The growing prominence of social and open-source technology has encouraged many companies, governments, schools, and more to become more open and transparent. With this comes many smart ideas from smart people, some of those at the forefront being Chicago’s 37Signals, creators of software such as Basecamp, Highrise, Backpack, and others. Just a few weeks ago, their CEO, Jason Fried, announced their new “Office Hours.” During the hours of 3-5pm Central on Tuesdays and Thursday, anybody can call (312) 416-9980 to talk directly to the CEO. According to their most recent (and first ever) podcast, most people have been calling about business ideas, product and support questions, and other advice. Jason has talked positively of the experience thus far, and I believe many other companies could learn a few things from 37Signals about being more available.