[Gllug] Government asks for comments

[jim smith]

>Story was on lwn:
>
>the gov is asking for comments on the portal
>
>http://www.ukonline.gov.uk/online/citizenspace/default.asp?url=/online/citizenspace/consultation/discussion.asp?TopicID=3860&Filter=none

that scarcely counts as asking for comments: it's a forum without, as 
far as i can see, anyone from the government responding to issues. 
reading through the posts it reads like a late-night phone in (what's 
the web forum equivalent of a mini cab driver?).

it's already degenerated into yah-booing between the microsoft fans 
and the rest of us: what seems to be missing is any explanation of 
why it's important the govt doesn't restrict access to its services 
by requiring one browser and OS.

i think a sensible advocacy route is to go above this sort of froth 
and present the arguments to a higher level. conveniently i've met 
richard barrington, who's running the e-envoy's business department. 
ironically, given the microsoftism the gov has signed up to, he's on 
secondment from Sun. a letter or a deputation to him, and preferably 
from there to andrew pindar himself might make a bigger impact. when 
i leave my job this week he ceases to be a potential client so he's 
fair game.

the problem is deeper than simply a useless authentication system 
stopping people providing VAT returns. the entire back-end of the 
government system is W2K based: now i know we have people here from 
the NHS and local government running linux - the e-government 
strategy effectively means that their systems will have to exist in 
isolation communicating with central government through a windows 
machine on the side. worse, continued inaction by the government 
means that other agencies will start creating their own more open 
systems to get around the government's limitations. readers of that 
august journal government computing will note that camden council has 
already started work on a different authentication system because 
they don't trust the chamberlain/microsoft system the government is 
using. while their move is to be applauded the end result fro the 
user is a fragmented interface with government (which key am i using? 
what's the password?)

could we not get some sort of document together with our domains of 
expertise and present that, advocacy style? i know opera have already 
started beefing, but i can't help but think a concerted effort might 
be better.

it's going to be a tough job: the government is very proud of its 
microsoft system - recent govt IT cock-ups have cost over a billion 
quid according to computer weekly, while the e-gov system is on 
budget and on-time.  persuading them that an open-standards, platform 
agnostic system is the right way is going to be impossible, but the 
prize of breaking the microsoft lock-in is still achievable.

j
-- 



jim smith
07961 319040
Sometimes I wish someone would port grep to everyday life.

-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug