An unsung success

In Britain we’re very good at being a a very miserable bunch I find. Some of the most vocal people in this country seem to be dead set on decrying anything and everything. I see things differently because I know things aren’t perfect, but they never will be. I always try to view things reasonably and with a view to improve them through a bit of graft and an open ear.

Local Government websites in the UK and particularly England (due to funding about 5 years ago) can comfortably say they are some of the best in the world. Now before hammer me with e-mails about this is rubbish, I hate my council, I hate council tax (we all do) — Local Government websites in the UK by proportion are more accessible than other governmental websites around the world and have pioneered delivery of services over the web. It’s still not perfect but I’m sure many people who work on these sites will agree that the heart is in the right place and that we don’t purposely sit at our desks working out how to wind people up.

I’ve tried myself to drive forward some pretty innovative things but remaining firmly within the the camp that information is king and everything has to be easy to find. However some of my crazy out of the box ideas are now coming to fruition…

Bin collection days. The most visible service the council offers to the public in many an area. So, it pays to get this right I think.

What’s this, a gadget that sits on your desktop telling you when your bins are emptied? YES!

In Worthing and Adur, the recycling collection is moving to a fortnightly service when the new wheelie bins arrive on your street. But it could become a bit difficult to remember is it this week they’re collecting it, or next week? And then the famous bank holiday syndrome, bins go out early because some people aren’t sure, when the heck are they coming?

So on the website, we have a sidebar and gadgets platform which yours truly also wrote, and it too shows you when your bins are going to be collected once you have tapped in your street, e.g.:

 
Web site Recycling and Refuse Days gadget

But what about one for your desktop sidebar/dashboard?

Well here you go then…

 
Bin Collection Days Gadget in Windows Vista

Now there will be one for Mac OS X too but I haven’t programmed it yet but it will appear and soon. So now, all you do or will do rather, is go to the website, download the gadget/widget and set it up for your road and that’s it.

It will update automatically too. So now when you just don’t need to go to the council website, it’s there on your desktop.

It’s a first I believe and will be one of a bunch of useful things for your Windows Vista and Mac OS X dashboard.

Hopefully it will be useful.

Dragging the gadget into place