Sound the trumpets! Release the hounds!
Let me try that again
Sound the trumpets! Release the citys new website!
Thats better.
Yes, ladies and gents, you know were in 2012 when people get excited about the citys launch of a new website. Can we get another exclamation mark, please!
On Wednesday, the Twitterverse was in a mildly excited 140-character state with this tweet and that retweet about the citys new baby.
The new #vancouver.ca site is live! Were like proud parents, boasted the City of Vancouver in a tweet.
Proud parents? Well, then why not give the creation a name?
LikeuhI dont knowsomething futuristic-sounding like Vanatron. Consider the possibilities
Resident: Honey, this past August long weekend has me confused about when our garbage will be picked up.
Residents partner: Fear not my lovely, Vanatron will answer that with one simple click of the mouse and.
Pause.
there, its Friday.
Resident: Hooray for Vanatron!
Couple embrace, go on about their day. OK, enough of that.
Does the new $3 million website live up to its hype?
Well, depends on what youre after.
For your faithful scribe, who is on the citys website an unhealthily amount of time, I have to say the new design has reduced the number of clicks I have to make to find information.
I can now simply drag my cursor over Your government at the top of the home page and be taken to a smorgasbord of city delights.
This includes city council meeting agendas, minutes, salaries and expenses of council, freedom of information documents, the Vancouver Charter and election results.
The same menu offers links to the Vancouver Police Department, the park board, library, archives and a section titled citizen involvement, where you canah, as I write this, I think the site just crashed.
Resident: Quick honeycome, something is wrong with Vanatron!
Residents partner: What it is it, sweetheart?
Resident: Im not sure.
Residents partner: Lets hope that intrepid newsman at the Courier can find out for us. Maybe he will email the citys communications department to get an update on Vanatrons condition.
The intrepid newsman waited and waited and waited for a reply and nothing. Then just after lunchtime came a tweet from the City of Vancouver.
City IT suppliers having problems with electrical storms. Hope to have services stabilized shortly.
Resident and partner, together: We still love you, Vanatron!
Grind em up
If you happen to have some time off this month, and youre thinking what a great/stupid idea it would be to attempt the Grouse Grind on the North Shore, be mindful of your political tongue.
Why?
Well, you never know who might be listening. According to a news release I received from World Vision, NPA Coun. George Affleck and his hiking boots will join more than 100 Vancouver students on the three-kilometre climb Aug. 15.
The event is part of World Visions Just 1 Child campaign to encourage residents to sponsor one child living in an impoverished country. Afflecks climb up the mountain will, no doubt, be good training for the mountain he continues to climb in the council chambers as only one of two NPA councillors.
Civic holiday
This is my last entry for August. No more stories, no more tweets until September. Until then, thanks for reading.
Twitter: @Howellings
