Re: Pretty harsh!
Re: Pretty harsh!
The criticism *is* harsh - and frankly a little overblown. I'm not a fan of the actually existing .GOV.UK, but I do think the idea of bringing IT expertise back into government is a good one.
I'm perfectly prepared to believe that some services have been improved - GDS has some very bright people, like Richard Pope and, er, others. Leisa Reichelt has a smart and thoughtful blog - the tweet quoted by Andrew, though absolutely bloody infuriating read in isolation, does kind of make sense in the context she's working in (experts find it hard to uninhabit their own expertise).
But when I get client calls like this:
C: "Why are these figures in your application wrong?"
Me: "I hope they're not. Which ones? Let me take a look."
C: "The A,B,Cs - they should be X, Y and Z."
Me: "Ah you're getting those from .GOV.UK - they have the wrong figures."
C:"But that's the government saying those are the figures."
Me: "I *know*. I'm sorry. They should have updated the figures in April, but instead they updated half the figures, mis-described some of the others and left out some altogether. You can find the correct figures on the parliament website or on legislation.gov.uk."
C: "Oh."
- and I talk to the relevant government department
Me: "The A,B,C figures on .GOV.UK haven't been updated properly this year."
GD: "We *know*. But since GDS took over our publishing, they decide how and when the site gets updated. They've been given editorial control."
Me: "Oh."
- it's all pretty dispiriting. And when you're repeatedly told how simply *marvellous* the whole thing is, it grates - fast.