Oct 1, 2013

Shutdown of US government websites appears bafflingly arbitrary

11:51 AM

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Of 56 .gov websites that Ars checked, only 10 are going dark entirely. 

At midnight ET on Tuesday morning, the American federal government shut down operations as a result of the Congressional budget impasse. Currently there's no immediate end in sight, so a mish-mash of government agencies are open and closed. National parks and museums are off, but mail is still being delivered to American households.
On Saturday, Ars took a quick look at which US government agency websites would be going dark during the shutdown. Those included the Federal Trade Commission, the Library of Congress, and the National Park Service sites. They all planned to go dark and have done so.
The federal court system is remaining open, as it has a financial reserve that should last around two weeks. Similarly, the United States Patent and Trademark Office could stay open for approximately four weeks.
However, we have now conducted a more thorough examination of 50-plus different .gov websites. In the chart below, we have highlighted whether they are up or down, and what, if any, notice they are giving to their visitors. We hand-selected the federal agencies from a list posted on usa.gov—which obviously remains up.

READ MORE: AOL’s Sullivan to Take Over Its Homepage Business

What emerges is a rather bizarre picture. Nearly all of the agencies we looked at are up, even those with a message about the shutdown. Very few, in fact, have genuinely closed down entirely. (One DC watcher speculated that this White House memo [PDF] may have something to do with the policy.)
We may update this list as needed, but feel free to add more in the comments.
DOWN FOR THE COUNT
nasa.gov"Due to the lapse in federal government funding, this website is not available. We sincerely regret this inconvenience."
loc.gov"Due to the temporary shutdown of the federal government, the Library of Congress is closed to the public and researchers beginning October 1, 2013 until further notice. All public events are cancelled and web sites are inaccessible except the legislative information sites THOMAS.gov and beta.congress.gov."
archives.gov"We are unable to blog, post to Facebook, or tweet during the Federal Government shutdown. (This does not apply to the Federal Records Centers.)"
ftc.gov"Unfortunately, the Federal Trade Commission is closed due to the government shutdown."
nps.gov"Because of the federal government shutdown, all national parks are closed and National Park Service webpages are not operating. For more information, go to www.doi.gov."
usda.gov"Due to the lapse in federal government funding, this website is not available. We sincerely regret this inconvenience."
census.gov"Due to the lapse in government funding, census.gov sites, services, and all online survey collection requests will be unavailable until further notice."
trade.gov"Due to the lapse in government funding, the International Trade Administration website you are trying to reach will be unavailable until appropriations are enacted. We sincerely regret this inconvenience."
ssa.gov
omsre.gov
STILL UP FOR NOW
nsa.gov"Due to the Government Shutdown, this site is not being updated."
sec.gov"SEC Operating Status: The SEC will remain open and operational in the event the federal government undergoes a lapse in appropriations on October 1. Any changes to the SEC's operational status after October 1 will be announced on this website. The SEC's current operational plan in the event of an SEC shutdown is available here."
fbi.gov
cia.gov
aoc.gov"Due to a lapse in government funding, this website is not currently being updated."
arctic.gov
atf.gov
usgs.gov
usbg.gov"Due to a lapse in government funding, the U.S. Botanic Garden is closed until further notice. All programs, events and tours are cancelled while the garden is closed. Information about reopening will be posted here when available."
doi.gov
bop.gov
bls.gov"This website is currently not being updated due to the suspension of Federal government services. The last update to the site was Monday, September 30. During the shutdown period BLS will not collect data, issue reports, or respond to public inquiries. Updates to the site will start again when the Federal government resumes operations. Revised schedules will be issued as they become available."
cdc.gov"Due to the lapse in government funding, only web sites supporting excepted functions will be updated unless otherwise funded. As a result, the information on this website may not be up to date, the transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted."
cbo.gov
consumerfinance.gov
fema.gov"NOTICE: Due to the lapse in federal funding, portions of this website may not be updated and some non-disaster assistance transactions submitted via the website may not be processed or responded to until after appropriations are enacted."
fec.gov
fdic.gov
federalreserve.gov
gsa.gov"As a result of a temporary government shutdown, GSA.gov is not being updated at this time. More information on GSA’s shutdown procedures is available."
oge.gov
gpo.gov"The Federal Government is shut down due to a funding lapse. Consequently, gpo.gov will not be updating information for the public until funding is restored. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."
bia.gov
bjs.gov
mmc.gov"The Administration does not want a lapse in appropriations to occur and has expressed its willingness to work with Congress to avert such a lapse. However, prudent management requires that agencies be prepared for that possibility. To that end, the Marine Mammal Commission has prepared a shutdown plan to be implemented in the event of a lapse in appropriations. Please click here [PDF] to view the Commission's plan."
nigc.gov"The NIGC is open and normal operating procedures are in effect. Due to the government shutdown, mail service is suspended at NIGC offices. Please contact the region offices directly with any time sensitive matters."
nhtsa.gov
nist.gov
noaa.gov"Due to the Federal Government shutdown, NOAA.gov and most associated web sites are unavailable. However, because the information this site provides is necessary to protect life and property, it will be updated and maintained during the Federal Government shutdown."
nrc.gov
nwtrb.gov
osc.gov"If the federal government shuts down as of October 1, 2013, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel will cease most of its operations for the duration of the shutdown. The processing of most complaints will be suspended, and all filing and processing deadlines will be extended by the number of days the government shuts down."
occ.gov
ofr.gov
peacecorps.gov
prc.gov"Because of a lapse in appropriations, the Commission is currently closed and will reopen when funding has been approved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."
rferl.org
rfa.org
bbg.gov"U.S. international media activities under the BBG that are deemed 'foreign relations essential to national security,' such as news programming and distribution, are excepted from the shutdown and will continue."
sba.gov"Due to the lapse in government funding, only websites supporting excepted functions will be available unless otherwise funded. As a result, the information on this website may not be up to date, the transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted."
supremecourt.gov
sss.gov"Due to a lapse in appropriations, Selective Service System (SSS) operations are currently shut down. Please note that any information on this website may not be up to date, any transactions submitted via this website might not be processed until after appropriations are enacted, and the agency will not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted."
secretservice.gov"NOTICE: Due to the lapse in federal funding, this website will not be actively managed. This website was last updated on September 30, 2013 and will not be updated until after funding is enacted. As such, information on this website may not be up to date."
cfa.gov"In the event that the shutdown lasts for an extended period, the Commission of Fine Arts staff will notify the public on this website about the status of the next meeting of the Commission of Fine Arts, currently scheduled for Thursday, October 17. We will be unable to resume operations, including notification about the schedule of meetings, until funding is appropriated by Congress for the new fiscal year."
uspto.gov
Courtesy: arstechnica

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