FedFlix – National Technical Information Service Library of Commerce

FedFlix is a new initiative by the “National Technical Information Service (NTIS), a bureau within the Department of Commerce that operates on a self-sustaining basis without annual appropriations, and Public.Resource.Org, Inc.” The site allows you to peruse “588 Fine Federal Films” for your enjoyment. Some of the interesting ones include some pretty unintentionally hilarious docu-dramas called The US Postal Inspectors. There’s plenty of stuff to watch, so if you’re bored then headover to FedFlix.

Thanks to Hacking Netflix for the tip.

YouTube Welcomes the US Government to Their Service

YouTube has bagged another high profile exclusive: the US Government. In their latest blog entry, they go into detail on the new endeavor:

Our federal leaders and civil servants aren’t just on YouTube to distribute video; they’re here to engage with you in a way that only YouTube makes possible. So leave your comments, rankings, and ideas for these agencies on any of their videos to ensure that your voice is heard on the issues you care about. Reach out to your local government as well and encourage local officials to start posting footage to YouTube. By exposing everything from committee hearings to planning meetings, we can make our civic lives more open than ever before. Ultimately, it will help us hold public servants accountable for the jobs we’ve hired them to do. 

There’s already quite a bit of content available, from the President’s weekly addresses to the inner workings of a prostitution sting operation. Enjoy the “transparency”, and another pretty big precedent for VOD in general.