Obama administration takes over Whitehouse.gov
Of note to our readers, the "Technology Agenda" page.
An excerpt:
• Protect the Openness of the Internet: Support the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet.The whole page could be excerpted, really, and I encourage everyone, especially American citizens, to give it a read. It's broadly encouraging, although it's clear that the most liberal of technoweenies—myself included—aren't going to get every reform we want.• Encourage Diversity in Media Ownership: Encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promote the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation's spectrum.
• Protect Our Children While Preserving the First Amendment: Give parents the tools and information they need to control what their children see on television and the Internet in ways fully consistent with the First Amendment. Support tough penalties, increase enforcement resources and forensic tools for law enforcement, and encourage collaboration between law enforcement and the private sector to identify and prosecute people who try to exploit children online.
• Safeguard our Right to Privacy: Strengthen privacy protections for the digital age and harness the power of technology to hold government and business accountable for violations of personal privacy.
Also, as @anildash noted, Whitehouse.gov has a blog!
Before and after screenshots by Brian Warren
the latest
latest episodes
When evaluating websites, I always go straight to the contact page: a stinkin' contact form?!
C'mon, at least give an email address (sure they won't read it, but it's piece of mind: I trust email more than some webform).
Also, why require an email address on a webform? What if I don't have an email address (not everyone does)? Yes they listed a physical mailing address, but I might want to save $0.42. That kind logic is strange (and yes, I am taking into account they probably have the $$$ to fully staff a communications office).
Gripe complete.
Ooh. I just sent those same complaints using the contact form (in nicer, less gripe-speak).
Also regarding that contact form:
- The contact form maps the Return key to submit (I learned this after sending them "Great new website! \n")
- Arrow keys are disabled in the textfield.
Ok, gripe finished (for reals)
I'll be interested in seeing how much the blog is used, and what quality of content is put on there. In addition, I'd be very interested if it takes on the form of a discussion between the author and the reader, as most good blogs (including this one) do.
Neither the Democrats nor Republicans are going to support any sort of Open Spectrum movement, because closed spectrum is a de-facto form of censorship.
1. The government can threaten to revoke the license of any broadcaster who doesn't tow the line.
2. Scarcity of spectrum is a good excuse for cracking down on independent "pirate" radio.
No one really trusts citizens with the ability to mass-disseminate whatever information they want. The only reason the Internet is legal is because the Republicans and Democrats had no idea how it worked until it became ubiquitous.
Translation: "We are going to shut down Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly".
They have been trying to do it for years, and now they finally got a Democrat Congress and President, they can revoke the licenses and shut down all those right-wing stations that have been pissing them off for years.
I hate Limbaugh and O'Reilly, but censorship is scary stuff.
Invalid XHTML. FAIL. :)
'Translation: "We are going to shut down Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly".'
Paranoia is so becoming.