-government 2.0 is approached from the view of theory and practice interaction in this book. Contributions are based on concrete practical studies or suggested new solutions to guide e-government 2.0 initiatives grounded on the reality of the context. Many examples are available and the goal is to learn from the examples rather than on the buzz of the term and sometimes the "theoretical" speculation with plenty unproven assumptions and promises (e.g. Gartner hype curve, IT magazines, even some research papers and reports, etc). Government 2.0 is out there and much can be learned from the existing experiences. In sum, the content of the book attempts to lift the veil on challenges facing e-government 2.0 wide-spread adoption and to contribute to e-government literature towards a theoretical and strategic framework for guiding new 2.0 initiatives.