Each month we look at the nominations to date and select ones we wish to highlight. This month we have chosen two:
AmberResponse
AmberResponse is an alarm service that will automatically call emergency contacts. Alarms and emergency contact numbers are set up on the website by the user, and then can be activated with a text message. If a message to stop the alarm is not sent within a predefined time, your personal emergency contacts are called. It's a simple, affordable service that could be a life-saver for hikers and mountain climbers - or even just on late nights out.
Brent BRAIN
The Brent BRAIN (Brent Resource and Information Network) is a community website that stands out because of one unique feature: as well as the customary local information and community forums, the site maintains a list of all
local crime incidents. The list is frequently updated and allows the public to email any information about listed crimes direct to the police using an online form. In future, the site will let the public receive email and text alerts about street robbery, burglary and gun crime in Brent.
This month we’ve had a large number of high quality sites to choose from. To reflect this we’ve chosen two that illustrate the main themes of the awards: education and democracy.
Ambleweb - the website of Ambleside Primary School
Ambleweb enables children to develop real ICT skills while reinforcing classroom subjects through e-learning activities. The site offers web lessons for students to complete alongside parents or teachers, as well as fun puzzles, quizzes, and games. It even includes a "Rodent Roundup" to keep informed about the class pets. Parents can also stay informed through the news section, which provides registered users with all the latest school events.
Steve Webb MP
This Liberal Democrat MP’s website, email and text messaging service is a good example of an elected representative using new media to interact with their electorate. He regularly asks his Northavon constituents of their views through both email and text messaging. The website also contains an archive of local and national news stories, as well as details of how constituents can get involved in local campaigns.
FEBRUARY
Nominations continue to pour in, showing that people are making the most of new technology to promote ideas, bring people together and contribute to the community. This month, we highlight a site that encourages the democratic process through the internet:
Scottish Parliament's E-Petitioner System
Through the E-Petitioner System, constituents can place petitions on the
Scottish Parliament website in place of, or in addition to, paper petitions. The format offers a discussion forum for each petition to encourage awareness and debate, and allows petitioners to reach a wider audience than previously.
E-Petitions is fairing well with the first
e-petition reviewed by the Public Petitions Committee Wednesday, 3 March 2004, and several other e-petitions in the pipeline. This excellent system for empowering constituents through new technology is based on a partnership between the Scottish Parliament, the
International Teledemocracy Centre at Napier University and BT Scotland.
JANUARY
We've only been taking nominations for a little over a month, and yet we've already had over a hundred. Of this early batch, we felt one site stood out in particular:
The Can Do Exchange
The principle of the
Can Do Exchange is very simple: it connects people and communities to exchange goods and resources. Users can not only buy, sell, barter and hire items, but also their skills, equipment, spaces, and time. One of the additional benefits of the site is the creation of online communities, connecting existing community groups. What's more, the service is free to individuals, and the costs for community groups and charities are very reasonable. The Can Do Exchange is an excellent example of a simple yet well-implemented idea that takes advantage of new media.
