Only time will tell whether President-Elect Barack Obama will be able to deliver on his promise to bring change to government, but the Illinois senator has already brought it to the dot-gov domain. Obama's transition Web site, Change.gov, went live today, soliciting suggestions from citizens and providing a guide to the people and procedures behind the transfer of executive power.

In many ways, the site—fairly clearly still a work in progress—resembles that of any other government agency, with biographies of the transition team, backgrounders on the incoming president's policy priorities, and links to information about the cabinet offices to be filled when the Obamas move into the White House on January 20. But the speed with which the site was launched may nevertheless be an attempt to signal that Obama is serious about his pledge to bring greater transparency to government, and to put more data online more rapidly for public comment. A Change.gov blog, for instance, promises regular updates on the transition process.



If it's on the Internet, it must be true

There are also several sections on the site that invite user feedback. "Your Story" asks visitors to explain "what this campaign and this election means to you"—and is sure to be a source of Touching Anecdotes from Ordinary Americans in future speeches. And there's an online suggestion box where citizens can share their "vision" for America.

Perhaps most surprisingly, there's a jobs page where visitors can submit applications for non-career positions in the new administration—including, apparently, some that "require Senate confirmation." Forgive us if we're a bit doubtful that the next Secretary of Defense will be chosen from the pool of online applicants, however.

The Government Accountability Office launched its own transition site today as well, outlining 13 challenges facing the new administration. Among these is the move from analog to digital television broadcast, which GAO warns could "undermine the public's confidence in government" if it isn't carried out smoothly.

While change may have arrived rapidly, there is no sign—as yet—of hope.gov.