Vivek Kundra, the federal government's first Chief Information Officer, on Monday called for a new approach to government information technology. He suggested the government should use consumer-type Web 2.0 tools to to "tap into the vast amounts of knowledge...in communities across the country."

"We've got to recognize that we can't treat the American people as subjects, but as a co-creator of ideas," Kundra was quoted as saying by Government Computer News. "The federal government doesn't have a monopoly on the best ideas." That's exciting, if it's more than just words.

Interest in 2.0 is already taking shape in the federal government as different federal agencies experiment with collaborating and communicating with the public. This includes Twitter and Facebook at various agencies, and President Obama's drive to connect with the public in ways never attempted.

The problem for Kundra and other 2.0 advocates is how to push the federal government's traditional bureaucracies out of the way and come up with a collaboration that is not bogged down with too many rules.

And it will be interesting to see just how far this movement can go, even with Obama's blessing and the desire of younger federal workers to tweet and "friend" co-workers and communities.

For more on government and 2.0:
- check out this New York Times article