(2007-12-12) New City Council Website

The NYC City Council has a new WebSite. It's getting mixed reviews. But the harshest view of the new site comes from Andrew Rasiej, who ran for public advocate in 2005 and co-founded Tech President. "It looks like the council has finally dragged itself into 1999," he said. He said that the new site doesn't fulfill the the interactive promise of the Internet (Two Way Web). "Why not allow people to comment on legislation rather than just read about it? Why not have two-week long hearings through the Web," where people discuss an issue online like an open blog? He also pointed to a suggestion from his 2005 campaign to map out quality-of-life issues on Google maps, with information provided by citizens. (EGov)