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By silicon.com, 4 February 2005 17:20

Will they, won't they? It's the question that's been on a lot of people's lips for some time now, relating to the rollout of all local and central government services online by 2005.

The talk is of 'near as damn it' from the government – though possibly not those exact words. Local government services look likely to hit the mark and central government are likely going to squeak in just short.

A while ago we polled silicon.com readers about this issue asking for your take on it. Is a miss as good as a mile or is it actually an impressive achievement in a sector spoon-fed on a diet of underachievement early on?

Slightly less than a third of respondents thought it a failure if government falls any way short of what was always a laudable target. Many (25 per cent) thought it 'good enough' while 14 per cent said it is outstanding in light of the self-imposed target. What's more 27.5 per cent said it was 'incredible' having expected the margin of defeat to be far larger than the few per cent points which will represent the black marks against the achievement.

But what does all this mean? Nothing and everything. These services are only worthwhile additions to our online lives if they work and if they are used. It's often the case that negative reaction to government is overwhelming, while turnout at elections is underwhelming. It may prove the same with many online services, leaving those in Whitehall with a 'why did we even bother' mindset with which to battle future calls for more or better online services.

Similarly, many people – in the media in particular – will criticise each and every failure, silicon.com included at times, but such reaction is only justified while our intention and our belief is that those services will be used.

A contact within government this week suggested the 'plus-point' to take from the debacle of the Inland Revenue failure was that so many people thought it would be possible to file tax returns online at the last minute, while doubtless aware that many thousands of other people would be doing likewise. Given leaps taken in utility computing models there is a lot to be said for an apparent lack of planning for 'the crunch', but there is a logic in that argument too.

It shows the UK as a population is warming to the idea of online government and the use and close scrutiny of these services will be the final far more important statistic above and beyond the number of services which didn't quite hit a largely arbitrary deadline.

Many of the failings we cite on the part of government are symptomatic of failings on the part of the electorate too. Ambivalence is rife and ignorance is endemic. If we're ready to kick the government when it fails online then we have to be ready to show our faces and make the most of these services.

The government must prioritise. If we want better online services then we have to let government know it is a vote winner. It's hard to take criticism of a failing if you know services aren't being used when they work.