Town Website

From a design perspective the Town website is circa 1996. It is dysfunctional. If that website was delivered by a private firm that had to justify its existence with quality work, they would never work again. NO ONE in the private sector would pay for that work. NO ONE. Is that an angry comment? Is that an educated comment? You bet. The Town website is incompetence and we pay for it. So how much do we pay for this website annually?

I build sites & could do something better in a couple hours than that site.

You probably could get a kid at George Mason to do it for free just to put a notch on his resume.

This is hilarious, too, since IE stinks compared to Firefox. Who designs a site just for IE?!:

Netscape and Firefox browser users, please note: For best results, visit site using Internet Explorer.

From the TOV site disclaimer:

The Town does not warrant the accuracy, authority, completeness, usefulness, timeliness, or fitness for a particular purpose of its information or services.

Hmmmmm....

ain't that the truth!

"Only the best" Seriously do they strive to do anything well?

Take a look at Naples Town site

http://www.naplesgov.com/

Also, a quick peek at their online video archives:

http://naples.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=4

Also, look at their amazing online services:

http://www.naplesgov.com/onlineservices/

Naples is about the same size as Vienna, but Naples has smart intelligent people working for them, Vienna has {...]s.

Need I say More?

PS, you don't see a wimpy disclaimer on Naples site trying to cover their [...] for their own shortcomings like Vienna does.

If I were Vienna, I would not dare try to explain away any shortcomings, I would not ever settle for such claptrap. Only the best. But with Maud behind the wheel, all you will get is leaky fountains, and dead trees...

In the real world people get fired or not even hired for delivering the quality of the Town web site. But Vienna acts like a coddling parent, unwilling or unable to tell someone their work is terrible. Vienna is not a parent. It should objectively declare shoddy work as shoddy work. Why does this not happen? Do you really think Jane and Maud have the foggiest clue as to what constitutes a good or bad website? Of course not. They just spend our money, achievement or success is an after thought.

DISCLAIMER: The Town of Vienna, Virginia (the "Town"), provides this World Wide Web (WWW) site information and services "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The Town does not warrant the accuracy, authority, completeness, usefulness, timeliness, or fitness for a particular purpose of its information or services. The Town, its officials and employees shall not be liable for any loss or injury caused in whole or part by its negligence, contingencies beyond its control, loss of data, or errors or omissions in the WWW site information or services.

I really don't need to say anything.

Do you think the "new" website will allow us to pay our bills online? Mail/in person is really annoying. It just feels like another Maud "control" device.

I can hear her now: "I love stamps. And, writing out the address in longhand works on the long-forgotten skill of penmanship. Then, I can walk to the Post Office that Charlie and I had built just for us. A computer can't replicate those good times."

Come to the 21st century, TOV, and let me pay my water/tax bills on your website. It will save all of us time. Not to mention gas, paper, etc. (Go green!)

With Vienna's business district looking so abysmal it is going to become an open door for less than savory activity. I think we can all say that there is an increase in crime in Vienna-and yes sorry to some of you Ceder Lane area is still Vienna. Welcome once again a new restaurant where Anita's used to be. That strip of land will naturally not be touched until there are new zoning changes. Look at 7-corners vs Shirlington, Springfield Mall is undergoing a major reconstruction project-any wonder why that is? Thank you Maud and Jane and all you other TC members without a backbone!

Here's the link to Vienna's crime report. Either Vienna officials are withholding important crime information from the citizens, or Vienna has way too many police for the amount of crime we have.

Which is it?

Just ask the folks who live on near Cedar Lane and ask them that question. I believe they will tell you there is a lot that is unreported.

Is it me or is it the fact that I am over 40, but I can not read that small print on the website!

On Sept. 11th the Greg Hembree gave a public talk about the Vienna Planning and Zoning Department. It involved talking about the Maple Ave. Vision Committee and about changes to the website to make it easier for the public to see what is going on and easier for the employees to share information (similar to what they are already doing in MC and PG Counties). Only one person asked about revising the zoning codes to be more pedestrian friendly and no one mentioned what they would like on the website or anything about issues like sidewalks in the neighborhood. With so many people on this website interested in planning issues, why did no one come or why did they not ask any questions or make any comments?