Web Managers Drowning in Data

Our colleagues at the Tech Daily Dose blog report that Sheila Campbell, manager for government Web best practices and co-chairwoman of the Federal Web Managers Council in the General Services Administration's Office of Citizen Services, pegs the number of federal Web sites at about 24,000, the same number that's been used for years, although some have said it's higher than 25,000. She also said some sites have more than 1 million pages apiece, another number that is frequently cited. That's why agencies have been slow to improve their sites, Campbell said at the Personal Democracy Forum's annual conference on Monday. From the blog:

. . . Watchdog groups that criticize the U.S. government for being slow to improve its Web presence need to realize that federal Web managers are drowning in data. Campbell acknowledged that no one truly knows how many government Web sites actually exist but said a good estimate is around 24,000 -- and some have more than one million pages apiece. Adding to the complexity is the fact that outdated content on those pages is not taken down in a timely fashion and laws like the Paperwork Reduction Act have not kept pace with the Internet era. Campbell said a variety efforts are underway to overhaul aging rules and recruit innovative people. President Obama has led by example, hiring Aneesh Chopra, Vivek Kundra, Beth Noveck and others.