SeeClickFix–tool for reporting city problems

[Julie]

Track, monitor, and report non-emergency issues on a map (examples: bushes blocking sidewalk, street sign needs, graffiti, potholes…).

City government doesn’t appear to be using it at the moment, but maybe it will if enough interest is generated.

http://www.seeclickfix.com/seattle

for issues list, and

http://www.seeclickfix.com/seattle/feeds

map

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[WSB]

My .02 since I feel fairly strongly about this:

The problem with See Click Fix is that it’s a middleperson – the city has a lot of online reporting tools already. And they have more in the works to organize them so it’s easier for you. It’s like paying somebody to call the cops for you, instead of you just calling the cops, and that’s why we are not a particular fan of some of these third-party companies (like the aggregators who scrape content and then serve it up in their own URL that you have to click through three times to get to us or whomever else they’re scraping).

I looked at their widget once – but it displays the kind of cheesy Google Ads that we have never even allowed on our own site, in addition to the “why go to a middleperson if you can go directly to the city?” issue.

If the city ever announces they are OFFICIALLY partnering with these guys, of course, the tune changes. But until then – it muddies the waters further. I asked the city’s CTO about it once and my resulting impression was that they would not be.

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[Julie]

Fair criticism. What I liked about it is that it’s simple, one-stop-shopping reporting. I’d love it if the city had something similarly simple, rather than the endless hunt through web pages and phone numbers to find the appropriate person to report to. I also liked the idea that individuals or organizations might be able to help out with certain kinds of issues, if they had centralized reporting. Of course, that only applies to issues appropriate for private parties to deal with.

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[Carson]

I can’t see the city using, and paying for a 3rd party application unless its totally cost prohibitive, which this isn’t. Great idea, easily copied.

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[Author]

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