National Pandemic Flu Service
So the government has got their flu service web site up and running at last.
Who thought up the URL of http://www.pandemicflu.direct.gov.uk? It’s not very user friendly is it. As the web site is down because every Tom, Dick and Harriet is trying to use it, perhaps it should be called the National Panic Flu Service!
The Anonymous Widower 
[…] by National Pandemic Flu Service « The Anonymous Widower | July 24, 2009 | […]
Pingback by National Panic Flu Service « The Anonymous Widower | July 24, 2009 |
Good point! It’s fortunate that they selected ASP.NET as the technology for this web site, and the highly scalable Microsoft n-Tier architecture. It turns out that BT had to QUADRUPLE the capacity of the system within the first 8 minutes due to the unprecedented demand:
http://www.timacheson.com/Blog/2009/jul/uk_government_uses_asp.net_for_emergency_flu_pandemic_web_site
Comment by timacheson | July 27, 2009 |
I’m a VB programmer and understand a lot what you say.
Could there be an element of underestimate about demand here? After all on-line systems are rather anathema to civil servants as good ones cut jobs. So they felt that this system wouldn’t be used as much. After all most of us have the Internet now.
Look at the effect that on-line Vehicle Excise Duty has had on the Post Office. There used to be long queues on the first of the month in my local office, solely due to VED. They have grown a lot shorter in the recent couple of years.
How many other government systems like Work and Pensions could be replaced by efficient on-line systems? And how many jobs would it get rid of.
Comment by AnonW | July 27, 2009 |