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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
September 2003
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New site - for open letters to Government
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Mon, 21 February 2005 23:26
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Hi all,
Just thought I'd share that I'm in the process of building a website that will allow 'multi user' open letters to be created.
The idea behind this is that as a group of people, letters can be crafted that share ideas, common theme, petition ability etc etc.
Basically to add weight and power to an argument from the community to the government. For example: The current 'P' plater ideas that don't address the issues, or ratifying the kyoto protocol...
When a topic is posted for 'discussion / letter writing' a cut off time will be applied before the content is moderated (basically so no offensive, irrelevant or innapropriate messages are included). Once content is moderated the data will be formated into a business style official letter and sent to the relevant government department / body by regular post.
What do people think of this idea?
Constructive feedback appreciated - as it will help the site in the long run.
Once the site is up I'll post the URL here...
oh btw the site will be login protected (for letter writing / editing / etc ) but will be publicly viewable. Usernames will be hidden in the public view.
Cheers for any feedback...
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Location:
Arthurs Creek, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 02:46
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Who is paying for/supplying the site, and how is the government going to access it/pay any attention to it?
And how is it being funded?
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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 02:54
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Who is paying / supplying it:
I am. ALL at my cost (Though I'm probably going to put a 'paypal' donation link in so people can contribute.
How are government going to access it:
well for one the letters are going to be direct mailed to the relevant department of gov (whether federal or state - I'm SA but that doesn't matter).
Also I'll be making sure it gets publicity when it's off the ground...*again* at my cost...
Government is likely to pay no attention to it, but I'm trying to give a unified voice to the people that this government apparently represents, so that when we make enough noise about issues someone will listen.
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Location:
Arthurs Creek, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 03:01
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So your going to pay for the postage costs of printing off the letters and packaging them and sending them to canberra? I hope you have a decent bank balance.
Nice idea, but I can't see it working.
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
February 2004
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 03:05
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Good idea nad good intentions, I cant see it sending him broke unless he is on the dole or something. Besides, if it works and pepople are generous enough it may even be worth his time.
Goodluck, keep us posted.
Dust.
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Location:
Arthurs Creek, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 03:42
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Absolutely, I can see the good intentions and I can see the good idea. I just hope you don't end up spending your own money on something that the government may not even look at. Those bastards are only interested in 'keeping' their own money, not on how much you are spending yours.
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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 03:42
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Stradlater: I'm not made of money, but the costs as I see it:
$85.00 month server hosting
(I all ready pay this {yes a 10mb dedicated server is overkill})
$33.00 two years domain registration
$5.00 per month print consumables
$10.00 per month for other consumables (envelopes, stamps, etc)
Total cost per year:
$1233.00
*yes I know that could be spent on my car or other worthy causes*
But it's not a great deal of money to invest in trying to make a difference to the world I live in.
Dust: as for making money from it - not the aim.
More I'm just tired of governments being elected and doing nothing for the people. I want to try and make a difference...
Anyway cheers for replies so far - it's all constructive which is a good thing.
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
February 2004
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 03:52
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oh, I didnt mean you are ryin to make money from it, just meant that the paypal thing would help with the cost. Im just bad with words, think I should of paid more attention in english.
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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 03:58
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Stradlater:
tell me about it  ==> I work for gov.... I'm probably just as likely to get a response if I go personally in and put what I have to say on their desks.... 
*if it ends up getting way way way too costly -- it's probably not going to be viable anyway so we'll see how we go* 
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Location:
Arthurs Creek, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 04:05
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Wow, $85 a month? Why do you need a dedicated server?
www.mdwebhosting.com.au will give you much cheaper than that. Hell, one of my websites is hosted at $20 a year.
Granted I don't get a mysql database for it, but $3 a month I will get that.
Anyhow, Just don't go blowing your money on something unworthy.
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Location:
Arthurs Creek, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 04:06
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Ah well, fuck it, might as well give it a shot. See how it goes. Just don't blow any of your hard earned on it.
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Location:
c'town, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Location:
Batemans Bay, NSW
Registered:
February 2005
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 05:10
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great idea man.........hope it all works out as intended........
good on ya for taking some action in the right direction.....
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
February 2003
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 05:35
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there's a few sites around that facilitate petitions.
it might pay to look how they manage moderation of new petitions and control/lodgement of petition 'signers'.
i can't think of the names at the moment - but 'online petition' in google should throw up the names.
it's a worthy idea (note: i also work in government - a state dept) as when you see - in person - the total lack of concern & appreciation politicians and public servants often have for the public who have to live and work with the crazy shit flung at them - you can fully appreciate the frustration and anger.
my other 2c - if your site generates interest, expect your hosting bill to skyrocket. Getting your URL into national media and websites might get good google rankings but the number of visitors who do nothing except read your home page will drive bandwidth thru the roof
(e.g. our department's web site get a significatnt proportion of traffic that only views one page - hence they got referred there somehow and didn;t like what they found)
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Registered:
February 2003
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 06:03
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| stradlater wrote on Tue, 22 February 2005 14:42 |
Absolutely, I can see the good intentions and I can see the good idea. I just hope you don't end up spending your own money on something that the government may not even look at. Those bastards are only interested in 'keeping' their own money, not on how much you are spending yours.
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that's why he should use the government facilities he is working for eg. paper/ink/postage etc, as no doubt it'd be hardly a speckle to notice.
from my point of view, i think this idea has been tried over and over and over without much success, and even if it did, it wouldn't even dent the system.
but good on ya for initiating something.
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Location:
Arthurs Creek, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 06:05
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Ah, yes, what a good idea. Use the governments own resources, to complain about them!, Now that's thinking. THat's something that I would probably do.
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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 06:52
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rob_ra40:
if the issue of something that conflicts with my moral beliefs / hobby etc comes up. It will still be facilitated in the same way.
It's not a democracy if it's a dictatorship.
As for moderation, basically it will be grammar, offensive wording (if it isn't classed as a 'g rating' it will be modified), and innapropriate comments eg.
"The government are all a bunch of poopoobumtwangers who drive volvo's and have no idea what the real world is like"
also based on relevance to the 'letter' topic at hand.
thechuckster:
500gb per month is plenty of bandwidth.
In fact == POODLES of bandwidth
As for using the goverments resources...
well I would...but then would all the tax payers out there want that extra spent on bitching? Personally I'd prefer if they spent it on something else - like upgraded roads.
For now I'll fund it myself.
Anyway - for now - the site's still a pipe dream - I have to build it, test it, publicise it, etc etc...so again when it's up - the toymods group will be the first to know...
and I expect signatures / letters regarding P plate driver training rather than curfews and age increases
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Location:
Arthurs Creek, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: New site - for open letters to Government
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Tue, 22 February 2005 07:17
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Well done, good point on the using of tax payers money on complaints. I'm sure tax payers wouldn't want you wasting their money on that, and I commend you for the thought.
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