I came across an AFNS from Washington article, in the SKYWRIGHTER, Nov 28, 1997 pg 11, and would like to put it here for all to read -- it pertains to the govt records under Freedom of Info act to go online, etc. NOTE!!! It states in there that the ones they are doing are the ones where persons had asked documents for "at least five times in a quarter" -- so let's get out there and make requests under the Freedom of Info act for EVERYTHING -- military records, civil service records, social security records, etc. Here is the article: "Communications advances have prompted all government agencies to build electronic reading rooms on the World Wide Web. An edict, part of the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996, calls on the agencies to provide public access to records often asked for under that act. In the Electronic Age, that translates to internet sites. To meet the act's provisions, Air Force organizations [my note -- I have seen other articles saying this is being done with ALL govt agencies] will create electronic reading rooms on publicly available web sites. Until the sites are up and running, agencies can profice documents to customers on magnetic disks or CD-ROMS. The new guidelines still will call for record owners to coordinate releases with the base Freedom of Information Act manager. World Wide Web releases must also be coordinated through local public affiars offices. Records affected by the new rules are those documents asked for at least five times in a quarter. [NOTE -- GET OUT THERE AND ASK FOR THEM -- FOR INSTANCE MILITARY RECORDS, ENTIRE SOCIAL SECURITY RECORDS -- NOT JUST NAMES AND DATES, ETC.] The main advantage to the electronic system, according to officials in the Air Force Communications and Information Center, is that it will reduce the burden on the public for requesting records. A web site also could reduce the workload on the agency having to prepare FOIA releases. Center officials also said that offices handling FOIA requests need to create a government information locator service record for each frequently requested record posted to the web. The Department of Defense locator service resides on DefenseLINK, the official DOD home page, at http://www.defenselink.mil/ . Click on search to find "GILS." The GILS record can be completed and submitted online using a web browser." Hope the above helps and gives us "hope" of more electronic data coming online. To search use: http://www.defenselink.mil:80/locator/#browse Another good link for same type of stuff -- the Govt Printing Office: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/index.html Right now (using many of the suggested words to search) I have not come across many of these online databases -- but I understand they are just now starting to get these set up. <just wish they would HURRY -- I wanted this YESTERDAY, ha, ha>. Judy M.