We say we want a digital revolution, but what Maine needs is a few successful insurrections, as the state hasn’t proven, yet, it can complete a major information technology initiative, despite the political will and funding to do so.

This isn’t unusual. “Systems upgrade” is a synonym for delays and cost overruns. Although the final product makes lives easier, getting there can take traveling 1,000 miles through construction on the Information Superhighway.

There are two state technology issues now starting this journey: increasing online access to Maine’s courts, and LD 1878, a bill which would transfer government notices, now printed in newspapers, into a new, online database – ostensibly to reduce costs and improve access.

We don’t think LD 1878 would accomplish either, and not because we have a financial interest in keeping public notices on our pages. Though critics are quick to cite this conflict, our concern is about keeping government notices “public,” not just published.

There’s little sense to entrust an age-old system of informing the public about its government to an untested, unproven Web-based database that most likely cannot accomplish the goal of the system it’s replacing.

And given the state’s record in new software – see Medicaid billing – a new online public notices project makes us cringe. The new system should work, before it boasts any cost savings that, for now, must be considered unreliable projections.

The ideal scenario is having both published and online notices. They are there, after all, to inform the public – regardless of preference for information delivery. An incremental approach to online notices preserves the public interest, while protecting taxpayers from another computerized boondoggle.

The State and Local Government Committee is working on LD 1878 today in Augusta. We urge them to put this bill, at least, out to study. It needs much more work, as its anticipated benefits are far outweighed by its real public and practical pitfalls.

Just ask the courts. For years, Maine’s courts have been stymied in attempts to make case records available electronically. A recent Portland Press Herald story detailed the court’s desire to switch to a completely paperless system…only to realize doing so was much harder than it looked.

Now, a new committee is wisely looking at smaller steps. Maine needs a system that puts basic court information – case status, docket numbers, etc. – online before any widespread effort is undertaken to digitize all information. Make it work, then move on.

It’s the approach LD 1878 should take, too. Online notices and court records are fine ideas. The courts, however, know the perils of the job ahead. But the bill, as drafted, assumes a smooth transition without delay. Which means Maine will see court records on the Internet long before any public notices.

The courts are doing it right; LD 1878 would do it wrong.