Data.gov

[Commentary] With little fanfare, the Obama administration has begun its first agency feeds onto , a new Web site. Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra promises to release vast amounts of raw data there, so taxpayers can see what's going on more instantly and clearly, and, ideally, come back with suggestions on how to fix government problems. The White House budget director, Peter Orszag, says the goal is to have "a one-stop shop for free access to data generated across all federal agencies." Taxpayers should insist on "all." This won't be easy. The government has more than 10,000 major internal information systems. The bureaucratic psyche may be an even bigger obstacle. For far too many officials, the default setting is always to deny the public's right to know. The public will also need to do its part, watching closely and responding creatively. The Sunlight Foundation, an independent watchdog group, is already starting a contest to invent Web applications that capitalize on Data dot gov's offerings. CIO Kundra says he cannot wait for the first "democratized" feedback.