The 'Webbing' of British local government

The use of information and communication technologies by governments to facilitate the exchange of information with the public, and, increasingly, the electronic delivery of services, is a topic of much debate and development throughout the world. At the end of 1995, there were about 40 local authority World Wide Web sites, most of which fell below the standards of design and content associated with the majority of commercial and academic sites. Now there are over 300 local authority sites-some better than many commercial or academic ones in terms of design and features. Is this simply a case of jumping on the digital bandwagon or is it something more? This article discusses the main findings from a research project aimed at exploring the 'Webbing' of local government in Britain.