E-Government

E-government: is the term given to  anything that the government askes the public to  do in terms of participation such as Paying Taxes and E-Petitions or tells us to do in terms of information for example Direct Gov and Government Gateway.

E-Petitions:

E-petitions is an online voting technique which allows anyone to vote on a current situation such as placement of speed bumps for an example. On most local government websites you are able to create your own petition and search through previous petitions that have been put forward by other members of the public. E-petitions on any local government website can be voted on by anyone who lives in that area, this allows everyone in the area to have an equal say in what goes on in their area. Once an online petition reaches a certain amount of signatures it is debated. On my local council websites it is possible to watch the debates online after they have happened.

Advantages

One advantage of e-petition is that everyone in the local area gets an equal say in what happens. Another obvious advantage of an e-petition is that it saves time; previously when voting you would have to go to your local town hall but in this case you can do it with the click of a button. As with all online activities it saves a lot of paper and is easier to organised and keep on top of.

Disadvantages

One disadvantage with an e-petition is there is nothing stopping people from going online and voting even if they do not live in that area; this can disrupt the balance of votes. Another disadvantage of e-petitions is that not everyone in the area would have access to the internet; this is especially common for elderly people who may have trouble voting online. A third disadvantage of e-petitions is that you usually have to sign up in order to vote, this may cause problems as some people do not like giving their details way online. 

Personal Experience

I have had limited experience with E-Petitions. I once took part in signing a petition in order for 16-18 year olds to have a Kent Freedom Bus Pass. This involved me, along with hundreds of others submitting our votes online; however the petition did not reach enough votes and therefore was not passed.

Paying Taxes:

There are many types of tax that you are now able to pay online such as car tax, you can also claim your tax repayment and complete your self-assessment tax return. Some websites also offer information on whether people would be entitled to benefits, for example people who are unable to obtain a job need certain types of benefits.

Advantages

One advantage of websites that offer this service is  that it makes it easier for people to pay taxes and that it can save people a lot of time by giving out a lot of information on the website.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of paying taxes online are that it may be difficult for some people to understand where they find the information and generally navigating their way around the page. This could be seen as a waste of time.

Personal Experience

As I do not pay taxes I do not have any experience with this but I can see that it could be a useful way of paying taxes.

Vehicle Licensing/ Insurance:

Today there are countless numbers of insurance sites on the web all offering different and supposedly better offers on car insurance. The most widely used sites are ‘comparison sites’ e.g. www.comparethemarket.com or www.gocompare.com these sites evaluate all the different insurance sites and compare them against one another, this makes it easy for people to get the best deals.

Advantages:

There are two major advantages of buying car insurance online; it is both convenient and you can find the best deals. It is convenient to be able to go online from the privacy of your own home and compare many auto insurance companies, their policies, and how much they charge for the premium.

As I previously mentioned doing it online offers you both the opportunity to visit multiple website or comparing websites. This, in my opinion, beats calling up different insurance companies around town trying to find the best quote. Insuring your car online is easy and simple. You can have your quote in minute, and you can usually get as many quotes as you want free of charge. Another advantage of insuring online is that you can find the cheapest deals that you may not be able to otherwise.

Disadvantages:

Although there are a number of advantages to online car insurance, there are a few disadvantages. Trust is a big part of insurance and if you do not have physical contact with something some people find it hard to trust it, this problem could be common with online car insurance companies.

Personal Experiences:

As I have recently started to drive I have been looking into many insurance sites to get myself a cheap deal. As a 17 year old male it is hard to get a cheap deal anywhere but comparison sites are a huge help.

NHS Direct: 

NHS Direct offers help and advice on health issues that you may have. NHS Direct is the most used health website in the UK and caters for the needs of those in England, Scotland and Wales. As a part of the National Health Service, all NHS Direct services are free. NHS Direct first started with a 24 hour telephone advice line and from then on, it has developed. As the internet started to develop the NHS were able to set up a website that offered the same services as their phone line did. Their websites aim was to be a good source of accurate and up to date health information. The website allows people to access clear and straightforward health information whilst remaining anonymous.

Advantages

The main advantage of NHS Direct is its easy access and instant information; people prefer this over making a personal appearance at the doctors with things they may want to keep to themselves. As I have mentioned the NHS Direct website offers quick results, hence the ‘direct’ I suppose. Another advantage of the NHS Direct site is that it offers 24/7 help.

Disadvantages 

One disadvantage of the NHS Direct site is that you need internet connection, some people do not have this or have difficulty using a computer. Another more personal disadvantage is that some people prefer to see a doctor face-to-face rather than trusting a computer.

Personal Experiences

I have had no previous experience with NHS Direct but I have heard from friends that if you have a cough or a cold you can go and diagnose yourself to see if it is anything serious, which I think is very useful.

Local Government:

My local government is Kent County Council (www.kent.gov.uk). K.C.C offers services on adult and children social services, business, community and living, environment and planning, education and learning, health and welling, leisure and culture, jobs and careers, news and events and roads and transports. K.C.C deals with anything happening in the Kent area. It also offer e-petitions which I have talked about. One of the key features on the K.C.C website is the latest news section which offers all the latest from Kent.  

Advantages:

I believe there are a number of advantages of Local Government. It offers the people who live in Kent information on their local area they may not know. Another key feature of the website is its ‘have your say’ section which allows people to voice their opinions towards the local council.

Disadvantages:

I can’t see any disadvantages with the K.C.C website.

Personal Experience: As I have previously mentioned I have taken part in e-petitions on the Kent County Council website.