The refreshed site takes advantage of open source technology. It was developed on the open-source platform Drupal, which also powers the WhiteHouse.gov site.
Some of the new features include the ability to compare spending across various government agencies, as well as track trends with interactive motion charts to observe changes in spending over the years. For example, visitors can track spending by geographic location, allowing them to see how much money the federal government has invested in their state, and compare it to other states. It also boasts new information-sharing features that allow people to share RSS feeds.
The website is totally interactive, and includes the ability to search, browse, and even write programs to query the system. Now you can even specify your search parameters, leave your email address, and be notified when your source data is ready to download.
To me, this represents the next generation in charting. I love the interactive, flash technology, the ability to view trends, the ability to sort by a mixture of spending types (contracts, grants, direct payments, insurance, and loans and guarantees), which makes it very easy to sort and de-sort as you view and download data. My only question is whether it’s too complex. It may impress some people with its cool pictures and animations, but my guess is that only a few people will understand fully what they're being shown. When you're dealing with a complex topic, the temptation to throw more choices at the user can be dangerous. But, complexity issues aside, it is a great example of how transparency and open government concepts can be applied in innovative, cutting edge charting technology.
