RESPONSE TO: Mayor Ashe interview on technology and Internet use

Mr. Mayor,

You present a valid case for use of technology and the Internet. I agree with you completely. The Internet and computer access to it with digital devices is an absolute necessity in today’s world. I saw a 91 year old woman interviewed on CBC news recently and she was at her computer monitor and digital keyboard. If she can do it at 91, I surely can at my age.

However Mr. Mayor, the personnel responsible for the City of Pickering’s website need to hear this comment. The City website is lousy, to say the least. Not totally junk, but nearly so. Why? Because…

• Material is out of date;
• The site is very difficult to navigate;
• The site is not welcoming at all;
• The site is loaded with inconsistencies;
• Hyperlinked text is inconsistently used;

The list of complaints about the City website could continue ad nauseam. Rather than do that, I want to underline that if the City wants to keep residents informed about their City, improve the City website. Who is going to come back to this site if it continues being the mess it is currently?

I know what I am talking about as I have been publishing a website for more than eight years, alone, with narrow website skills and my site has many useful ideas the City website developers should explore and use. 

I sure would like to hear from your website developers but not to hear how good their site is, because it is not. One resident told me they spent 5 hours in search of certain information. Mr. Mayor, the City’s website is unacceptable and I am sure we can do much better than what has been done.

Richard Szpin
Pickering resident
Community activist