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Is UK eGovernment full of holes?

20 July 2003   

 

Is UK eGovernment full of holes?

"The nightmare is not that New Labour's targets for putting government online will not be achieved, but that hitting the targets might make very little difference on the 'modernisation' front. Already, for example, over 50 per cent of services are online, but only ten per cent of the population have ever used them. The Inland Revenue has built a magnificent system for online filing of tax returns, but only 70,000 people (out of a possible 8 million) use it.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that those people who have most need to interact with the state (because of being poor, elderly or ill) are precisely the groups who feel most uneasy about using unfamiliar, online, channels. The battle to put government online has been won. But the battle to put citizens online has only just begun."

The digital divide, as it's called. This is the biggest obstacle, and to my mind, blogs are the answer. They're addictive for those who fall for them, involve life long learning, are a great communication platform for those who are ill, the elderly could blog to the past, building up a life of memories...


1165 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 7:23:47 PM  . .
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