First, many things depend on the type of government website. Federal, state, and local of course will be very different. Similarly, IRS will be different from any of them. One local government website I've heard much praise about is the website for the City of Alexandria, Virginia.. The reason? Simple, navigatable, but most importanly it has lots of relevant and recent information.
List o suggestions:
Keep it simple. (Many users won't be totally familiar with the internet
Keep it updated! This means everyone must be involved, not just the webmaster.
Prominent, fast, simple but powerful and accurate search engine (in other words the best you can get your hands on). Many people visiting the site WON'T be there every day (presumably). There will (likely) be lots of data and information (if i know gov't sites). You need search capabilities!
Prominent "contact us" page. Place names, e-mails, phone numbers, addresses, fax numbers etc! Often the website isn't enough!
Find out and follow all rules for helping the disabled.
Ask yourself: 1. Who is coming to this website (Your website will serve different groups. Citizens, government officials, businesses, journalists etc). 2. Why are each of these groups coming to the website AND Why aren't these people calling, writing, or faxing. In other words, what is the web best at displaying that all other ways of contacting your orginization fail at. 3. What service could my organization provide through the web that it never has before. (Offer it:) ) 4. How can I break the totality of information into comprehendable subgroups.
This article essentially boils down to whining from a particularly clueless user about how she can't manage to get her computer to work.
(Bitch Bitch)
Yeah, you know what. As a fairly technically competent user, that's pretty much it. I want my computer to work. But you know what since purchasing my computer from a well-known mail/phone/net order company, the damn thing often doesn't work.
First Day:
Monitor defective (sent back)
Since then
On 3rd Monitor (ok I spilled coke on one but don't tell them that)
My scanner died and after getting a new one, has started scanning poorly
The thing won't go into sleep mode (hasn't since the day i got it)
Fan makes a shit-load of noise now
Needed to replace memory 3 weeks ago
Likes to crash when i put a zip disk in my zip drive
Suddenly stopped turning on the other day
(They sent me a new power adapter which didn't help...Also when I asked, do I have the plug in backwards? should i try it the other way..I got a yes... Luckily my computer didn't catch on fire)
Oh, and here's my bet. If it was the IRQ's and if the tech support just decided to send someone out there, I'll be it was because she was female. Seriosly, tech support people (often) treat women and female callers as if they're stupid. In the end anytime a female friend of mine has a problem I have to get on the phone and talk. (UGG!)
Yes, it's tempting. If you trust your government, let it do more things. This can benefit you. For example the U.S. gives the government the right to enter a property give a just cause. (It needs a warrant from a judge though). This has been accepted as fair by majority of society and means many more criminals are arrested. This article shows Britain may go further. Fine, however much you trust your government I want to say one thing.
Truly Wierd Shit Happens
I mean, even the talk shows couldn't have predicted this election spectacle. Who'd 've thunk it. Most of us here in the U.S. were pretty damn positive we could run an election...oops. And guess what (whatever side your on) there's a good chance the wrong candidate will win the election.
I dunno, how many open-source developers can design useful open-source Graphic User Interfaces. Why do you think virtually all useful open-source projects have weak graphic interfaces? Similarly, why should any graphics guru help linux... if it doesn't...and it's users/creators don't want it to...be a system that the graphics people can use.
OK OK. A bit of a troll, but you get my point. Graphics people could certainly use a quality, stable, OS that used its hardware efficiently. Graphics people don't want to need a pricey machine to make their work possible.
Yes, it sucks when your server crashes, but it also sucks when that image you've been tweaking for 45 minutes goes down the tube.
-d
(sorry shift button broken.. all caps done by repeated caps-lock hitting...which got old:) )
A. The "will of the nation" by popular vote was for Gore.
B. The "will of the state of Florida" by popular vote in Florida was for Gore.
C. Thus, Gore in theory has won the electoral college.
D. We have just elected Texas Governor George Walker Bush
Must we accept this? Probably. Must laws be made or changed to prevent this. Yes. As much as I am concerned about GWB's ability to run this country, I am more concerned that this country will corrupt its electoral process causing no end of damage in the long run. That said, Go Al!
