Buzz Factor: Most read

6 IT lessons learned the hard way
Summary: Experienced IT managers tell of mistakes they made and how those experiences shaped future choices.
Outlook: The first step was recognizing the mistake and who made it.

Senate passes compromise telework bill
Summary: The effort to prompt agencies to move more systematically toward instituting telework has cleared a major hurdle.
Outlook: At this point, passage of the bill is all but inevitable. Agencies that haven’t moved quickly might as well start now.

Kundra sets new IPv6 deadlines
Summary: Agencies now have until the end of fiscal 2012 to upgrade public-facing servers to the new protocol — two years after that to meet some other milestones.
Outlook: With IPv4 addresses dwindling, the switch will become urgent. Smart agencies won’t wait to be pushed.

Telework bill promises to be a big step forward, experts say
Summary: An analysis of the telework legislation shows that it is the strongest effort to date, according to some experts.
Outlook: Despite its strengths, the bill still gives agencies some opportunities for foot-dragging.

4 reasons why managers resist telework — and why they might be wrong
Summary: Management experts discuss the flaws in federal managers' common objections to telework.
Outlook: This story was No. 1 on the Buzz Factor last time; its staying power attests to the widespread interest in this topic.

CIA needs nimble tech to keep pace
Summary: In an exclusive interview, Chief Technology Officer Gus Hunt discusses how the CIA is building its future on cloud computing, social media and other emerging technologies.
Outlook: Cloud computing and sophisticated data analysis tools are already in play and will increase in importance.

Do agencies still have year-end spending sprees?
Summary: We wondered, in a blog post, whether agencies still scramble to spend their remaining funds at the end of the fiscal  year, given that the Office of Management and Budget has tried to put more order and discipline into the process.
Outlook: According to our readers, the answer is yes.

Are remote workers more likely to visit adult sites?
Summary: Employees working away from the watchful eyes of the boss are more likely to try to access forbidden websites, but in-office workers are more likely to visit pornographic ones.
Outlook: Although the survey is not authoritative, such findings could become important in developing effective telework policies.