Improving Mobile Access to Government Websites

The U.S. federal government is working to improve access to the wealth of information and services available on its more than 11,000 websites from mobile devices like tablets and cellphones, according to an interesting new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). While most people still use desktop and laptop computers, consumers are increasingly using mobile devices to access websites with government information and services. As the GAO noted, millions of Americans use mobile devices every day to get information from websites. In addition, mobile users can now do many things on websites that previously required a desktop or laptop computer, like shopping, banking, and accessing government services. For example, the number of individual visitors using cellphones and tablets to access the Department of the Interiors information and services increased significantly from 57,428 visitors in 2011 to 1,206,959 in 2013, according to agency records provided to the GAO. Given this trend, the GAO pointed that the government needs to make its wealth of information and services available â€Å"anytime, anywhere, and on any device.†    However, as the GAO points out, mobile Internet users face a range of challenges accessing government services online. â€Å"For example, viewing any website that has not been â€Å"optimized† for mobile access—in other words, redesigned for smaller screens—can be challenging,† notes the GAO report. Trying to Meet the Mobile Challenge On May 23, 2012, President Obama issued an executive order entitled â€Å"Building a 21st Century Digital Government,† directing the federal agencies to deliver better digital services to the American people. â€Å"As a Government, and as a trusted provider of services, we must never forget who our customers are – the American people,† the President told the agencies. In response to that order, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget created a Digital Government Strategy to be implemented by the Digital Services Advisory Group. The Advisory Group provides the agencies with help and resources needed to improve access to their websites via mobile devices. At the request of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the government’s purchasing agent and property manager, the GAO investigated the progress and success of the agencies in meeting the goals of the Digital Government Strategy. What the GAO Found In all, 24 agencies are required to comply with provisions of the Digital Government Strategy, and according to the GAO, all 24 have made efforts to improve their digital services for those who use mobile devices. In its investigation the GAO specifically reviewed six randomly selected agencies: the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security, the National Weather Service (NWS) within the Department of Commerce, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The GAO reviewed 5 years (2009 through 2013) of online visitor data as recorded by Google Analytics from each agency. The data included the type of device (smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer) consumers used to access the agencies’ main website. In addition, the GAO interviewed officials from the six agencies to gather insights about the challenges consumers might face when accessing government services using their mobile devices. The GAO found that five of the six agencies have taken substantive steps to improve access to their websites via mobile devices. For example in 2012, the DOT fully redesigned its main website to provide a separate platform for mobile users. Three of the other agencies GAO interviewed have also redesigned their websites to better accommodate mobile devices and the other two agencies have plans to do so. Of the 6 agencies reviewed by the GAO, only the Federal Maritime Commission had yet to take steps to enhance access to their websites via mobile devices, but plans to enhance access to its website in 2015. Who Uses Mobile Devices? Perhaps the most interesting part of the GAO’s report is an accounting of who most often use mobile devices to access websites. The GAO cites a Pew Research Center report from 2013 showing that certain groups relied on cellphones to access websites than others. In general, PEW found that people who are young, have more income, have graduate degrees, or are African American have the highest rate of mobile access. In contrast, PEW found that people less likely to use mobile devices to access websites in 2013 included seniors, the less educated, or rural populations. Of course, there are still many rural areas that lack cellphone service, let alone wireless Internet access. Only 22% of people 65 and older used mobile devices to access the Internet, compared to 85% of younger people. â€Å"GAO also found that access to the Internet using cellphones has increased, primarily due to lower cost, convenience, and technical advances,† stated the GAO report. Specifically, the Pew survey found that: 74% of African Americans use cellphones to access the Internet.85% of people ages 18 to 29 used cellphones to access the Internet, compared to only 22% of seniors age 65 and older.79% of those using cellphones to access the Internet have incomes of at least $75,000.Only 50% of people living in rural areas use cellphones to access the Internet.74% have college degrees or higher, compared to 53% with a high school diploma and 51% without a high school education. The GAO made no recommendations in relationship to its findings, and issued its report for informational purposes only.

