[LINK] OzIT: 'Canberra plans citizen sample blog'

[Tom Worthington]

At 08:49 AM 14/08/2007, Roger Clarke wrote:
>... Canberra plans citizen sample blog The Australian IT Section 
>Selina Mitchell | August 14, 2007
>http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22238273-24169,00.html
>
>FEDERAL plans to enter the world of blogging are well under way, 
>with a discussion paper due soon on the proposed "rules of engagement". ...

In the past I have recommended government agencies not create public 
forums, due to the risk from embarrassing postings. They could leave 
this to non-government organisations, in much the same way the 
government funds research and "think tanks". Those participating in 
the non-government forums can feel freer to speak. The government can 
then endorse the results if they like them, or otherwise say "nothing 
to do with us".

>The Howard Government wants to avoid a situation in which political 
>or lobby groups infiltrate what should be a blogging site for the 
>public to comment on policy. ...

Parliament would seem to be an expensive and inefficient form of 
consultation, which political and lobby groups have infiltrated. 
Staff prepare speeches, the MPs read them out, then other staff write 
down what is said and send it out, along with audio and video. All 
the MPs must be present in the one building, with only one person 
able speak at a time and much of the time wasted on procedural trivia 
needed for the primitive process.

  In 1997 I suggested Parliament be put online and the productivity 
bonus taken by halving the number of MPs and Senators 
<http://www.tomw.net.au/twcl97c.htm#parliment>. The work of an 
average parliamentary day could be got through in an hour or so 
online. The text of speeches could be entered directly by the authors 
into the system and then approved by the MP before release, questions 
would be taken online and audio and video prepared as Podcasts.

>At the moment the australia. gov.au website provides links to public 
>consultations only. ...

I noticed the public consultations link is cleverly labelled "Have 
Your Say". This is the terminology used by the BBC and other 
broadcasters for listener feedback 
<http://www.australia.gov.au/consultations>. But the web site doesn't 
seem to be providing any more than just a link to assorted agency 
pages. There isn't a standard way to comment.



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                http://www.tomw.net.au/
Visiting Fellow, ANU      Blog: http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/atom.xml