[LINK] New Connections politically inept web site launch

[Tom Worthington]

At 11:40  17/09/01 +1000, Stephen Loosley wrote (was: "Re: [LINK] 
newconnections"):
>New, and empty, but possibly of interest ... 
><http://www.newconnections.gov.au>
>
>New Connections - an initiative of the Online Council and managed by the 
>Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts. This is 
>a major collection of information about regional, rural and remote 
>telecommunications ...

This must rate as the most politically inept web site launch of the year. 
It is not clear why the government would go out of its way to insult rural 
voters and invite legal action from the disabled:

* Rural users are demoted to third class status by adding a "Full featured" 
option they don't have the bandwidth to use.
* The "Full featured" option doesn't actually work, frustrating those who 
might otherwise benefit from it.
* The site may not conform to accessibility guidelines, limiting access and 
possibly making it unlawful.

New Connections is supposed to be a web site about regional, rural and 
remote telecommunications. It could have showcased technology which 
automatically adjusts to available bandwidth using the accessibility 
guidelines. If this was not feasible, a text only option could have been 
competently implemented. Instead DCITA is making clear that rural and 
disabled users are an afterthought, to be talked about, not talked to.


Tom Worthington FACS tom.worthington@tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd ABN: 17 088 714 309
http://www.tomw.net.au PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet-TV Convergence 26 Sep: http://www.tomw.net.au/2001/itv.html