The Wired White House--A Pictorial Evolution of the POTUS Web Site [Slide Show]
Tech-savvy Pres. Barack Obama quickly revamps the chief executive Web site, but finds that when it comes to technology at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, change (such as laptops for his staff) will come more slowly
![The Wired White House--A Pictorial Evolution of the POTUS Web Site [Slide Show]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/FE143914-32DA-436D-A699625590A6A05D.jpg?w=590&h=393)
The Wired White House--A Pictorial Evolution of the POTUS Web Site [Slide Show]
- JANUARY 20, 2009: Barack Obama wasted little time acting on his campaign promise of "change." The White House home page features rotating images that link to video from the inauguration, a transcript of a January 8 speech Obama gave on the economy at George Mason University in suburban Virginia, a message from Macon Phillips (director of new media for the White House) about changes to WhiteHouse.gov and a speech Obama gave at Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C., the day before his inauguration, where he and First Lady Michelle Obama had stopped to perform community service. The site makes more use of multimedia and, thankfully, white space that its predecessors didn't. Note also a prominent link to the White House's first blog. courtesy of whitehouse.gov
- MARCH 8, 2007: WhiteHouse.gov switched from a white to a light blue background and a smaller font that packed more information into the upper half of the home page. "Ask the White House" was still there, but had been joined by features, including "The President's Trip to Latin America" and "The Way Forward in Iraq." courtesy of whitehouse.gov
- NOVEMBER 3, 2004: The day after Bush's reelection, WhiteHouse.gov had the same banner along the top but now featured a much busier design, including images of the presidential family and interactive features such as "Ask the White House" and "E-mail the White House". The list of links along the left side of the site continued to grow, now offering access to an archive of "Major Speeches" made by the president, including one addressing Saddam Hussein's capture.
Note: some images on this page no longer load properly courtesy of whitehouse.gov - SEPTEMBER 13, 2001: Two days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan and the Pentagon in Virginia, the site had been streamlined and dressed up with graphics, including a dreamy shot of the White House faded into the home page. The page included a link to text and audio of Pres. Bush's response to 9/11, but it also now offered a link to video. Links along the left side of the page became more detailed to get give site visitors more direct access to information. courtesy of whitehouse.gov
- FEBRUARY 2, 2001: The George W. Bush era began with a clean, albeit basic, Web site design that removed a lot of text from the home page, instead making the presidential biography, news releases and other information available via links along the upper section of the page (just below the White House logo). courtesy of whitehouse.gov
- JULY 11, 2000: As Clinton's second term began winding down, WhiteHouse.gov, strangely, reverted to a bland, text-heavy design with almost no attention to aesthetics. The site still included information about current events and a link to an Internet address Clinton gave days earlier, but clearly the soon to be lame duck administration's salad days were behind it. courtesy of whitehouse.gov
- DECEMBER 1, 1998: The following year, graphics depicting two American flags waving in a digital breeze (set on either side of an image of the White House) were added to the site, as was news of the day ("Tipper Gore Visits Nicaragua and Honduras" and "Pres. Clinton's Remarks at World AIDS Day Event).
Note: some images on this page no longer load properly courtesy of whitehouse.gov - OCTOBER 23, 1997: The next significant change in Whitehouse.gov came less than a year later when a background was added to the home page, which, of course, was still text–heavy. (It is not surprising, given that most people were connecting to the Web via dial-up services back then.) This page also represents an early stab at multimedia, as it provides a link to Pres. Clinton's radio addresses. courtesy of whitehouse.gov
- DEC. 27, 1996: The White House's first official Web site went live in October 1994 during the Clinton administration as a rudimentary way of letting ordinary citizens search White House press releases, radio addresses, photos and Web pages. This page, captured on Dec. 27, 1996, illustrates one of WhiteHouse.gov's earliest efforts to get on the information superhighway. courtesy of whitehouse.gov
