Obama Edicts Boost FOIA and .gov Websites

Ian Lamont writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the National Security Archive are praising President Obama's executive orders to make the federal government more open. Yesterday, Obama issued two memos and one executive order instructing government agencies to err on the side of making information public and not to look for reasons to legally withhold it. The moves are expected to make it easier for people to file Freedom of Information Act requests, and should also boost the amount of information that agencies place on their websites. The general counsel for the National Security Archive (an NGO that publishes declassified documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act) even predicts that agencies will use blogs to share information. Obama's directives reverse a 2001 memo from former US Attorney General John Ashcroft instructing federal agencies to generally withhold information from citizens filing FOIA requests."

Comments

Alien Technology?

[Anonymous Coward]

Now we can get the information about the Roswell / Area 51 connection!

Re:Alien Technology?

[Yvan256]

I think you'll be dissapointed.

Turns out Area 51 was the dump site for all those unsold Atari 2600 E.T. game carts.

Idea for the website

[Yvan256]

One idea to make their websites more transparent would be to use 32-bit PNGs.

Re:Idea for the website

[Yvan256]

Which is fine if all you have is a monochromatic view of the world.

Re:Idea for the website

[illegalcortex]

Though it's a moot point, since they were all corrupt in the first place.

Sounds Fishy to Me

[Bob9113]

Hmmm, I don't know - being allowed to just "know" what the government is doing seems a little fishy. How are they supposed to keep us terrified and docile if they can't pretend that they always, just barely, have the boogeyman on the point of a knife -- but it's too dangerous to let us see him? And if we are not terrified and docile, how can they maintain their lack of accountability? The lack of accountability that is the very hallmark of the modern United States political system.

Honestly - the ideas this guy comes up with...

Alien Inquisition!

[CrazedWalrus]

People continue to talk about aliens at Area 51 for 2 reasons:

1. They are mentally incapable of stopping. (And need help.)
2. They enjoy it, and think it's entertaining.
3. They just don't know any better.

People continue to talk about aliens at Area 51 for 3! 3 reasons:

1. They are mentally incapable of stopping. (And need help.)
2. They enjoy it, and think it's entertaining.
3. They just don't know any better.
4. They have been abducted by aliens at Area 51

The 4 reasons people continue to talk about aliens at Area 51 are:

No, wait, start over...

AWESOME!!

[crhylove]

Now can we find out:

Who killed JFK?
How the twin towers came down?
Test results for Project Silverbug?

Thanks in Advance!