Should everyone have a government e-mail?

[JTsyo]

Now that electronic communications are part of everyday life. Should the government just setup an e-mail for everyone at birth? name+random_number@citzen.us? It would have to be secure enough to allow official communication from government agencies. Also it would be open so that others can find your e-mail if they know you.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Now that electronic communications are part of everyday life. Should the government just setup an e-mail for everyone at birth? name+random_number@citzen.us? It would have to be secure enough to allow official communication from government agencies. Also it would be open so that others can find your e-mail if they know you.

Not a bad idea. But as a taxpayer I do not want to pay for it so no. The government's job is not to ensure that all people have access to an efficient and government supported means of communication.

 

[yuchai]

I can already hear the outcry about government tracking and loss of freedom/rights.

 

[Printer Bandit]

even better would be an anal probe RFID inserted at birth.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Now that electronic communications are part of everyday life. Should the government just setup an e-mail for everyone at birth? name+random_number@citzen.us? It would have to be secure enough to allow official communication from government agencies. Also it would be open so that others can find your e-mail if they know you.

Brilliant, 99,999,999,999,999 spam messages (since it would be "open" for others to search) and 1 official E-mail that you'll end up being deemed to have seen because it was sent to your "official" E-mail address, leaving you screwed over when you miss it.

Sounds like a great idea.

ZV

 

[sourceninja]

Honestly, I think the government should provide a email account used for official government communication. I think it should be a white list only mailbox (with the government pre-whitelisted and you should be encouraged to only use it for federal and local services.

Then we can stop the silly US postal service thing. You want to to subpoena someone you just go to the courthouse and fill out the paperwork and a email is sent. No different then certified mail it could have a read receipt built into it.

My postal mailbox is pointless and is only used for local tax forms and spam anyway.

 

[Brigandier]

Sure, and it should have the expectation of privacy that doesn't exist with regular email.

 

[clamum]

 

[mkrohn]

where's my @usa.gov email signup?

 

[SunnyD]

Sure, give it to me. I won't use it.

 

[mkrohn]

I'd use it if they can qualify for retail edge or other discount pricing

 

[mmntech]

Now that electronic communications are part of everyday life. Should the government just setup an e-mail for everyone at birth? name+random_number@citzen.us? It would have to be secure enough to allow official communication from government agencies. Also it would be open so that others can find your e-mail if they know you.

ROFLMAO! Best joke I've heard all day.

 

[glenn1]

Now that electronic communications are part of everyday life. Should the government just setup an e-mail for everyone at birth? name+random_number@citzen.us? It would have to be secure enough to allow official communication from government agencies. Also it would be open so that others can find your e-mail if they know you.

Redundant - if I want to communicate something to the government, I'll just send it via Gmail that they're already using the NSA to access. If Uncle Sam wants to communicate something back to me they can use postal mail.

 

[Markbnj]

Honestly, I think the government should provide a email account used for official government communication. I think it should be a white list only mailbox (with the government pre-whitelisted and you should be encouraged to only use it for federal and local services.

Then we can stop the silly US postal service thing. You want to to subpoena someone you just go to the courthouse and fill out the paperwork and a email is sent. No different then certified mail it could have a read receipt built into it.

My postal mailbox is pointless and is only used for local tax forms and spam anyway.

Man, I'm with you, but I bet my bones will be long in the ground and the post office will still be clunking along. Can you imagine the political acrobatics that would be needed to shut it down? Even if a study proved that every single person in the U.S. had access to email and was paying all their bills online, you'd still never get a majority to vote for closing the USPS. Is there a single senator or congressperson that doesn't have a large USPS sorting facility in his or her district? It'll never go away.

 

[Mixolydian]

No.

 

[Midwayman]

Why can't they just beam their official communications straight into your brain with their mind control satellites?

 

[Phoenix86]

Why? They know all of our other email addresses anyways.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I would like if it was used for water bill, tax bills, jury duty, emmissions, expiration of license plate, etc ... if city, county, township, state, and federal government would all use it ... sure .. it would be handy.

Also, it would be nice if they would not send any "newsletters" or spam, only use it for actual "here is your water bill. go to this URL to pay it"

 

[nehalem256]

If the NSA is going to store all my emails anyway I might as well get to use their storage.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

how would this be any better than just registering your existing email address with the govt for official correspondence?

lets not forget its not free... there will be an army of below average IT workers and bureaucrats being paid develop and admin the service. is this really where taxpayer dollars should be spent?

 

[Phoenix86]

how would this be any better than just registering your existing email address with the govt for official correspondence?

lets not forget its not free... there will be an army of below average IT workers and bureaucrats being paid develop and admin the service. is this really where taxpayer dollars should be spent?

Most government->public communications cannot happen via email because it's not secure.

 

[Vic Vega]

Now that electronic communications are part of everyday life. Should the government just setup an e-mail for everyone at birth? name+random_number@citzen.us? It would have to be secure enough to allow official communication from government agencies. Also it would be open so that others can find your e-mail if they know you.

I don't see provisions for this in the constitution, so no.

 

[sourceninja]

Man, I'm with you, but I bet my bones will be long in the ground and the post office will still be clunking along. Can you imagine the political acrobatics that would be needed to shut it down? Even if a study proved that every single person in the U.S. had access to email and was paying all their bills online, you'd still never get a majority to vote for closing the USPS. Is there a single senator or congressperson that doesn't have a large USPS sorting facility in his or her district? It'll never go away.

As a bonus I won't have to deal with critical items being stolen from my mailbox. Nothing like missing jury duty because some kids took your mail.

 

[Lazarus52980]

Could something like this be used to vote? Each citizen gets an e-mail address, and one vote can be counted for each address?

 

[JTsyo]

I don't see provisions for this in the constitution, so no.

I sure it could be shoehorned into the same section that allows for the postal system.