E-Government Act
December 17, 2002 1:17 PM Subscribe
The possibility that the White House policy may hobble the GPO's role in coordinating the archiving of government documents is what has librarians and e-government advocates most alarmed. When the GPO prints an agency publication, it also forwards electronic or hard copies of the document to the National Archives and to as many as 1,300 depository libraries nationwide.
I tend to think that if we're really moving to the electronic age, then the public at large has the archival duty. Writing to Pueblo Colorado every time you want a document is far less efficient that querying online for the smart bastard that actually was interested and archived the needed information. Electronic dispersal of government docs is not centralizing, its truly distributing.
posted by Wulfgar! at 1:43 PM on December 17, 2002
I tend to think that if we're really moving to the electronic age, then the public at large has the archival duty. Writing to Pueblo Colorado every time you want a document is far less efficient that querying online for the smart bastard that actually was interested and archived the needed information. Electronic dispersal of government docs is not centralizing, its truly distributing.
posted by Wulfgar! at 1:43 PM on December 17, 2002
"Good? Bad? Ugly?"
The President, or the Act?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:50 PM on December 17, 2002
The President, or the Act?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:50 PM on December 17, 2002
Read your own link, MrMoonPie. The critics cited in the article are critical of current administration policies, not the e-government act, with at least one suggesting that current policies are in conflict with the act.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:14 PM on December 17, 2002
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:14 PM on December 17, 2002
I tend to think that if we're really moving to the electronic age, then the public at large has the archival duty.
The depository libraries you cite are already doing this with hard copies. It's being done electronically, as well--there are several mirrors out there of the information available from GPO. But it has to be published in the first place.
Writing to Pueblo Colorado
You seem to be confusing the Government Printing Office, located in Washington DC, which publishes virtually all the business of the federal government, from the Congressional Record down to subsubcommittee reports that very few people care about, with the Federal Citizen Information Center in Pueblo CO, also part of the federal government, which publishes some consumer information.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:19 PM on December 17, 2002
The depository libraries you cite are already doing this with hard copies. It's being done electronically, as well--there are several mirrors out there of the information available from GPO. But it has to be published in the first place.
Writing to Pueblo Colorado
You seem to be confusing the Government Printing Office, located in Washington DC, which publishes virtually all the business of the federal government, from the Congressional Record down to subsubcommittee reports that very few people care about, with the Federal Citizen Information Center in Pueblo CO, also part of the federal government, which publishes some consumer information.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:19 PM on December 17, 2002
DA, not at all. I was being derogatory to govt. distribution services to make a point.
posted by Wulfgar! at 2:39 PM on December 17, 2002
posted by Wulfgar! at 2:39 PM on December 17, 2002
From the act:
`electronic Government' means the use by the Government of web-based Internet applications and other information technologies, combined with processes that implement these technologies, to--
`(A) enhance the access to and delivery of Government information and services to the public, other agencies, and other Government entities; or
`(B) bring about improvements in Government operations that may include effectiveness, efficiency, service quality, or transformation.
Nuthin wrong with that, huh? But does anyone else find it ironic that this admin, bruising the Freedom of Information Act, hiding past presidential papers, and embracing more and more governmental secrecy is sponsoring this?
posted by ahimsakid at 2:50 PM on December 17, 2002
`electronic Government' means the use by the Government of web-based Internet applications and other information technologies, combined with processes that implement these technologies, to--
`(A) enhance the access to and delivery of Government information and services to the public, other agencies, and other Government entities; or
`(B) bring about improvements in Government operations that may include effectiveness, efficiency, service quality, or transformation.
Nuthin wrong with that, huh? But does anyone else find it ironic that this admin, bruising the Freedom of Information Act, hiding past presidential papers, and embracing more and more governmental secrecy is sponsoring this?
posted by ahimsakid at 2:50 PM on December 17, 2002
I reckon you're right, DA. Sorry 'bout that. Still, it looks like no one's sure how this all will pan out. How will centralization of electronic records mesh with de-centralization of hard-copy printing services?
posted by MrMoonPie at 2:51 PM on December 17, 2002
posted by MrMoonPie at 2:51 PM on December 17, 2002
In the interests of full disclosure, I should note that I work on a government information website, so I'm more than a little curious about the outcome.
posted by MrMoonPie at 2:54 PM on December 17, 2002
posted by MrMoonPie at 2:54 PM on December 17, 2002
But does anyone else find it ironic that this admin, bruising the Freedom of Information Act, hiding past presidential papers, and embracing more and more governmental secrecy is sponsoring this?
Not really any more ironic than if the last administration had passed it (with Bill "Clipper Chip" Clinton, Al "DMCA" Gore, and Hillary "Whoops, those files just mysteriously appeared in the bedroom" Clinton.
What I do find interesting is that I think has is now apparently official: It is impossible to post anything on MeFi even remotely related to anything the federal government does without someone using it as a chance to take a shot at Bush. At first it was irritating, then tiresome, but now it is just humorous.
posted by MidasMulligan at 4:00 PM on December 17, 2002
Not really any more ironic than if the last administration had passed it (with Bill "Clipper Chip" Clinton, Al "DMCA" Gore, and Hillary "Whoops, those files just mysteriously appeared in the bedroom" Clinton.
What I do find interesting is that I think has is now apparently official: It is impossible to post anything on MeFi even remotely related to anything the federal government does without someone using it as a chance to take a shot at Bush. At first it was irritating, then tiresome, but now it is just humorous.
posted by MidasMulligan at 4:00 PM on December 17, 2002
Personally, I'm for anything that promulgates the very essence of the Constitution: to PREVENT the government from passing laws or establishing new anything.
Think about it. Isn't it only arrogance that supports the notion that "just 1 more law" and everything will be fine?
Maybe they have the right idea in China. One emperor builds everything from scratch; the next makes sure that everything is working well; the third lets everything go to hell and the fourth 'cleans the slate' so that everything can begin anew.
Can you even imagine a President who eliminated 3/4ths of all Federal laws? What a godsend!
posted by kablam at 5:52 PM on December 17, 2002
Think about it. Isn't it only arrogance that supports the notion that "just 1 more law" and everything will be fine?
Maybe they have the right idea in China. One emperor builds everything from scratch; the next makes sure that everything is working well; the third lets everything go to hell and the fourth 'cleans the slate' so that everything can begin anew.
Can you even imagine a President who eliminated 3/4ths of all Federal laws? What a godsend!
posted by kablam at 5:52 PM on December 17, 2002
American Library Association Analysis of the E-Government Act of 2002
E-Government & Technology Middle East Blog
posted by sheauga at 6:36 PM on December 17, 2002
E-Government & Technology Middle East Blog
posted by sheauga at 6:36 PM on December 17, 2002
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Any spending that facilitates a governmentally aware public is money well spent.
posted by Wulfgar! at 1:24 PM on December 17, 2002