Comments on: Are you a techno wizard?

By: Watching Them, Watching Us

Watching Them, Watching Us — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:56:00 +0000

Given the recent furores over the confidentiality of supposedly privileged email correspondence between Members of Parliament and their Constituents (or whistleblowers), surely now is the time for Liberal Democrat (and other) MPs to publish PGP Public Encryption Keys on their newly re-vamped websites ?

By: Lynne Featherstone MP

Lynne Featherstone MP — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:11:00 +0000

Thanks Rob – that’s good to hear. If you haven’t yet, just fill in the survey and we’ll take it from there.

By: Rob Bell

Rob Bell — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:50:00 +0000

I have some IT skills, and I’m happy to volunteer some of my time to help the party out, as I believe in this party – that’s why I joined.

By: Iain Wood

Iain Wood — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:24:00 +0000

Thanks Lynne… and apologies for my earlier cynicism!

By: Lynne Featherstone MP

Lynne Featherstone MP — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:47:00 +0000

Iain: I’m doing another round of publicity for the survey later this week, and then will start at looking through the replies next. But if you don’t hear, you know where to find me…!

By: Iain Wood

Iain Wood — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:41:00 +0000

I’m a sort-of techno wizard so I submitted the form. Why do I suspect nothing will come of it though?!

Nice soundbyte there “the only liberal party left” – of the alternatives on offer I don’t know what scares me more – Gordon and Jacqui or Dave and George.

By: Reuben

Reuben — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:30:00 +0000

ricardusacapus – Surely increasing the chances of the only liberal party left in this country, of being elected, is worth working for free?

By: Stuart Grimshaw

Stuart Grimshaw — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Well, I for one have volunteered my services. It's exactly the kind of project I'd like to get involved with in my spare time, most of the good open source projects already have enough good volunteers.

I think tapping up grass roots geeks like this is a great idea but make sure the volunteers are chosen carefully, and even more importantly must be managed properly, preferably by someone with experience of managing large numbers of remote workers. Managing geeks is like herding cats at the best of times.

It's also important to make sure that the eventual team has the opportunity to meet up, most of the successful open source projects have some form of event for its contributors, either in the form of a convention (probably not appropriate) or just a night in a pub somewhere to discuss issues face to face.

As was shown in the US recently, the Internet can be a very effective tool when used to it's strengths, 2 way communication rather than the 1 way communication of traditional media.

It'll be good to see how this pans out, and hopefully I'll be involved at some level.

By: sandman79

sandman79 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:25:00 +0000

I’d also like to add that although people should pay for professional services, there is a space for volunteer work too. why should it be any different to volunteering in any other sector?

By: martyn

martyn — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:12:00 +0000

Security is not an issue at all. The poacher will always beat the gamekkeper and any potential security measures are broken and obsolete before they are implemented. What matters is getting messages across. I’d like to help.

Martyn