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Government Web Sites Are Not for the Incumbents

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the says-who dept.

Hal Plotkin has a column pointing out a severe deficiency in how the U.S. government handles web sites - they are often designed more to promote current office-holders than to conduct governmental affairs. The practice of using official resources for partisan political purposes is not new - the big rush actually hit about 3-4 years ago - but we could make such better use of the web, if only...

6 of 189 comments (clear)

  1. Golden rule of choosing leaders: by Ravenn · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Those who seek the power are least deserving of it.

    Ravenn

    --
    Of all the things you can accomplish by screwing up your face and swearing into a dark room, sleep is not one of them.
  2. Typical Politics by geronimo_jerry · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's standard practice in .gov to "rewrite" some of the findings, achievements, etc. of the previous administration to appeal to the current politicians thoughts and ideals.

    I've always thought what a waste of time and resources it is for a particular State to rewrite road signs and post the picture and "thoughts" of the current governor on the backs of road maps. Of course there's many things you see, such as this /. article that shows just how much waste (and graft) occurs in .gov.

    No matter how the politicians spin things, their primary goal is to get reelected. Very few policitians have enough guile to tell the establishment (and stick to their guns) that they're only there for one/two terms, to make a difference.

    --
    Jerry Fletcher,
    Privacy Protection By:
    http://www.cotse.net/servicedetails.html
  3. Explain to me this one, Einstein... by Guppy06 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "they are often designed more to promote current office-holders than to conduct governmental affairs."

    And the other avenues of communications aren't? How is Congressman Tauzin's self-promotional website different from, say, the form letter I got from Congressman Tauzin explaining how good the Tauzin-Dingel through franked mail (who needs to buy stamps when you're a member of Congress?) in response to the complaint I sent to him about said bill? Tell me how that letter and all the other form letters various members of Congress send to concerned voters isn't just so much political advertising?

    No, I'm not saying all members of Congress are guilty of this (at the very least somebody read letters I've sent to my Senators, for example), but there are some who are quite guilty of this, and all we've seen come of it is legislation against using franked mail within X number of days of election day.

    Come back when you've noticed the problem in general and not just the websites in particular.

  4. The whole political system... by The+Fanta+Menace · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...is designed to favour the incumbents.

    The two big parties have enough funding to brainwash the masses into thinking that they are the only parties capable of winning, yet their policies differ very little.

    The net effect is that by voting for either of them, you are voting for the status quo - nothing ever happens and they keep lining their pockets.

    Vote for someone else. Left or right, it doesn't matter, just shake out the incumbents.

    --
    -- Even if a god did exist, why the fsck should I worship it?
  5. What's his point? by T.+Will+S.+Idea · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Frankly I just don't see what he is whining about. An example: in his article he gives a link to a unsurprisingly glowing biography of the Mayor of San Francisco. He complains about a lack of information about the office itself, but if you actually go to the Mayor's home page there is a ton of information! You get the Mayor's budget proposal, his schedule, his address, phone number, e-mail, links to offices under the Mayor, transcripts of speeches, etc. What exactly was he expecting, pictures of the Mayor in compromising situations?

    His main point seems to be that government web sites should be dedicated to organizing grass roots groups. First of all, the idea of the government organizing grass roots groups is oxymoronic. It is also a pretty dumb idea. I can just imagine the paranoia if the government tried to monopolize all of the grass roots organizations by hosting them on government web sites. "I spent the last 5 hours typing up my opposition to the mayor's speech when my computer crashed and the whole thing was lost. Then I got to thinking, who controls the web site? (The mayor.) Was it really a mistake that my post was lost?"

    This guy, Plotkin, should go back and dig up some real abuses to complain about. Lacking that, this article just sounds like a big long whine.

    --
    If electricity is produced by electrons is morality produced by morons?
  6. Why SHOULDN'T Pols live like the rest of us ??? by Salgak1 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    You really want your leadership to have freedom of mobility. You also don't want them showing up looking like they flew economy everywhere they go. Do you really want your representatives vicitimized by luggage handlers?

    Let's see. . .what CAN'T they fly Coach: the rest of us do. And as for baggage handlers, why not subject them to the joys of our new Federalized (and supposedly "Professionalized". . .) Baggage Handlers and screeners. Thay're SUPPOSEDLY there to represent us, as opposed to being the Senator from Disney or whereever.

    Then again, if **I** was running things, I'd have Congresscritters and Senators living in general-issue family housing on any of the local military bases in the DC area. After all, if it's good enough for our boys and girls in uniform, it oughta be good enough for a Congressman or Senator....