Councils and their overpriced web

Amplify’d from www.taxpayersalliance.com

DIY Websites for Councils

Today, the Telegraph reports that a number of councils havespent millions on website design. The list should come as a shock to all of us, but it comes as a real shock tothose of us in the digital and new media industry. We all know we have pitched for and worked on expensive web design and build projects, but these projects are often for retail labels, popular bands, and financial companies –not for a local council. It takes little or no money to start a website. Blogging websites like Typepad and Wordpress offer a variety of customisablefeatures and cheap hosting for as little as several pounds a month. Smallcompanies do it all the time. Strapped with a strict budget, small to medium businesses use these blogging sites or free software to get a web presencethat fits their budget. And why shouldn't councils do the same? Conrad Quilty-Harper reports that a local community group did just that. Conrad says that: One notable individual who took the opportunity to improvehis local council’s services is Stef Lewandowski. When he discovered that Birmingham City Council had spent £2.8million on a website redesign, he got a group of volunteers together to build abetter site. The result was BCCDIY, afully featured site that uses the data from Birmingham’s site, but presents itusing entirely free tools and code. That example really says it all. In fact, it would befar cheaper for a council to hire Mr. Lewandowski for a day than spend many thousands of pounds on a website. Hopefully, councils have learned their lesson and if not, we will continue to name and shame them just like theTelegraph did today. Read more at www.taxpayersalliance.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/8xf1

It appears that just about every council is casual in this regard with their rate payers’ dosh. The local Blogger Philtheone highlighted Blackpool’s’ overpriced system and most people wonder what they have for the price. The web is poor by any standards and I still cannot find out what ICT means in councillor’s expenses. Increase Callow’s take is suggested, but I couldn’t possibly comment.