Public Web sites require accuracy, attention

   The Montana Conservation Voters recently gave Gallatin County's election division Web site poor marks because it lacked up-to-date information. And rightly so. Until the elections department received a phone call about the ratings, the site hadn't been updated since the 2006 election.

   Gallatin County's wasn't the only site with poor marks. The Montana Conservation Voters, a statewide group that promotes environmental issues and encourages voter participation, reviewed eight county election Web sites and found several lacking. Park County's election site also was rated among the worst.

   The group's findings are in no way surprising, particularly to anyone who uses the Web. Sites for all sorts of issues go up and down, or are updated by the minute one week only to languish for months before seeing a new spurt of activity. It's enough to make one want to find the Latin word for surfer and transform caveat emptor into Web surfer beware.

   Yet we shouldn't be so complacent when it comes to government Web sites. And neither should the government employees who manage those sites.

   Even Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder Charlotte Mills recognizes the importance. "I think it is becoming critical because more and more people are using the Internet to find information," she said after being asked about the lack of information on the county's election site.

   Yet the critical nature of the issue goes beyond the Internet's popularity.

   For starters, the Internet is no longer a passing fancy for techno-nerds; it is a commonly accepted and regularly used form of disseminating information.

   Additionally, when it comes to government information - collected by civil servants as a service to the people and at a cost covered by tax dollars - that information belongs to the taxpayer and should be readily, easily accessible.

   Whether in the literal language of a chartered job description - or just the inherent spirit of government service - a public servant's duty is to provide that information to the people. And that duty includes doing so in a timely manner.

   In an e-world (and yes we live in one now) that means providing government-collected information online, in real time.

   Not so long ago, public access meant perusing the stacks of log books and documents in county courthouse or clerk's office, or even waiting for hours in line at a Department of Motor Vehicles office.

   In some cases, such as researching water rights or land titles, wading into those old paper records still might be necessary.

   But when providing ongoing, new information necessary for citizen participation - from how to get a driver's license or car tag to the dates of upcoming elections and where to register to agendas to meeting minutes - there is no longer any excuse for not putting it online.

   Not to mention that electronic access carries many benefits. It's easier for the information seeker who can do the work from home. It's easier on the clerks in the courthouse who won't have to answer "first Tuesday in November" a dozen times a day.

   In and of itself, the Web is just a modern gizmo. But when it comes to serving the public, it's an extremely important, progressive tool - and one that demands timely attention.