Sure, falling 32 miles is fun and achieving mach 1.5 is pretty damn incredible, but all i wanna know is how big a hole in the ground she'll make if the parachute doesn't open.
MrMann asks: "Should online news agencies like Slashdot be held accountable for tabloid news stories much like paper mediums are?
Yes
I'll be the first to admit that we aren't perfect when it comes to that part, but we do the best we can when it comes to corrections.
True, Slashdot certainly does an "above par" job of handling corrections. Congratulations. However, Slashdot's job is not to make corrections, but to prevent errors.
Just out of curiosity, how do you all feel about how the real onlines News sites handle their reporting?
Ok here we go:
First, thank you Slashdot staff for a job well done. While yes, Slashdot has erros, Slashdot does a good job. We wouldn't be reading if you didn't.
However Slashdot has a lot to learn from traditional news sources. Traditional news sources have been doing this stuff for awhile. What's great about this, is while many of Slashdot's biggest problems (fact checking, rushing to post) are impossible to completly prevent, traditional news agencies have stratagies to limit these problems.
Similarly, traditional news agencies can learn much from Slashdot. They must learn to provide better ways to have feedback and discussion. They need to learn to engage the reader and promote discussion. They need to understand issues in more detail--and learn from not for the community.
"...the Mir infection has shown that fungi are surprisingly destructive, giving off corrosive agents like acetic acid that damage equipment and release toxins into the environment."
Also it seems that it might be a bit difficult since most laptops are designed to be on LAPS (etc.) which tend not to be the steadies surfaces. CD's skip if you remember
The photo is a station at least highly suspected of being part of the Echelon system. The Washington Post used the picture and it was described in this story
Actually a quick phone call or two, a little background checking, and the implementation of CS&R (common sense and restraint) (tm) would go a long way. Slashdot should have checked to see if KrasnoConv was a registered company and checked with SEETI@Home to see if they had ever heard of it.
Notice, the submitter of the story wrote "This has got to be the strangest piece of hardware I have ever seen"
There must have been some suspicion this might not be for real.
Woz is refering to the New York Times EDITORIAL Page! The editorial section is distincly different than the general news pages and the two shouldn't be confused. Those two pages of news print are reserved for OPINION pieces.
I agree with most of what was said, but the mistakes were not made in 2000 or 1998, but in 1996/7, when Netscape Corp. failed to realize that Communicator would need a massive overhaul. Clearly, in order for Netscape to design and implement a program to meet standards and render quickly/efficiently/etc., Netscape 5/6 needed to be well under developement while Navigator 4.0 was just being published. In Netscape's defense, no one could have imagined that Netscape's browser would be so out of date so quickly, so important to such a large number of people, and put in a head on battle against the Multi Billion dollar warchest/petty cash of Microsoft. Microsoft developed IE 1/2 (blah) 3 (not bad) (4 pretty good) (5 spectacular (hey everything's relative) for the user ). Very few companies can go head to head with MS and survive. But far fewer can survive when MS picks the battle. Netscape Communicator clearly was not developed with a long term view. Netscape sprinted to get their Communicator OUT OUT OUT! They sprinted, but when it suddenly became apparent that we're in a marathon and not the 100 meter dash, Netscape was out of breath and needed a complete overhaul. Get the browser out folks, but it's been to long already to take the early entry advantage--sorry but we're stuck with getting the best browser possible. The time for rushing a 99% standard browser out is LONG overdue. But really we shouldn't have too much fear Net Users: 400 million World : 6 Billion
Re:Proof that .com companies are still overvalued
on
CNET Buys Ziff-Davis
·
· Score: 1
CNET is actually one of the few.com's that is profitable. Although its $100 million ad campaign a little while back temporarily put a stop to that. A quick search turned up this link to a 12/10/99 article detailing CNET http://moneycentral.ms n.com/articles/invest/company/4825.asp
Actually, I find that running a simple "Please turn off your cell phone" reminder 30 seconds before the movie works wonders. 99% of the people with their cellphones still on will say thank you and turn their phones silent (or off).
Slashdot Mirror
List o suggestions:
Keep it simple. (Many users won't be totally familiar with the internet
Keep it updated! This means everyone must be involved, not just the webmaster.
