The timeliness of these publications is only achieved if the public has access to them and is made aware of their existence. Electronic publishing has many commendable characteristics but the costs and legislative obstacles of the medium make it a communication tool that is not as successful as it could be. Access is the predominant, recurring theme of all the issues presented above. Costs deny access, both direct and indirect. Technological requirements deny access.
Policies deny access.
Access to government information in electronic format is essential to the realization of a civil society, democratization, and a rule of law. Freedom of information issues are centrally important in countries around the world, the Internet's World Wide Web offers the potential to provide freedom of information at a low cost. If a person accepts the importance of electronic publishing as the means to better communication between government and its citizens then the answer is a resounding yes to the dissemination of government publications electronically. Costs can be incurred through the expenses of the technological infrastructure. It is important that the temptation to generate revenue at the expense of access through public institutions be resisted.