Forget Lesko, bookmark usa.gov

If you have a hankering for quick access to US government services, surf on by usa.gov. Originally, FirstGov.gov, the nation’s portal has evolved from a special project to a regular appropriation of the US Congress. Positioned as the US government’s answer to Google, the mission of usa.gov is to help find existing resources. Other US government sites create content, and usa.gov exposes it.

Ironically, a great way that usa.gov exposes content is by creating it. The site features a daily blog called “Gov Gab “ that is the handiwork of a handful of federal employees who work the Office of Citizen Services and Communications at the U.S. General Services Administration. The blogs mix a health dose of links with personal and professional anecdotes.

For those of us who surf to edit, other sites of note include the FTC’s Computers and The Internet section and the Usabilty.gov site. The former hosts vital advice on Internet security and privacy, and the later catalogs essential tips on creating easy to use sites.

For more about of award-winning and best-of-breed constituent portals, visit the Center for Digital Government and ComputerWorld’s Best E-Government Sites.

“What a country!”