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New White House Web Site Goes Online

Posted on: Wednesday, 21 January 2009, 15:57 CST

President Barack Obama’s White House went online Tuesday, with the administration pledging the new site will serve as a "window for all Americans into the business of the government."

The Web site, www.whitehouse.gov, "will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world,” wrote White House Director of New Media, Macon Phillips, on a blog posting.

The new site replaced that of former president George W. Bush’s administration at 12:01 pm (1701 GMT).

"Change has come to WhiteHouse.gov," Phillips wrote.

"WhiteHouse.gov is just the beginning of the new administration's efforts to expand and deepen this online engagement,” said Phillips, noting that the Internet played a critical role in Obama's 2008 election victory.

"Just like your new government, WhiteHouse.gov and the rest of the Administration's online programs will put citizens first," he wrote.

President Obama’s new media efforts will focus on "communication," "transparency" and "participation,” Phillips said.

The site "will feature timely and in-depth content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated" and encouraged users to sign up for email updates, a technique Obama's team used very successfully during his campaign.”
 
"President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history, and WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering on that promise.”

"The President's executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review, and that's just the beginning of our efforts to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government," he wrote.

"citizen participation will be a priority for the Administration, and the Internet will play an important role in that."

And in a move that honors one of President Obama’s campaign promises, "we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it,” he wrote.

Phillips encouraged citizens to submit ideas about improving the new Web site.  The site’s homepage prominently displays a message from the Office of Public Liaison, with a link to an email form that citizens can use to submit their opinions to the White House.

However, the new site was not without its glitches early Tuesday. One of its blogs said that Obama had issued a proclamation moments after taking office, calling on Americans to serve one another.  Meanwhile, another area on the site said he had not yet issued any proclamations.

The new administration wants the White House Web site to be the window for what is being heralded as a great experiment in interactive government.

The Obama transition team’s official Web site, www.change.gov, included such features as the "Citizen's Briefing Book," in which viewers were encouraged to submit ideas via email and "rate or offer comments on the ideas of others."

The "Your Seat at the Table," feature called for the proceedings of meetings between the transition team and outside organizations to be published on change.gov, allowing members of the public to issue comments.

Whitehouse.gov also provides an in-depth look at the new president's agenda on a wide variety of topics ranging from energy to the economy and the environment.  It also includes biographies of both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.  A slideshow of U.S. presidents dating back to George Washington, along with a trivia section called "White House 101" featuring "facts and fun for all ages,” is also included on the site.

Links to other federal agencies’ websites and a tutorial on the role of the legislative and judicial branches of government are also featured.

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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