HearFromYourMp.com

Thought I'd mention some new projects from the ever-resourceful MySociety crowd (who, incidentally, share the building with SSE here in Bethnal Green).

The first, which is very much a development of their previous work, is HearFromYourMP.com which, in keeping with its Ronseal-like name, aims to allow you to hear from your MP. Its objective is to facilitate dialogue between MPs and their constituents by getting people to sign up to a list which is only activated (for constructive debate and q &a) when the MP replies. Which is when things could get interesting. I'm intrigued by whether this will work; some tech-savvy MPs will definitely give it a punt, but I'm sure others (such as the bloke at the top of the "league" at the moment) will run a mile.

They've also been trying to work out new uses for Google Maps, by the look of Placeopedia.com and YourHistoryHere.com. The former allows people to tie Wikipedia articles in to locations; the latter allows people to write little tit-bits of info and history factoids and tie that in to locations too. I'm sure there will be many more uses of this technology as we go on; indeed, one can see a day when organisations will use it to give a visual representation of their customer base, or for marketing purposes....and so on, ad inifinitem. In the meantime, have a look at these, and get involved if you get the urge.

Comments

[Tom Dennen]

I would like to enter the Intelligent design debate.
Forty years ago I was turned away from a Harvard course called 'The Accelleration of the Rate of Change' because I was not qualified.
In order to qualify, the professor asked me to 'come up with a unique philosophical concept' which I did and I was accepted into the course.
I have been working on the concept since that time and it is central to the book I am currently working on.
Like most understandable ideas, this one is simple. Originally, I put it in the form of a one-act play with Cain (the farmer) arguing with Abel (the hunter), an argument resulting in Abel attacking Cain who kills Abel in self-defense.
The argument is over what the stories Adam left them with meant and, as in all 'proper' debate they agee on the definitions of terms, but argue about where they lead to.
Cain is working on a garden and Abel is trying to talk him into “coming out and having some fun” rather.
Abel argues the conventional biblical set which is that after having been created and given dominion over the planet and then told not to eat of the tree of knowledge, Adam and Eve did and were kicked out of Eden, everything is therefore futile and we should accept something Abel calls Original Sin.
Cain argues that any Intelligent Designer, who they both accept would have all the attributes of a God - omniscience, omnipotence and so on - could not possibly have created Eve without knowing that the curiosity He created within her would drive her to the temptation placed deliberately in front of her. "Knowledge is forbidding," says Cain, "but not forbidden."
Cain further argues that in the light of the Designer being supremely intelligent His Design must have had another intention, now lost to Abel.
Cain insists that the flaw in the oral tradiition held by Abel is a simple misunderstanding: "We were given dominion over this planet," he argues, "and everything in, on and around it, all the resources necessary to BUILD a Garden for the Designer (or ourselves) without a need to debate whether an uncaused cause exists or not".
The unfortunate death of Abel results in overwhelming guilt inside Cain which turns him away from his truth and - he believes, forces him to abandon his mission.

[Tom Dennen]

I would like to enter the Intelligent design debate.
Forty years ago I was turned away from a Harvard course called 'The Accelleration of the Rate of Change' because I was not qualified.
In order to qualify, the professor asked me to 'come up with a unique philosophical concept' which I did and I was accepted into the course.
I have been working on the concept since that time and it is central to the book I am currently working on.
Like most understandable ideas, this one is simple. Originally, I put it in the form of a one-act play with Cain (the farmer) arguing with Abel (the hunter), an argument resulting in Abel attacking Cain who kills Abel in self-defense.
The argument is over what the stories Adam left them with meant and, as in all 'proper' debate they agee on the definitions of terms, but argue about where they lead to.
Cain is working on a garden and Abel is trying to talk him into “coming out and having some fun” rather.
Abel argues the conventional biblical set which is that after having been created and given dominion over the planet and then told not to eat of the tree of knowledge, Adam and Eve did and were kicked out of Eden, everything is therefore futile and we should accept something Abel calls Original Sin.
Cain argues that any Intelligent Designer, who they both accept would have all the attributes of a God - omniscience, omnipotence and so on - could not possibly have created Eve without knowing that the curiosity He created within her would drive her to the temptation placed deliberately in front of her. "Knowledge is forbidding," says Cain, "but not forbidden."
Cain further argues that in the light of the Designer being supremely intelligent His Design must have had another intention, now lost to Abel.
Cain insists that the flaw in the oral tradiition held by Abel is a simple misunderstanding: "We were given dominion over this planet," he argues, "and everything in, on and around it, all the resources necessary to BUILD a Garden for the Designer (or ourselves) without a need to debate whether an uncaused cause exists or not".
The unfortunate death of Abel results in overwhelming guilt inside Cain which turns him away from his truth and - he believes, forces him to abandon his mission.

[Nick Temple]

And this has what to do with HearYourMP.com? Bizarre....

[Tom Dennen]

Musta got sidelined or lost, Nick. It's supposed to be the Millennium Bridge Trust piece here.

Tom