Why Post Public Records Online.

In August 2003, the Pew Internet & American Life Project issued a report entitled, “Internet Use by Region in the United States.” Among their many findings, the authors found that New England is one of the most wired regions in the United States, with 66% of adults online, and that New Englanders are among the most likely group in the nation to go online on an average day. They also found that 89% of New England’s Internet users have gone online to try to find the answer to a question, which is a higher proportion than in any other region of the country. In another report, “The Rise of the E-citizen,” the Pew group found that of those people who used government Web sites, 68% said the sites improved the way they interacted with their government.

Given these findings, posting public records on line in New England (specifically Massachusetts) makes sense. It is an effective way for governments to communicate with the public because a lot of people in New England have access to the Internet and use it to find information. In addition, it can have a positive effect on how people feel about their interactions with their government.