Greed Essays - 1347 Words

The Microsoft Encarta dictionary defines greed as an overwhelming desire to have more of something such as money than is actually needed. This definition cannot be argued with for it is plain and simple, giving the essence of the word. But to millions, perhaps billions of people, greed is something else. Some people portray greed as being qualities of the evil, selfish, and corrupt. Although these viewpoints may be partially true, greed cannot be condemned as solely being an escapee of Pandoras Box. Let us agree that greed is pursuing actions guided by rational self-interest. This means that anything outside food and water acquired at the cost of anyone else, no matter little they are affected can be defined as greed. Greed is a driving†¦show more content†¦The logic evolved into the Marxism System of Government that successfully lasted for a few months in the USSR before going corrupt. During its existence, Marxism eradicated the concept of ownership, but at a cost; the lac k of motivation in the Marxist society made development a waste of time and production a waste of effort. This led to the corruption and eventual collapse of the government. Thus, a society without properly and efficiently integrating greed into itself will lose the power of the human condition, and thus not survive. Albert Einstein is regarded as the fourth most important individual in world history. He is portrayed as being sensible, honest and selfless in his complete devotion to science. But that observation is partially eschewed. If Einstein felt he was getting no gain out of his research and findings, it wouldnt be in his self-interest to continue. According to Dear Professor Einstein: Albert Einsteins letters to and from children one of Einsteins primary goals for doing his work was to understand how God and his marvelous creations workp47. The driving force for his research had not been solely for the benefit of science, but to also satisfy his hunger for knowledge. This, wh atever one may call it, is at its purest form greed. The ink this paper was printed with, the paper it was printed on, the coffee in your hand; these areShow MoreRelatedRelationship Between Greed And Grievance1210 Words   |  5 Pagesrelationship between greed and grievance as motivating factors in violent conflict? Use at least one case study to illustrate your argument† The greed and grievances theory provides opposing arguments as to what really are the causes for violent conflict. Scholars have conducted numerous researches on a number of violent conflicts in attempt to analyze to what extent greed or grievances appear to be motivating factors for violent conflicts such as civil wars etc. Those who believe in the greed model trustRead MoreSilence: Silence: a Thirteenth-Century French Romance Close Reading Paper817 Words   |  4 Pagesuseless wealth. This proves that wealth and greed are inferior and shameful, while praises generosity as superior and honorable. At the end of the opening, after all the hatred has been expressed, the writer says he now can begin his story â€Å"without a lot of fuss and bother†. Since the overall theme of the story relate to property and the problems relating to the right to own it, it appears that the writer does not just simply tell us his feeling toward greed and wealth but his main goal is to prepareRead MoreCharles Darwins Radical New Book On The Origin Of Species1424 Words   |  6 Pagesthe eventual greed spawned from this consuming desire. Mac’s girlfriend at the time, and later his wife, Trina, won $5000 in a lottery, but was very frugal with her winnings. Mac, who was never accustomed to wealth or high society, found this very frustrating and after the loss of his business, â€Å"every hour the question of money came up† (Norris, 127). He was unrelenting in his search for money. To McTeague, wealth equaled power and success. Norris exemplifies the dangers of greed and how it canRead MoreThe Pearl Of The World1487 Words   |  6 Pagesof their troubles. After finding â€Å"the Pearl of the World,† (22) Kino is plagued with vexation. His benevolence and good intentions are soon overcome by his greed. The collective rapacity of Kino and other people precipitates misfortune and violence around Kino. This eventually leads to Coyotito s death. The novella highlights that the greed for materialistic possessions can cloud one s judgment and bring grief instead of bliss. In the exposition of the novella, the protagonist Kino, and his familyRead More Frank Norris’s Novel McTeague Essay1510 Words   |  7 PagesFrancisco, â€Å"a place where anything can happen†¦where fact is often stranger than fiction† (McElrath, Jr. 447), Norris explores themes of greed and naturalism, revealing the darker side of human psyche. What can be found most disturbing is the way that Norris portrays McTeague, in shocking detail, as nothing more than a brute animal at his core. Norris explores the greed and savage animalism that lurks inside McTeague.