MeriTalk's ''Generation Y's Bill of Rights'' Gives Presidential Candidates Survival...

MeriTalk's ''Generation Y's Bill of Rights'' Gives Presidential Candidates Survival Tips for Web 2.0 America

New Online Community Opens Dialogue on Technology, Public Policy,
and Their Implications for Mainstream America
ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(Business Wire)--
MeriTalk (www.meritalk.com), a new online community at the
crossroads of information technology (IT) and public policy, today
opened its virtual doors and announced the "Generation Y's Bill of
Rights" report which provides the presidential candidates new insight
on how Generation Y gets information and makes recommendations for
reaching and engaging this critical constituency. The report not only
underscores the substantial differences in how Ys and baby boomers
learn about and participate in government and politics, but also shows
that Ys in various geographies have different information channel
preferences.

Based on a survey of more than 2,200 Generation Y and baby boomer
respondents in America's top 10 cities, the report shows that 73
percent of Ys plan to vote in the November presidential election -
that's 42.2 million votes. Interestingly, while just 48 percent of Ys
report a Democratic affiliation, 71 percent believe a Democratic
candidate is best suited to lead the next administration.

Despite their Democratic leanings, only 15 percent of Ys feel a
personal connection to their government, and 75 percent said they
would vote for a candidate across party lines - pointing to a valuable
opportunity for candidates to purposefully engage Generation Y in the
political process. Once engaged, Ys will actively advocate their
support - 47 percent said they will tell others about the virtues of
their candidate.

"While Ys appear to be leaning heavily Democratic, their votes and
long-term loyalty are in play if the candidates can make them feel
part of government," said Alan Balutis, distinguished fellow and
director, North American Public Sector Consulting, Cisco Internet
Business Solutions Group. "The election isn't the finish line for
Generation Y, it's the starting block."

Comparing how Ys and baby boomers prefer to get information, key
differences arise in the value of peer and online sources. Ys are
significantly more likely to get their news through word-of-mouth than
boomers - 82 percent versus 56 percent respectively. While both groups
recommend TV and live speeches as primary communication channels, Ys
value online communication much more than boomers. Forty-six percent
of Ys are looking for online communication, versus 21 percent of
boomers. Twenty-six percent of Ys want the next president to reach
them via YouTube, versus just 5 percent of boomers. Additionally, Ys
want the next president to understand and use Web 2.0 - 88 percent of
Ys said they will get their information online over the next four
years.

"Ys are going to be demanding voters, pressing for two-way,
detailed, and honest communication with the president and his
administration," said Jeff Chao, IT specialist, Integrated Technology
Services, General Services Administration (GSA). "It's not E-Gov to
them, it's My-Gov. TV will provide broad reach, but it will not be
enough to satisfy Ys' needs for real-time information and
interaction."

The "Generation Y's Bill of Rights" study is based on an online
survey of 2,303 Generation Y and baby boomer respondents. The survey
has a margin of error of +/-2.04 percent with a confidence level of 95
percent. The full "Generation Y's Bill of Rights" study is available
for download at www.meritalk.com.

What is MeriTalk and Why Should You Care?

The voice of tomorrow's government today, MeriTalk
(www.meritalk.com) is an online community at the crossroads of IT and
public policy. A Web 2.0 site for the government community and the
general public, MeriTalk makes government and government technology
more accessible to regular Americans. The site mixes new faces, new
voices, and fresh perspectives from government technology experts, as
well as workforce and policy leaders, to enable cross-cutting debate.

MeriTalk hosts a series of features, including:

-- Interactive Contributor Postings: Articles from leaders in
government, industry technology, and policy. Visitors get
opinions directly from the executives calling the shots in
government, and they can pose questions to those executives
directly. Launch contributors include:

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-- Roger Baker, former chief information officer (CIO), U.S.
Department of Commerce
-- Alan Balutis, distinguished fellow and director, North
American Public Sector Consulting, Cisco Internet Business
Solutions Group and former CIO, U.S. Department of Commerce
-- Teresa Bozzelli, chief operating officer (COO) and managing
director, Government Insights
-- Jeff Chao, IT specialist, Integrated Technology Services, GSA
-- Casey Coleman, CIO, GSA
-- Woody Hall, vice president of information technology strategy
and CIO, General Dynamics Information Technology and former
deputy assistant secretary and CIO, U.S. Department of Energy
-- Scott Hastings, partner, Deep Water Point and former CIO, U.S.
Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT)
-- Dennis Heretick, consultant and former chief information
security officer, Department of Justice
-- Jimmy Jones, IT specialist, IT Portfolio Management Division,
U.S. Department of Interior, Office of the CIO
-- Colleen Kelley, national president, National Treasury
Employees Union
-- Ed Meagher, deputy CIO, Department of the Interior
-- Kimberly Nelson, director E-Government and health and human
services, U.S. Public Sector, Microsoft and former CIO,
Environmental Protection Agency
-- Darryl Perkinson, national president, Federal Managers
Association
-- Pat Schambach, vice president and general manager of homeland
security, Computer Sciences Corporation and former associate
under secretary and CIO, Transportation Security
Administration
-- Tom Temin, consultant and former editor-in-chief of Government
Computer News and Washington Technology magazines
-- Peter Tseronis, senior technical advisor, Department of Energy
-- Tim Young, deputy administrator, Office of E-Government and
Information Technology, Office of Management and Budget
*T

-- Who's Hot: All contributor content is evaluated based on its
merit. The most popular contributions (as measured by unique
page views) rise to the top of the Who's Hot page, and the
hottest contributor appears on the home page

-- MeritMedia: The first free warehouse of IT government and
public policy content where users can upload and download
videos, podcasts, white papers, press releases, and
presentations free of charge. Empowering new collaboration,
MeritMedia puts all government IT content at your fingertips.
As with contributors, users rate the value of all uploaded
content

-- MeritMeter: Spot polls on hot policy and technology issues.
Users get instant gratification, with real-time aggregate
results posted immediately after they submit their votes

-- Water Cooler: Unfiltered forum to facilitate candid,
interactive discussion on real technology and policy issues

Developed as a partnership among the Federal Managers Association;
National Treasury Employees Union, the largest Federal workforce
union; United Service Organizations; and WTOP/WFED radio, MeriTalk is
a community site.

About MeriTalk

IT is enabling significant changes in our government. The
implications for average Americans are profound. The voice of
tomorrow's government today, MeriTalk is an online community at the
crossroads of IT and public policy. Designed to mix new faces, new
voices, and fresh perspectives from government IT, workforce, and
policy leaders, MeriTalk enables new cross-cutting debate. For more
information, visit www.meritalk.com.

MeriTalk
Jackie Bardenwerper, 703-883-9000 ext. 148
jbardenwerper@meritalk.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008