power to the people

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a plan to reform Britain's public services by using the web as a forum for the public voice, receiving online feedback from the electorate, writes the Globe and Mail.In the proposal, called "Working Together," the PM optimistically outlined the idea of setting up an online system for people to critique and share information about public services such as doctors, hospitals, schools, and councils.

For health services, the government would set up a National Health Service (NHS) Choices website, which would serve as the vehicle for comments. Another website will be set up by 2010 that will let parents share information about childcare providers.

By May, the government also intends to create online performance maps comparing services of local council services.

The conservatives dismissed the move as old rhetoric at best and inefficient at worst, warning that most parts of the government, like NHS, need professional decision-making rather than interference from new initiatives.

About five years ago, the UK purchased paid search terms on services like Google AdWords in order in order to attract more visitors to its government website. Other government-run websites, like recruitment site Jobscentre Plus, for example, have been getting record numbers of visitors in the past few years.