Archive for July, 2008

Petitioning your local authority 29/07/2008

The Government today responded to the consultation on Local Petitions and Calls for Action.  So far, so thrilling.  But it will place a statutory duty on local authorities to respond to all local petitions, including electronic petitions.

For those of us interested in using digital communications to open up participation in local democracy this is a welcome response to the consultation.  It would be wonderful if this was to lead to more councils starting their own petition sites, like Bristol have done.

You can view the consultation document here (PDF - opens in a new window)

Google Streetcar spotted in Brum 23/07/2008

The Google Streetcar has been spotted out and about in Birmingham.  One Brummie had a watching me, watching you moment and snapped the car while it snapped him.

In the States Google has come in for some criticism from privacy campaigners.  Indeed, we await the first divorce case to use a sighting on Street View with some interest.

At the moment I have to say that the worst danger that Google Streetcar seems to pose is that of bad Tennessee Williams puns by lazy journalists.

Digital Birmingham is a Birmingham City Council initiative and part of a city wide strategic partnership of more than 30 public, private and voluntary organisations

eGovernment National Awards - Winner 2008