5 Reasons to Love White House-dot-Gov
February 17, 2009, by Cathy Fischer
My day job as a web content producer makes it natural, almost compulsory, for me to critique the new White House website. While the site is not perfect, it’s a major improvement from its earlier incarnation which screamed bad design, stodginess and a “we could care less” attitude.
President Obama has been experiencing some rough speed bumps lately and pundits are saying the honeymoon is over, but not for me. Here are five reasons why I’m feelin’ the luv at White House-dot-Gov.
1) Not just pixels, but people
The www.whitehouse.gov site launched on inauguration day; how did they pull it together so quickly? The stark contrast of “before and after” reminds me of the difference between McCain not using email and Obama holding on to his Blackberry for dear life.
The voice and intention behind the website is clear. A letter from the Director of New Media, Macon Phillips, lays it all out, “The White House’s new website…will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world.” He explains how new media efforts focus on three priorities: communication, transparency and participation.
2) Transparency
“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,” writes Phillips.
The well-organized site has many features to “keep everyone up-to-date and educated.” The Briefing Room includes daily blog posts, photos, videos, proclamations, executive orders, policy priorities and press releases.
In The Agenda section you can learn about the administration’s positions on everything from “health care and the economy to alternative energy and foreign policy.” Plus, bios of leadership and staff members are available throughout the site.
3) Participation
Citizen participation is a priority for this administration. The Obama election campaign was fueled by new media communication experts who inspired a groundswell of participation with Web 2.0 strategies that focus on two-way communication.
WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise to “publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it.” Now that’s fresh!
The “Contact Us” link is in a most prominent place, the upper right corner. A large box on the right side of the sub-level pages boldly urges “PARTICIPATE” and links to The Office of Public Liaison & Intergovernmental Affairs area, where everyone can “inform the work of the President.”
The White House Blog does not have a commenting option that is made public. I imagine that monitoring that section would be a nightmare. A sub-blog, for the Middle Class Task Force, posts that they received over 34,700 comments in just 11 days. Common themes from submissions are highlighted.
Once the economic plan is in action, a new site, Recovery.gov, will enable users to track funds. “Ultimately, this is your money, and you deserve to know where it’s going and how it’s spent,” says Obama. Did I say fresh?
4) Weekly Video Address
President Obama publishes a weekly video address every Saturday morning—a 21st century version of the fireside chat. This past week, the President spent five minutes “celebrating” the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act “while keeping his eyes on the tough road ahead.” Choices include streaming video or audio, transcripts and the option to download.
5) Slideshows
The White House slideshows currently showcase History, First Lady, First Family and The President. A most entertaining choice is Presidential Pets, in the First Family section. From Amy Carter and her Siamese cat, Misty Malarky Ying Yang, to the Kennedys, Caroline and John Jr., and their pony, Macaroni—it’s lots of fun.
What’s not to love about WhiteHouse.gov? Just a few nitpicky things:
More interactivity in the White House 101 section would work well. I expected “Inside the President’s House” to include more game-like activity, right now it’s mostly text. The First Ladies section has no images of the women; they exist at the National First Ladies Library. I bet teachers would be happy to have lesson plans. And one new idea: I think it would be wonderful to see “shutter bug” Malia Obama’s point-of-view in a slideshow.
I’ll be submitting these suggestions at www.whitehouse.gov, because it’s all about communication and participation. Are you feeling the love?
February 17th, 2009 at 6:42 am
The honeymoon’s not over for me, either. I think we’re light years ahead with Prez Obama, and I get very upset when I hear the GOP trashing and bad-mouthing his efforts. Obama has been a class act all the way to the White House, and as you point out, I appreciate that our participation is welcomed.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Yes, I am SO feeling the love! I love President Obama’s embrace of 21st century technology, his understanding of 21st century challenges, his dedication to inquiry and reason…the light bubble that surrounds his presidency makes the shadows where Republicans still dwell all the more dark and sinister.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:38 am
All Obama must needs do is hunker down, do the work, keep showing up as who he tells us he is, move forward, and the naysayers will get quieter and quieter. And that we have access to it all and the opportunity to offer our humble opinions–OhmiGod! And they said it couldn’t be done….
February 17th, 2009 at 11:07 am
For me, Obama is the peaceful warrior and will always be my hero. Let’s keep the communication flowing. It’s all about everyone doing their part… Thank you Cathy, for submitting your suggestions to the website!
February 17th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I did submit my suggestions, along with kudos for the team. It will be interesting to see if they reply. I imagine that they’re pretty busy posting timely and news-worthy items every day.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I’ve been emailing whitehouse.gov for a long time. I just can’t keep my good ideas to myself! And, I swear they like my ideas. They never respond to me directly but at least three ideas I sent them translated into action that the public agreed with when they did it. It may feel like you’re sending just one email, but when they get lots of emails with the same opinion on the same subject, they do take notice. The man’s all about communication so let’s keep communicating!
February 17th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Carine you bring up another reason for me to submit yet another suggestion. How about when someone submits a comment at whitehouse.gov, they get an auto-reply with the sentiment that says something like, “Thanks. We got your comment. We may not get back to you, but just know that we’re paying attention.” That’s all, just an acknowledgment that lets you know you got through. With a site that’s been retooled more like a sex change than a facelift, you know they can pull that off.
By the way Recovery.gov is now up and running. Check it out if you want to see where the money is going and even add your own story. http://www.recovery.gov/