From: robert@acsc.com (Robert Grant)
Subject: GOVERNMENT: The President (and VP) go Online...
Date: 2 Jun 1993 20:20:06 GMT
Organization: Advanced Computing Systems Company



Found this on alt.cyberpunk - do we think it's for real?

Maybe we can mail Al to get some funds allocated for some real VR
research? :-)

Robert.
---------------

In article <1993Jun2.181858.18514@brtph560.bnr.ca>,
dmoye@brtph66.bnr.ca (Robert Lamb P875) writes:

|>  Just thought we should all drop them a line, to give them our $.02...
|> have at it people!
|> 
|> From: Nigel.Allen@launchpad.unc.edu (Nigel Allen)
|> 
|> Here is a press release from the White House.
|> I downloaded the press release from the PR On-Line BBS
|> in Maryland at 410-363-0834.
|> 
|>  Letter from President Clinton, Vice President Gore Announcing
|>  White House Electronic Mail Access
|>  To: National Desk
|>  Contact: White House Office of Media Affairs, 202-456-7150
|> 
|>    WASHINGTON, June 1  -- Following is a letter from President
|> Clinton and Vice President Gore announcing White House
|> electronic mail access:
|> 
|>    Dear Friends:
|> 
|>    Part of our commitment to change is to keep the White House
|> in step with today's changing technology.  As we move ahead into
|> the twenty-first century, we must have a government that can show
|> the way and lead by example.  Today, we are pleased to announce
|> that for the first time in history, the White House will be
|> connected to you via electronic mail.  Electronic mail will bring
|> the Presidency and this Administration closer and make it more
|> accessible to the people.
|> 
|>    The White House will be connected to the Internet as well as
|> several on-line commercial vendors, thus making us more
|> accessible and more in touch with people across this country.  We
|> will not be alone in this venture.  Congress is also getting
|> involved, and an exciting announcement regarding electronic mail
|> is expected to come from the House of Representatives tomorrow.
|> 
|>    Various government agencies also will be taking part in the
|> near future.  Americans Communicating Electronically is a project
|> developed by several government agencies to coordinate and
|> improve access to the nation's educational and information assets
|> and resources.  This will be done through interactive
|> communications such as electronic mail, and brought to people who
|> do not have ready access to a computer.
|> 
|>    However, we must be realistic about the limitations and
|> expectations of the White House electronic mail system.  This
|> experiment is the first-ever e-mail project done on such a large
|> scale.  As we work to reinvent government and streamline our
|> processes, the e-mail project can help to put us on the leading
|> edge of progress.
|> 
|>    Initially, your e-mail message will be read and receipt
|> immediately acknowledged.  A careful count will be taken on the
|> number received as well as the subject of each message.  However,
|> the White House is not yet capable of sending back a tailored
|> response via electronic mail.  We are hoping this will happen by
|> the end of the year.
|> 
|>    A number of response-based programs which allow technology
|> to help us read your message more effectively, and, eventually
|> respond to you electronically in a timely fashion will be tried
|> out as well.  These programs will change periodically as we
|> experiment with the best way to handle electronic mail from the
|> public.  Since this has never been tried before, it is important
|> to allow for some flexibility in the system in these first
|> stages.  We welcome your suggestions.
|> 
|>    This is an historic moment in the White House and we look
|> forward to your participation and enthusiasm for this milestone
|> event.  We eagerly anticipate the day when electronic mail from
|> the public is an integral and normal part of the White House
|> communications system.
|> 
|> 
|>      President Clinton             Vice President Gore
|> 
|>      PRESIDENT@WHITEHOUSE.GOV      VICE.PRESIDENT@WHITEHOUSE.GOV
|> 
|>  -30-
|> 
|> 
|> --
|>    The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
|>      North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
|>         Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
|>            internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
|> 
|> 
|> 
|>