More than just Fun ?!?



Tweet

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

• sheffus @IsCool yeah. I know. @fairfaxcounty is here on twitter. Perhaps they can look at this 'comment form'

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!