Cyber-savvy White House unveils new administration website

By Christine Anne Piesyk | January 20, 2009 |

Change has indeed come to America.

Even as the inauguration of President Barack Obama got underway in Washington D.C. today, the new White House website, www.whitehouse.gov, was up and running.

It’s an impressive site, building on and expanding the technology and communication systems that tech-savvy Obama used in his presidential campaign. It went live at noon, January 20.

On first click, the headline reads “Change has come to America.” On three subsequent pages, we read: “Revitalizing the Economy,” “Welcome to the new whitehouse.gov,” and “A New Era of Public Service.”

Dynamic is the best way to describe www.whitehouse.gov, which will, in coming weeks, feature a weekly video address (every Saturday) by President Obama. The site includes “briefing room” of slide shows, a White House blog, proclamations, executive orders, and general news (appointments, nominations). Users will also be able to subscribe to e-mail updates. Visitors can e-mail President Obama and his staff with a character limit set at 500.

Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House, posted the first blog on the site, an announcement that said:

“Millions of Americans have powered President Obama’s journey to the White House, many taking advantage of the internet to play a role in shaping our country’s future. WhiteHouse.gov is just the beginning of the new administration’s efforts to expand and deepen this online engagement.”

Phillips said the site has three priorities: communication, transparency and participation. Each section has a specific function.

Communication: Timely and in-depth content. This is where viewers will find the  “briefing room,” the blog/RSS feed, learn of major decisions and announcements, and sign up for e-mail updates. Topics include the economy, national security and more.

Transparency: President Obama’s  executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review.  Also on tap here: presidential agendas and policy priorities.  Phillips calls this area “a window into government.”

Participation: Citizen participation will be a priority for the Administration, and the internet will play an important role in that. This section will include all non-emergency legislation to be published for five days, allowing for public review and comment prior to a presidential signature.

Dynamic is the best way to describe www.whitehouse.gov, which will in coming weeks feature a weekly video address (every Saturday) by President Obama. The site includes “briefing room” of slide shows, a White House blog, proclamations, executive orders, and general news (appointments, nominations). Users will also be able to subscribe to e-mail updates. Visitors can e-mail President Obama and his staff with a character limit set at 500.

Phillips wrote:

“Millions of Americans have powered President Obama’s journey to the White House, many taking advantage of the Internet to play a role in shaping our country’s future. WhiteHouse.gov is just the beginning of the new administration’s efforts to expand and deepen this online engagement.”

In our initial view of the site, we found detailed information on all the key issues concerning Americans, from foreign policy and the military to family, women’s health, education, ethics, economy, civil rights, technology, immigration and more. With each topic clicked, a concise summary states the issue and policy directions to address each issue.

Another section defines the administration, with a who’s who of biographical information on all the key players.   Another section covers the history of the White House, Camp David, Air Force One, and even White House and legislative internships.

The initial offerings are tantalizing, and given the track record of cyber-communication to date by candidate-now-President Obama, it’s a certainty that this 21st century website will just keep getting better. There’s even a section for citizen input as to what they would like to see on the site.

Check it out. www.whitehouse.gov.  It’s well worth your time.

About Christine Anne Piesyk

Sections

Topics

© 2009 Clarksville, TN Online is owned and operated by residents of Clarksville Tennessee.
» We are Hosted by Compu-Net Enterprises; In Partnership with Discover Clarksville and Discover Paris