And the Loser Is . . .

Each year there are awards for best official website and other lauds from those who study digital government, like the ones from the Center for Digital Government or the National Policy Review Council, for example. But I prefer to recognize the very worst in digital politics, over on Virtualpolitik, where the embarrassing and ineffective use of technology by policy makers usually gets the spotlight.

As 2006 draws to a close, it seems like an appropriate time to hand out the prizes to those on the very bottom of the barrel when it comes to state-sanctioned cyber-rhetoric. From now on in, I'd like to call these awards the "Foleys," in honor of the disgraced former Florida congressman who was caught sending x-rated instant messages to underage pages after building a reputation as a crusader against online porn.

So please, use the comments section attached to this post to send in your nominations for the worst use of communication technology or digital media by a government agency or official. You can choose the work of local, county, state, or federal government for your rasberry preferences, although the presence of a .gov extension in an associated URL or e-mail address is desirable. The categories for the 2006 Foleys are as follows:

• Worst overall web design
  
• Worst online information access
• Worst online social marketing
• Worst visual rhetoric
• Worst user interface
• Worst technical incompatibility
• Worst electronic message to the masses
• Worst official PowerPoint presentation
• Worst government-funded videogame
  
• Worst abuse of copyright law
• Worst appeal to children
• Worst call to patriotism
• Worst regulation of technology in response to a craven fear
  

You can check back on the 31st to see who will be wearing the tiara and blowing kisses to the assembled crowd.