Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Just been having a look at this site (being Mrs Litter aka Madame Fly Tipping aka The Community Volunteer). Although using Haringey's site to report a problem is the most obvious option, I like the fact that information is stored on here and that others can see and update what has been reported, unlike the Haringey website.
Has anyone used this site and what advantages do you think it has over the Council's own site?
I also had a trawl round the http://www.mysociety.org/ site that built it and realised I have used their Write to Them feature to write to my MP. Their sites seem pretty user friendly and perhaps make it easier for people to communicate with their elected representatives.
Has anyone else used their sites? What do you think? Are they the future of democracy?

Tags for Forum Posts: Internet democracy, council website, fixmystreet

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The fix my street page under "Learn" is an RSS feed for the Harringay area (and a bit beyond). David Lammy's page is on they work for you is displayed on this site via access tab, local reps.

They're useful and I think a part of the picture of the future of increasing access and interaction with those wot govern us.
Well I wonder what those wot govern us think about that? I imagine some will welcome it and work with it, but how about those for whom the word 'Inbox' seems to be a mystery, can it change their uncommunicative habits?
I've heard the guy behind this and related civic-involvement sites speak - and he is quite inspiring. Part of the idea is to put people in touch with those who represent them, and to use quite self-focussed sites like Fix My Street as a kind of gateway into more community-minded kinds of action. So, someone might report something to Fix My Street out of a (relatively) selfish concern for their own little area, but then through that may come across Pledge Bank (another My Society initiative) in which they're encouraged to think a little more widely. The great thing about it is that it's not just a propaganda initiative to widen people's frames of reference but will actually get things done - bring roads that need repairing to the relevant people's attention, let MPs know about pressing local issues etc.

I think it's brilliant, and if not the future of democracy then a marvellous example of using new technology to engage people with others in their communities and with those who govern them in new ways.

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