1. Citizens Referendum

    Describe your idea:

    Note This was submitted by standard e mail on 3 Sept – resubmission here was unavoigably delayed until now.

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    Do they know what you think? Do they really care?

    It is no longer satisfactory just to cast a vote every four years or so and then in between elections the Administration enjoys almost free rein. Your elected representatives need a more accurate measure of Public Opinion. We believe in this age of secure & verifiable electronic communication this process is practical, reliable and cheap and should take its place in the democratic process.

    What problem does it solve?:

    Web based petitions are popular and appear on several sites – some simply providing a template and operating sdoftware. But petitions display only support – not dissent – and we know that they have not cut much ice in Parliament. A referrendum – conducted by a reputable host – would however be a more powerful tool and might also attract media coverage.

    Type of idea: New feature for an existing project

  2. SEE What You Are Buying Into – unleashing the people power

    Describe your idea:

    Make business accountable by using people power on the internet.

    The SEE scheme is a radical way for companies to be honest and transparent about their Social, Environmental and Ethical (SEE) policies, practices and impacts. Their information is published on www.SEEWhatYouAreBuyingInto.com Web users comment, rate the information and suggest new companies to participate.

    The SEE scheme employs basic Web 2.0 tools. We know that the information gathered can be used to greater effect via mashups, plug-ins for social networking and tools for delivery via mobile devices.

    The more people know about and use the site, the greater the expectation on every business that it should be publicly accountable – and the better the world will be.

    What problem does it solve?:

    Helps consumers make informed, sustainable purchasing choices.

    Overcomes lack of transparency in business practices.

    Makes business accountable to all stakeholders.

    Removes barriers to trust between consumers and business.

    Makes businesses part of the solution in creating a fair,
    sustainable future.

    Type of idea: A campaign or PR drive

  3. Tweet Your MP

    Describe your idea:

    Tweet Your MP is essentially a Twitter and Google maps mashup that sends a tweet on your political views to the increasing number of MPs on twitter – the fast growing real-time social media phenomenon. If your MP is not on twitter a request will be sent to their inbox recommending they join the movement. Inspired by http://www.whoonearthcares.com

    What problem does it solve?:

    Engage the public through social media and develop interest in the political system. Discover trending political topics at the heart of public opinion. Follow new local and national tweeters who share similar views. Decide if you agree or disagree with suggested legislation, plans and policy implementation. Receive a direct tweet from your local MP. “Share your opinion with your local MP and community”.

    Type of idea: A brand new project

  4. WhatEntitlements?

    Describe your idea:

    Enter your details and get a complete list of benefits and help you could be entitled to. Generate letters/emails for the agencies (local and central) and the ability to create perhaps an XML for the agency to import into their systems.

    Once benefits and allowances are entered, the system may be heuristic in the awards given and have the ability to generate “question” letters/emails so that if the system thinks that a benefit should be paid, or the award higher then the claimant can send these too.

    What problem does it solve?:

    The overly-complex, means-tested and time-tested benefits system is overbearing for some people and if they had a simple way to list and generate relevant letters, with follow-ups and result-checking, will allow claimants a better chance of getting all they are entitled to.

    A what-if function can assess various scenarios to effect the “best” result based on the current details.

    When changes to legislation is released, then everyone that is on the system could be notified if it has a material effect on their benefits.

    Type of idea: A brand new project

  5. The Sixty Seconds Project

    Describe your idea:

    The Sixty Seconds Project is a microsite aimed at providing a a single-page simple-to-use download option to allow people to sign up to the World Community Grid. The site is to be promoted by ISPs who would send out an email to all of their home customers on the same day in a specific country, starting with the UK, the volume making it newsworthy.

    Full proposal can be emailed at your request.

    What problem does it solve?:

    The WCG aims to use the spare processing time of computers to number-crunch data that can be used to find drugs to treat cancer, HIV, TB, find clean energy solutions and end world hunger, to name but a few (more details at www.worldcommunitygrid.org).

    The Grid only has 145,000 active users globally and the software has some usability issues; so I’ve already written up a proposal for IBM on how I’d like this to work, including usability improvements and with identified contact at BT, Virgin (prospective route, through one of your members), and additional contacts with design, hosting and CDN.

