The Death of EDGAR. Is Census.gov Next?

Straight from our news department: SEC Announces Successor to EDGAR Database. As we’ve talked about before, EDGAR is currently the best way to get highly detailed information about public companies directly from the Securities and Exchange Commission. But just because it’s the best way, doesn’t mean it’s much good. The site is convoluted, the search process is idiosyncratic, and the steps involved are multiple. Apparently, though, that’s all going to change. Details are fuzzy, but the new IDEA database (Interactive Data Electronic Applications) will be more interactive and may allow for pulling specific data (down to balance sheet lines) from multiple companies and comparing it online. Whatever this ends up being, it’s a sign that this particular government office is responding to how people use the Web.

In related news, a recent study from Princeton researchers suggests that the government give up creating their own Web sites altogether and instead focus on creating data feeds of government information to third party site creators. Interesting, in that this would surely result in better-designed sites, troubling in that it may bring agendas into the mix of public data. We’ll keep a keen eye on the developments.