Monday, March 2, 2009

More than just Fun ?!?

 This twitter thing just might work!





10PM Sunday Night.
Twitter user @IsCool (Shaun Dakin) posts this tweet:
  • IsCool Reading my local community (Fairfax, VA) planning "online comments" tool. It is a link to a Word doc. #IsNotCool » link to site
I read it 8am Monday.

The tweet link is to http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/projects/baileys/

The 'comment form' in question is a lousy word document. It includes this gem:
Thank you for taking time to complete this survey. Please e-mail your responses to DPZBaileys@fairfaxcounty.gov
Ugggg!

That Is not cool.


8:30am Monday I reply to IsCool with:
  • sheffus @IsCool I'm in Fairfax also. This 'online form', aka MSword doc, is an embarrassment. How does this happen?
8:35am IsCool replies to me:
  • IsCool @sheffus it happens when the planning people want to make it as difficult as possible to make comments. So they don't get them.

8:40 My response to IsCool
10:30am Fairfax County responds
  • fairfaxcounty @sheffus and @IsCool: Thanks for pointing out the online comments form; Planning/Zoning staff will be alerted. Thx!
That is a response, from a county entity, in less than 2 hours, on a day when most of the DC Metro area is taking snow day. I'm not sure if it will make any change, but it's a step in the right direction for sure.

Maybe this twitter thing can be more than just fun!