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McTeague is first portrayed as a gentle giant. The reader is introduced to McTeagueRead MoreThe Golden Age By Aphra Behn898 Words   |  4 Pageshostility and violence take over this peaceful ground. When Behn writes â€Å"The stubborn Plough had then/ Made†¦ rude Rapes upon the Virgin Earth† (31-32), she is creating a metaphor for the imposition of man, cultivating the Earth for food, in a way of greed. Where love is associated with the pleasantness of nature, honour ties in with victory, which are both associated with civilization and sin. The best example of this is the beginning of part five (5): â€Å"Right and Property were words since made, WhenRead More The Definition of Success Essay523 Words   |  3 Pagessuccessful, but only so far as the acquirement sharpens his intellect, broadens his powers, and develops him into a self-reliant, powerful member of society for its good. Selfish wealth is never good. One may be a millionaire, but if with it comes greed, avarice, oppression of others, the success is small indeed. Scattered along the path of life we find examples of men whose success brought them fame and glory and proved an unqualified blessing to all mankind. . . . [Scientist Louis] Aggasiz wasRead MoreMacbeth Character Analysis999 Words   |  4 Pagessocial ladder because of his ethnicity. He is a jew and a â€Å"rags-bottle-sacks man, who live[s] in a filthy den† (27). His fate as a jew is to face rejection from society and inhabit a rather deplorable dwelling. He becomes overpowered by â€Å"insatiable greed†(34) when he meets Maria, and continually asks her to retell the story about the gold plates. Zerkow thrives on the belief that the story about the gold plates is true because he sees it as his opportunity to rise up in the social ladder. Zerkow fixatesRead MoreGreed Vs Greed1014 Words   |  5 PagesGreed, can we control it or will it be the demise of human existence? Some of the world’s most intelligent people believe human greed will be the end of humans (Crofts). Scientists have studied the behavior and have formed two theories; one claiming greed is part of human biology and the other that greed is a result of environmental conditioning, there is sufficient evidence for both (Robinson). Richard Talflinger, an expert in human behavior at Washington State University, describes greed as anRead MoreBeing A Naturalist Writer By Frank Norris1208 Words   |  5 Pagesenvironment on human life† (Encyclopaedia Britannica 1). As mentioned when discussing his inspiration from Professor Joseph Le Conte, Norris wanted to show the influence of heredity on the behavior of humans. McTeague was adapted into a movie called Greed by Erich von Stroheim in 1924 as well as an opera by William Bolcom and Robert Altman in 1992 (Encyclopaedia Britannica 1). â€Å"McTeague came just at the moment when the critics were congratulating themselves that the invading foreign heresy of naturalistic

My Experience with Technology Free Essays

I have never really thought about how much I depend of technology. We got our first family computer when I was about 9 years old. At the time my brother was a computer geek (still is) and he would go buy the computer books that had programs in them where you had to type everything out to get a game on the computer to play. We will write a custom essay sample on My Experience with Technology or any similar topic only for you Order Now So when I would help or when he was teaching me, we would mix some of the programs up and see if we could come up with anything. Then it was to BBS’. That opened a whole new world! We could meet people online without actually meeting them. Now its becoming more and more complexed.. Now there is so many programs out there it’s hard to keep up. I have taught myself just about everything I do on the computer. I know Microsoft Word, Windows, Adobe reader and those are just the ones I can remember off hand.. I am pretty comfortable learning new programs and look forward to it. At this time the only one I can think of that my hinder me is Excel. Since I have only used it once I am not 100% comfortable with it yet. But I will be by the time this class is over. While I worked as a manager at a pet store we used a program called Campbell, it would keep track of the employees hours, what we sold in the store and everything in between. While I was at Staples I was learning all kinds of programs and applications. At this time the only thing that comes to mind that I would have a concern about would be not being able to ask a question and getting an answer right away. I look forward to this class and learning new applications that I can use on the computer. How to cite My Experience with Technology, Papers