Prominent, fast, simple but powerful and accurate search engine (in other words the best you can get your hands on). Many people visiting the site WON'T be there every day (presumably). There will (likely) be lots of data and information (if i know gov't sites). You need search capabilities!
Prominent "contact us" page. Place names, e-mails, phone numbers, addresses, fax numbers etc! Often the website isn't enough!
Find out and follow all rules for helping the disabled.
Ask yourself: 1. Who is coming to this website (Your website will serve different groups. Citizens, government officials, businesses, journalists etc). 2. Why are each of these groups coming to the website AND Why aren't these people calling, writing, or faxing. In other words, what is the web best at displaying that all other ways of contacting your orginization fail at. 3. What service could my organization provide through the web that it never has before. (Offer it :) ) 4. How can I break the totality of information into comprehendable subgroups.
Link to Firstgov.org
This article essentially boils down to whining from a particularly clueless user about how she can't manage to get her computer to work.
(Bitch Bitch) Yeah, you know what. As a fairly technically competent user, that's pretty much it. I want my computer to work. But you know what since purchasing my computer from a well-known mail/phone/net order company, the damn thing often doesn't work.
First Day:
Monitor defective (sent back)
Since then
On 3rd Monitor (ok I spilled coke on one but don't tell them that)
My scanner died and after getting a new one, has started scanning poorly
The thing won't go into sleep mode (hasn't since the day i got it)
Fan makes a shit-load of noise now
Needed to replace memory 3 weeks ago
Likes to crash when i put a zip disk in my zip drive
Suddenly stopped turning on the other day (They sent me a new power adapter which didn't help...Also when I asked, do I have the plug in backwards? should i try it the other way..I got a yes... Luckily my computer didn't catch on fire)
Oh, and here's my bet. If it was the IRQ's and if the tech support just decided to send someone out there, I'll be it was because she was female. Seriosly, tech support people (often) treat women and female callers as if they're stupid. In the end anytime a female friend of mine has a problem I have to get on the phone and talk. (UGG!)
Yes, it's tempting. If you trust your government, let it do more things. This can benefit you. For example the U.S. gives the government the right to enter a property give a just cause. (It needs a warrant from a judge though). This has been accepted as fair by majority of society and means many more criminals are arrested. This article shows Britain may go further. Fine, however much you trust your government I want to say one thing.
Truly Wierd Shit Happens
I mean, even the talk shows couldn't have predicted this election spectacle. Who'd 've thunk it. Most of us here in the U.S. were pretty damn positive we could run an election...oops. And guess what (whatever side your on) there's a good chance the wrong candidate will win the election.
I dunno, how many open-source developers can design useful open-source Graphic User Interfaces. Why do you think virtually all useful open-source projects have weak graphic interfaces? Similarly, why should any graphics guru help linux... if it doesn't...and it's users/creators don't want it to...be a system that the graphics people can use.
:) )
OK OK. A bit of a troll, but you get my point. Graphics people could certainly use a quality, stable, OS that used its hardware efficiently. Graphics people don't want to need a pricey machine to make their work possible. Yes, it sucks when your server crashes, but it also sucks when that image you've been tweaking for 45 minutes goes down the tube. -d (sorry shift button broken.. all caps done by repeated caps-lock hitting...which got old
As if Bush would want the job on Saturdays or Sundays. That's time to P-A-R-T-Y!
What we have here is
A. The "will of the nation" by popular vote was for Gore.
B. The "will of the state of Florida" by popular vote in Florida was for Gore.
C. Thus, Gore in theory has won the electoral college.
D. We have just elected Texas Governor George Walker Bush
Must we accept this? Probably. Must laws be made or changed to prevent this. Yes. As much as I am concerned about GWB's ability to run this country, I am more concerned that this country will corrupt its electoral process causing no end of damage in the long run. That said, Go Al!
Sure, falling 32 miles is fun and achieving mach 1.5 is pretty damn incredible, but all i wanna know is how big a hole in the ground she'll make if the parachute doesn't open.
If Taco was worth his weight in AOL CD's he would have realized that the real news here is that SOMEONE WAS WATCHING UPN!
