I assume by this they mean ‘The Planning Portal’ – and if not, why not, is ‘website rationalisation’ completely empty and meaningless – but this lumbering dinosaur is pretty universally hated in planning depts. TMK and I have never had a good experience dealing with the arrogant sods.

The tools can be hard, even the operation of the most basic mobile is a challenge for some elderly people … who also don’t understand why it has to be charged up all the time! Well Nokia … why can’t mobiles take two Duracell AA batteries ? Canon, why are basic digital camera controls so fiddly etc etc.

Anyway. To reach the excluded and empower them the tools will change, faster than you or I can cope with and therefore faster than the digitally excluded – what matters are the methods used to increase inclusion… but without simple tools some people will just never want to be part of the game.

Ponder, ponder …

But yes, if there is other stuff out there, let’s ponder that too!

No, seriously I AM interested in this and particularly the way I can see this dovetailing in with the Digital Inclusion agenda (another CLG lead thingumy) that I am involved with. Wouldn’t it be splendid if all those empowered citizens understood technology and there was no digital divide, everyone who wanted to participated using whatever technology they had access to and (full circle) felt much more empowered citizens as a result.

Off I go on one of my rambles now!

Tis all good stuff, Em – all good stuff – pleasedo keep me in the loop, I am also excited by all this. Yes really!