Comments on: Cabinet Office web site http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/ The inside track since 2003 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:10:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Podnosh Blog : High Fibre Podcasting » Archive » David Cameron, Tom Steinberg and Information Scraping http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-37601 Podnosh Blog : High Fibre Podcasting » Archive » David Cameron, Tom Steinberg and Information Scraping Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:53:21 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-37601 [...] Local MP Tom Watson is looking for what to do with his new ministerial interest in web strategy.  I’m sure you’ve already had this conversation Tom, but in the spirit of the social web please say that you agree with Mr Cameron and do what you can to get those standards  in place and used. By the way – yesterday MySociety launched  GroupsNearYou.  I did a tiny bit of testing (adding data and telling them what I thought) in the development stage.  Please go on there and add details of groups near you, the sooner we do that the sooner we can stop more public money being wasted on more online databases of well – groups near you. [...] [...] Local MP Tom Watson is looking for what to do with his new ministerial interest in web strategy.  I’m sure you’ve already had this conversation Tom, but in the spirit of the social web please say that you agree with Mr Cameron and do what you can to get those standards  in place and used. By the way – yesterday MySociety launched  GroupsNearYou.  I did a tiny bit of testing (adding data and telling them what I thought) in the development stage.  Please go on there and add details of groups near you, the sooner we do that the sooner we can stop more public money being wasted on more online databases of well – groups near you. [...]

]]> By: Simon Dickson http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-37293 Simon Dickson Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:13:06 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-37293 The only point where I'd deviate from Mark Flanagan's excellent list of points is that it shouldn't be 'controversial' to adopt a blogging platform to rebuild the new site from scratch. I've just done precisely that on behalf of the Wales Office, moving their entire (appalling) website into a new design, managed by the same WordPress technology which powers this site. Does that make it a 'blog'? Only if you want it to. It gave the Wales Office an attractive site they could manage with no IT involvement; excellent search optimisation; RSS syndication (with multiple feeds); and bilingual operation. It all took a few weeks and cost a fraction of what you might expect. The trained eye will spot its use of blogging methods; most won't. Already it's encouraging them to do some distinctly non-government-style things: adding photos to their press notices, for example. Not rocket science, but it makes the site much more friendly to browse. The only way to make government work better is to try doing things differently once in a while. I've always felt the Cabinet Office should be giving more of a lead on Whitehall innovation. Here's your chance. The only point where I’d deviate from Mark Flanagan’s excellent list of points is that it shouldn’t be ‘controversial’ to adopt a blogging platform to rebuild the new site from scratch.

I’ve just done precisely that on behalf of the Wales Office, moving their entire (appalling) website into a new design, managed by the same WordPress technology which powers this site.

Does that make it a ‘blog’? Only if you want it to. It gave the Wales Office an attractive site they could manage with no IT involvement; excellent search optimisation; RSS syndication (with multiple feeds); and bilingual operation. It all took a few weeks and cost a fraction of what you might expect. The trained eye will spot its use of blogging methods; most won’t.

Already it’s encouraging them to do some distinctly non-government-style things: adding photos to their press notices, for example. Not rocket science, but it makes the site much more friendly to browse.

The only way to make government work better is to try doing things differently once in a while. I’ve always felt the Cabinet Office should be giving more of a lead on Whitehall innovation. Here’s your chance.

]]> By: MARKY http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-37046 MARKY Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:59:53 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-37046 Any thoughts on the Observer diary story that Dept of Health officials have made an average of 2 changes a day to Wikipedia entries? Any thoughts on the Observer diary story that Dept of Health officials have made an average of 2 changes a day to Wikipedia entries?

]]> By: freddy http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-36937 freddy Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:55:41 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-36937 Why do you keep calling them IT people, sounds a bit condescending? Are you just making this up as you go along or is this driven off a strategy? You seem to be giving the impression that regardless of business need, anyone who says do x or y, you will ask the "IT" people. Shouldn't you be finding what Citizens want who don't read your blog? How about involving the business people, if government has such a beast, to determine what the overall needs are and determine what value the changes will deliver? Why do you keep calling them IT people, sounds a bit condescending? Are you just making this up as you go along or is this driven off a strategy? You seem to be giving the impression that regardless of business need, anyone who says do x or y, you will ask the “IT” people. Shouldn’t you be finding what Citizens want who don’t read your blog? How about involving the business people, if government has such a beast, to determine what the overall needs are and determine what value the changes will deliver?

]]> By: Tom http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-36749 Tom Sat, 23 Feb 2008 08:33:09 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-36749 Thanks all for your, in most cases, helpful comments. I'm going to get the IT people to take a look at what you said and report back in a week or two. Tom Thanks all for your, in most cases, helpful comments. I’m going to get the IT people to take a look at what you said and report back in a week or two.

Tom

]]> By: Robert http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-36710 Robert Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:05:55 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-36710 Blue on white a night mare for people who have reading problems like dyslexia, it has no method of altering the Colour, and in fact does not meet the code laid down by the DDA for disabled, it has no methods of altering colour or size. the DRC before it was removed stated most government sites including this one did not meet any of the criteria Blue on white a night mare for people who have reading problems like dyslexia, it has no method of altering the Colour, and in fact does not meet the code laid down by the DDA for disabled, it has no methods of altering colour or size.

the DRC before it was removed stated most government sites including this one did not meet any of the criteria

]]> By: Tom McEwen http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-36688 Tom McEwen Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:00:30 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-36688 I like it. It's well laid out and easy on the eye. No doubt someone will say it's not web2y enough. I'm not sure I'd want a government site to behave like facebook but maybe there are things to learn. For what it's worth .... 1) The items on the menu on the left seem a bit random - more structure perhaps? 2) I'm not sure what the publishing engine is but I dislike too much scrolling on a home page. 3) Compare with the BBC news home page. 4) Looks like a broken link at the bottom of the page ... "[External Website]" 5) Is is fully W3C WCAG compliant? 6) Aren't you supposed to do it in Welsh as well? :0).... I like it. It’s well laid out and easy on the eye. No doubt someone will say it’s not web2y enough. I’m not sure I’d want a government site to behave like facebook but maybe there are things to learn. For what it’s worth ….
1) The items on the menu on the left seem a bit random – more structure perhaps?
2) I’m not sure what the publishing engine is but I dislike too much scrolling on a home page.
3) Compare with the BBC news home page.
4) Looks like a broken link at the bottom of the page …
“[External Website]”
5) Is is fully W3C WCAG compliant?
6) Aren’t you supposed to do it in Welsh as well? :0)….

]]> By: freddy http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-36676 freddy Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:10:45 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-36676 Hi Tom, I am a little stunned. Is this what a minister does, worry about websites that so few people read? Hi Tom, I am a little stunned. Is this what a minister does, worry about websites that so few people read?

]]> By: a very public sociologist http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-36617 a very public sociologist Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:19:57 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-36617 Tom, does modesty prevent you from linking to a dedicated page on your good self from the list of cabinet office ministers? Tom, does modesty prevent you from linking to a dedicated page on your good self from the list of cabinet office ministers?

]]> By: Albert Shanker http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/02/cabinet-office-web-site/comment-page-1/#comment-36614 Albert Shanker Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:01:29 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1882#comment-36614 At the moment it seems to have crashed. At the moment it seems to have crashed.

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