Will Data.gov bring home the beef?

The Obama administration has quietly launched Data.gov, a new website where vast amounts of data will soon be found for the public to see.

Vivek Kundra, the new chief information officer for the federal government, promises to release documents to make the federal government transparent as part of this new site, a campaign promise that President Obama intends to keep.

The new site has had a gentle beginning with about 50 feeds that allow the public to know what the government knows about natural resources, including mineral resources and migratory birds. The next 240,000 feeds are on tap for next month, according to an editorial in Monday's New York Times.

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." Data.gov includes a searchable data catalogue and access to datasets in two ways--through the "raw" data catalogue, and through using tools.

"Data.gov will open up the workings of government by making economic, health care, environmental, and other government information available on a single website, allowing the public to access raw data and transform it in innovative ways," Orszag wrote in a Whitehouse.gov blog post.

It's a great objective. Yet the verdict is still out on how good this site will be. There are plenty of supporters and critics looking at Data.gov right now. It will take a little time to see if it is a success, or whether it's too big for government to handle.

For more on Data.gov:
- check out this New York Times editorial