I wonder how many new.gov domains will be created this year?

[netmouse]

Here's the latest: recovery.gov.


What do you think of the government's efforts at Transparency? Important? Over the top? Too politically evangelical?

Comments

[rmeidaking.livejournal.com]

I think they're handing out their PR notices earlier and more often, and doing their best to cut through the spin masters at both MSNBC and Fox. Other than that, there's no real change on this front.

I'm waiting for enough of Bush's people to be flushed out of Justice that they'll start actually investigating charges of corruption, and issuing subpoenas. So far, that branch has been almost suspiciously quiet. For instance. IMO.

[jrittenhouse.livejournal.com]

A good start. I'm waiting for the order to Be More Transparent at EPA.

[mjwise.livejournal.com]

A good show for the rubes, maybe, but Obama's credibility on the honesty and change mantra was rather ruined when he started appointing a lot of people with tax problems.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

So no matter how transparent and open his administration is from his taking the office going forward, your will consider his and his administrations efforts at openness and change ruined by the previous personal record of his appointees? Or are you saying these appointments cause you to expect him to lie and hide things himself?

[cos]

That seems kinda weird. How are these other people's tax problems a reflection on Obama's honesty? Anyway, there's no evidence that Obama's credibility is ruined, that I've seen or heard of.

The point of these web sites and other transparency measures isn't really about "the rubes" - the real effect will be to allow bloggers, activists, watchdog groups and issue groups, and others, much easier cheaper access to the sources for their research. Obama's fairly long history as a legislator shows that he believes this makes government work better, because people find things and publicize them, that would otherwise have remained obscure.

[marsgov.livejournal.com]

Proliferating domain names lead to less transparency by dispersing the information.

President Obama has already reneged on his pledge to put the text of bills online prior to signing them, starting with the very first bill he signed. I don't have any positive expectations regarding improved openness.

[matt-arnold.livejournal.com]

I'm happy about it. They're making it not so much of a hassle and time-sink for me to access and understand my civics. If that's political evangelism to the non-political, well I say it's the right kind.