[LINK] MyGov

[Craig Sanders]

On Wed, Feb 08, 2023 at 07:41:28PM +1100, Karl Auer wrote:

> [...]
> All those millions and they produce a time-wasting user interface that is
> just begging for user errors and typos.
>
> It's too late now, but MyGov really needs to be put out of our misery.
>
> I seethed about it all to my son, who said (rather unsympathetically I
> thought) "Let me tell you about Centrelink..."

The purpose of MyGov (and Centrelink) is to generate the appearance of
providing an important public service while making it as difficult and
traumatic AND pointless for the public to use as possible.

The crappy user-interface and terrible design isn't a bug, it's a feature.
The system is working as designed, which is to automate the worst of
bureacratic incompetence and indifference whilst simultaneously eliminating
the human element that makes it bearable.

And while MyGov was designed by the Libs, implementing their malice towards
anyone "worth" less than a few million, the ALP won't fix it, just like they
never undo any of the damage done by the Libs.  They probably wouldn't have
designed it to be quite as brutal as the Libs (they don't actually hate the
poor or enjoy getting in a few kicks when people are down like the Libs do),
but they won't fix it.

And the ALP sure as hell wouldn't be killing off Robodebt or doing more than
some cosmetic fixing if it hadn't already been killed by the courts and public
opinion long before they even got elected.  It's safe for them to make a big
song and dance about it now, it's already dead so doesn't require any decision
or action on their part.  They're still too terrified of Murdoch to be that
bold. They still remember what was done to Gillard over the mining tax but are
too stupid to remember that Murdoch will **never** be on their side, no matter
how much they suck up, unless he wants to give a temporary spanking to the
Libs for some minor disobedience.

The Libs have been slowly killing off Medicare and the PBS over the years,
with the death of a thousand cuts (because even they know that the public
wouldn't stand for it just being axed) and freezing medicare payments, and
stealth-privatising our health system with outsourcing, every time they're in
power - but Labor never undo the damage when they get voted back in. They just
let it stand.

They wouldn't even cancel the hundreds of billions in tax cuts for the
wealthy....even though even the Murdoch press had to admit that it was stupid
and harmful to go ahead with it.

Is it any wonder that nobody's ever actually happy about Labor getting
elected, just relieved that the Libs are out of office for a few years and
can't make things even worse?

So, yeah, back to the point - don't expect anything useful to be done about
it.  At most, if enough people complain loudly enough for long enough, they'll
announce an inquiry to evaluate and improve MyGov, in the certain knowledge
that people have short memories and will get distracted by the footy or the
cricket or some equally important celebrity squabble or scandal.

craig