This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's redesigned state government Web site leads the nation, according to analysts from Brown University. Researchers with the Taubman Center for Public Policy evaluated state and federal agency Web sites for online features, disability access, privacy protections, online payment and readability. Utah edged out Maine for the top spot among state Web sites; Wyoming's Web site ranked last. The White House Web site was ranked best among federal agencies. Nearly three out of four state and federal sites have privacy policies and 18 percent offer some form of foreign language translation. "Some states provide services on their sites but do not make the services easily visible or accessible," the analysts concluded. State Web managers redesigned Utah's government page in part to compete for the ranking. Utah's site now offers streaming news updates, larger print and a 24-hour help line. - Rebecca Walsh