-A
Yes
I'll be the first to admit that we aren't perfect when it comes to that part, but we do the best we can when it comes to corrections.
True, Slashdot certainly does an "above par" job of handling corrections. Congratulations. However, Slashdot's job is not to make corrections, but to prevent errors.
Just out of curiosity, how do you all feel about how the real onlines News sites handle their reporting?
Ok here we go:
First, thank you Slashdot staff for a job well done. While yes, Slashdot has erros, Slashdot does a good job. We wouldn't be reading if you didn't.
However Slashdot has a lot to learn from traditional news sources. Traditional news sources have been doing this stuff for awhile. What's great about this, is while many of Slashdot's biggest problems (fact checking, rushing to post) are impossible to completly prevent, traditional news agencies have stratagies to limit these problems.
Similarly, traditional news agencies can learn much from Slashdot. They must learn to provide better ways to have feedback and discussion. They need to learn to engage the reader and promote discussion. They need to understand issues in more detail--and learn from not for the community.
Computer must mechanically operate the same controls used by the human;
:-)
Yes, and Deep Blue should have had to move the chess pieces itself.
Sorry if my "ahem" came across wrong. (bad confusing day). I was backing up what you had said, I didn't mean to imply something else.
Except that
"...the Mir infection has shown that fungi are surprisingly destructive, giving off corrosive agents like acetic acid that damage equipment and release toxins into the environment."
ahem... Microso ft invests in Corel, settles legal disputes from Cnet.
Mommy I want world peace for christmas
No, if it had, your local power plant would be useing fuel cells. ... I guess ;-)
Sorry couldn't resist
Anyone else thinking that IBM just invented the "Really Big Pen"??
;-)
Hence the the concentration on _G4_ and Super Computer...
Also it seems that it might be a bit difficult since most laptops are designed to be on LAPS (etc.) which tend not to be the steadies surfaces. CD's skip if you remember
The photo is a station at least highly suspected of being part of the Echelon system. The Washington Post used the picture and it was described in this story
Notice, the submitter of the story wrote "This has got to be the strangest piece of hardware I have ever seen"
There must have been some suspicion this might not be for real.
Slashdot also should have done what talks_to_birds did.
That said, Slashdot IS good about posting their errors. (And serving ads while replying to their posts of errors :) )
Woz is refering to the New York Times EDITORIAL Page! The editorial section is distincly different than the general news pages and the two shouldn't be confused. Those two pages of news print are reserved for OPINION pieces.
I agree with most of what was said, but the mistakes were not made in 2000 or 1998, but in 1996/7, when Netscape Corp. failed to realize that Communicator would need a massive overhaul. Clearly, in order for Netscape to design and implement a program to meet standards and render quickly/efficiently/etc., Netscape 5/6 needed to be well under developement while Navigator 4.0 was just being published. In Netscape's defense, no one could have imagined that Netscape's browser would be so out of date so quickly, so important to such a large number of people, and put in a head on battle against the Multi Billion dollar warchest/petty cash of Microsoft. Microsoft developed IE 1/2 (blah) 3 (not bad) (4 pretty good) (5 spectacular (hey everything's relative) for the user ). Very few companies can go head to head with MS and survive. But far fewer can survive when MS picks the battle. Netscape Communicator clearly was not developed with a long term view. Netscape sprinted to get their Communicator OUT OUT OUT! They sprinted, but when it suddenly became apparent that we're in a marathon and not the 100 meter dash, Netscape was out of breath and needed a complete overhaul. Get the browser out folks, but it's been to long already to take the early entry advantage--sorry but we're stuck with getting the best browser possible. The time for rushing a 99% standard browser out is LONG overdue. But really we shouldn't have too much fear Net Users: 400 million World : 6 Billion
CNET is actually one of the few .com's that is profitable. Although its $100 million ad campaign a little while back temporarily put a stop to that. A quick search turned up this link to a 12/10/99 article detailing CNET
http://moneycentral.ms n.com/articles/invest/company/4825.asp
Actually, I find that running a simple "Please turn off your cell phone" reminder 30 seconds before the movie works wonders. 99% of the people with their cellphones still on will say thank you and turn their phones silent (or off).