FR 2.0, now in English

Today’s post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty.

What is the Archivist’s favorite thing about the Federal Register’s new website?  “Its translation into English, into words that make sense. I think that’s the biggest contribution,” Archivist Ferriero explains in a video detailing the history of the Federal Register.

And it’s true. The newspaper of the Federal Government has often been obscured in diplo-speak, but as part of the Federal Register’s digital overhaul, “English” translations are provided for each article and tell us regular folks just what’s going on in our government.

That’s certainly not the only change that turned the Federal Register into FR 2.0. An easily navigable website, social media links, and increased interactivity with the journal has transformed an old print behemoth into the cutting edge of Open Gov.

Who is responsible for the overhaul? It really comes down to three developers who accepted the Sunlight Foundations Apps for America 2 challenge. Hear their story on “Inside the Vaults,” and a cover story on the new website below.

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