    Type of idea: A campaign or PR drive

  6. It’s your money

    Describe your idea:

    site to report Public Sector Waste (of money) to public authorities

    A lot of the WhatDoTheyKnow code could be used and some of the data.

    You suggest a way to cut waste [for a specific public authority],
    estimate a saving, explain basis of estimate. You say what the loss
    of service might be. This then gets sent to the authority.

    Perhaps savings could be expressed more meaningfully as £2m (or
    £200,000 library books …)

    Nothing personal, illegal, offensive would be allowed.

    Even the poorest in society pay VAT and we all suffer if money is wasted.

    What problem does it solve?:

    – waste in the public sector
    – lack of accountability of some public authorities (e.g. quangos)
    – lack of money for things that really matter
    – no need to make a profit in the public sector can mean costs are not looked at in the same way

    Type of idea: A brand new project

  7. WhenThingsGoWrong

    Describe your idea:

    This would be a website that assists people in making complaints about public bodies and possibly banks and utility companies. Like WhatDoTheyKnow in some ways, it will provide advice to complainants on making the complaint – possibly through templates – and maintain a log of complaints made to each authority, including resolutions, rejections and those still outstanding.

    What problem does it solve?:

    At the moment a lot of this information is hidden within internal process and the ability to monitor satisfaction and effectiveness is left to the authority that the complaint is being made against.

    This will helps citizens make effective complaints to public authorities and externally monitor the process. Provides an external reporting mechanism on numbers of complaints each authority receives and their effectiveness and efficiency in dealing with them.

    Type of idea: A brand new project

  8. Dear Future From Me

    Describe your idea:

    1- I have a current social issue regarding health, environment, crime, taxation, energy etc

    2- I put this my wishes, concerns etc into an online letter and select which governmental department or area I want it to be sent to in the future

    3- It will ONLY be sent in 4 years time or beyond to the NEXT person in charge of a certain area. For example, if I have an issue with how the current Mayor of London is doing – I can write a future letter to his successor outlining my current concerns and what I want to be done when he arrives in that period

    4- Whoever succeeds the current people in power will then be able to read these concerns sent to them from the past

    What problem does it solve?:

    It proposes the idea that things will get better in the future.

    People can write an email or online letter to the future members of government that will be in power in the next 4 years and beyond.

    I could write a future letter to the PM of the year 2109 and tell him how I hope he will change things for the better.

    It will be nostalgia mixed with elements of prophecy. Can what we hope for now affect the future of the next 100 years ?

    All correspondence sent online to the future will be stored as a digital archive time capsule.

    Future leaders of society can look back and see if they have delivered on what the letters from the past asked for.

    Type of idea: A brand new project

  9. CompareTheSociety

    Describe your idea:

    Enables you to see how society lived and functioned during the past 100-200 years and who were the people in charge – their laws and it’s effect upon society and overall progress and change.

    I could see how areas of the UK have changed for the better or worse over the past 200 years. This could be in terms of crime, health, wealth, environment etc.

    Did the people in power make a difference or took away the difference ?

    What problem does it solve?:

    If you do not know where you came from you will not know where you are going.

    It enables you to compare how society was during the past 100-200 years with current conditions.

    Was society better during the 60s or was it better under Queen Victoria in the 1800s ?

    How has society moved on and WHAT were the defining turning points over the past two centuries?

    Finally it enables you to figure out WHERE and WHAT year would you choose to live in society ?

    Type of idea: A brand new project

  10. Validate Connection

    Describe your idea:

    Well, would this just pander to my paranoia or do other folks have their suspicions too.
    Is there a connection between:
    increase in rape seed crops
    and
    the amount of us now suffering from hayfever/asthma?

    living next to power station
    and
    the amount of us now suffering from hayfever/asthma?

    living next to small electric sub station
    and
    diseases affecting around the hypocampus area of brain e.g. diabetes, pituatary gland tumours, chemical imbalances in brain, epilepsy etc

    this would somehow get the data from relevant database/statistics and compare with statistics/database of what it could affect.

    Might be a tall order to implement though
    Could start with just disease incidences and Google maps for Uk

    What problem does it solve?:

    It shows folks fears are unfounded or otherwise

    Type of idea: A brand new project