Government agencies are upgrading their Web sites to integrate online social networking sites such as Plurk, Facebook and Twitter to enhance communication with the online community and facilitate information distribution.
Officials from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday unveiled a new information site (epa.gov.tw/edw) that has consolidated environmental information, databases and statistics from central and local government Web sites.
“The information was previously spread across a lot of places, making it hard to find,” said Chu Yu-chi (朱雨其), director-general of the Environmental Monitoring and Information Management unit. “By consolidating and presenting it in a more user-friendly interface, users can learn more easily about their surrounding environment.”
Chu said the information in the Web site was integrated with social networking sites to enable users to easily share the information.
This is on top of a Plurk site set up last month by the Department of Health to gather public opinion and quell concerns about the government’s easing of the ban on imports of US bone-in beef.
However, the site became the target of a series of online protests after reports that user suggestions had been deleted. DOH officials said they were deleted only after the suggestions had been recorded.
Chu said the public forums in the EPA Web site were not subject to censure, and users can feel free to talk about environmental subjects which officials would take note of and record.
Research, Development and Evaluation Commission officials responsible for maintaining gov.tw — the government’s Internet portal — said there was no consolidated approach or funding to upgrading government Web sites; instead, decisions were made by individual agencies.
However, most agencies regularly update their sites to ensure easier access for users, they said.
Chu said other agencies — including the Central Weather Bureau — may soon follow suit.
Last year US-based Brown University ranked Taiwan second in its annual e-government survey, next to the South Korean government. The study praised government Web sites for offering comprehensive online publications and policies and for including foreign language options.
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