OpenRegs.com vs. Regulations.gov: .Com Wins!

Katherine Mangu-Ward | July 16, 2009

Remember Regulations.gov? It was launched by the federal government in 2003. While it's a nice symbolic step for transparency, the site is poky, has a bad interface, and (in my experience) has a pretty spectacular record of not being about to locate the reg you're looking for. It's basically the online equivalent of a bored lady on the phone saying "I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't have a record of that."

Not to worry: A new privately run site, OpenRegs.com, launched yesterday. The very sexy-looking site is the brainchild of Jerry Brito of the George Mason's Mercatus Center (also one of my fellow bloggers at the world's foremost libertarian food blog, Crispy on the Outside), and Peter Snyder, a Chicago-based programmer. You can track specific agencies or specific topics.

The site also encourages commenting and offers tools to facilitate the exchange of gossip about each agency, which you'd better believe is frowned upon over at the .gov site.

More on transparency failure here.

Comments

Mike in PA|7.16.09 @ 11:22AM|#

Isn't this like the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the Washington Generals?

Whaddya 'spect?

|7.16.09 @ 11:28AM|#

My friends and I cheered for The Generals the last time we went. And I bought a Generals T-shirt and held it up when they came on court.

I got so many WTF? looks from kids that day.

|7.16.09 @ 12:54PM|#

Dude, the Generals suck. What a loser!

Mav|7.16.09 @ 1:15PM|#

It's amazing how Harlem continually manhandles Washington. It's like they've figure out all their weakpoints and exploit them to perfection. It's gotten to the point that it seems like Washington is playing by the script that Harlem has written up for them. Amazing!

Wait, were you talking about basketball?

|7.16.09 @ 1:17PM|#

It's sad that a site like this exists. It's a testament to how big and bloated government has become.

|7.16.09 @ 1:22PM|#

It's sad that a site like this exists. It's a testament to how big and bloated government has become.

Are you talking about Reason.com, or OpenRegs.com?

|7.16.09 @ 4:11PM|#

The private alternative is far more effective than the government alternative. Imagine that?

|7.16.09 @ 10:53PM|#

I meant Openregs.com. I'm sure it's a valuable resource. But it's sad that there needs to be a site to act as a clearinghouse for giant rats nest(s) of regulation. As for Reason, it's a great site providing clear and lucid thinking the most important matters of the day.

|7.17.09 @ 6:13AM|#

nice post...
___________________
Britney
The best place for the best ENTERTAINMENT

|7.17.09 @ 3:59PM|#

This is nothing new. Back in the 80's, before the advent of the Intertubes, every city had a government document repository, filing cabinet after cabinet filled with microfiches (microfish?)of government reports. (do these still exist?) Anyway, it was very hard to find what you were looking for, and it turned out that a private company began publishing an index of the federal documents. The feds never came up with one of their own.

Joe M|7.17.09 @ 6:09PM|#

Looks like you guys need to add a captcha. Starting to get some spammy stuff.