Whitehouse.gov Seeks Wisdom of Crowd
At 12:01 EST on Tuesday, the White House Web site underwent a transformation. The old look was out, and a brand new one, designed by the Obama administration, was in. The changeover took place without fanfare or formality. Indeed, the new site was up even before Supreme Court Justice John Roberts had administered the oath of office to Barack Obama, who had quietly undergone his own Constitutionally mandated transformation, becoming president at precisely the same moment.
More than twenty-four hours later, visitors are beginning to absorb the implications of the White House Web site's new features, which give the people unprecedented access to government policymaking. Of course, the site will also give President Obama unparalleled access to those he governs -- and will one day have to woo again, assuming he runs for a second term.
......
Features include a blog, a page for Obama's weekly address to the nation, which will be disseminated by online video as well, updates via e-mail, and links to other resources. The site also has a page for legislation that hasn't yet been signed. The Obama administration plans to post new bills awaiting the president's signature for five days, in order to give people a chance to comment.
