Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Compare The Policy; GE2011

  • 11-02-2011 1:16pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22


    Morning;

    www.comparethepolicy.com

    Two of my friends have spearheaded this website. And I was only too delighted to help out.

    Its aim was to create a simple, side-by-side comparison of published policy of the main parties involved in the General Election 2011. It was to cut the fat so to speak in providing a non-bias, concise and straightforward offering of what your vote would be placed in support of.

    The whole idea of voting against someone instead of voting FOR someone or something needs to end. If you do not vote FOR something then you have no right to speak out in the next 5 years when you see nothing of worth to you being implemented. Because don't forget you didn't vote for someone offering what you want.

    So make an educated vote this election.

    www.comparethepolicy.com

    If anyone has any input, feedback or suggestions; we would be open to hearing them. And more importantly; any published material with policy statements would be ideal to keep our comparison up to date and relevant as parties scramble for votes.

    ---

    Compare The Policy was launched late hours on the 9th February; yesterday it appeared in Silicon Republic;

    http://www.siliconrepublic.com/new-media/item/20342-politicians-beware-online/

    And this morning on Page 4 of the Metro Herald a small article was dedicated to the comparison website.

    I hope this is of use to people, and helps with being informed about what to expect this month and for the next 5 years.

    Regards,
    Graham


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10 colmcure


    Morning;

    www.comparethepolicy.com

    Two of my friends have spearheaded this website. And I was only too delighted to help out.

    Top class site, A1


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 403 ✭✭holidaysong


    Good site.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,885 ✭✭✭PomBear


    Great idea, very informative, fair play


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 114 ✭✭dodgydes


    Good site, thanks for your efforts. Make sure to keep it impartial.

    What about comparing policies from the last election?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 grahmkeatley


    Thank you for the good feedback. We have certainly enjoyed the process if only for our own improvement of knowledge across the board. Hoping to continue to impart that information across.
    dodgydes wrote: »
    Good site, thanks for your efforts. Make sure to keep it impartial.

    What about comparing policies from the last election?

    It will certainly be kept impartial. Of the people working on it, we have a broad political range ourselves and all wish for it to be as without bias as possible. Sticking to what the parties publish and state themselves.

    We have approached each of the parties now so that they can have their own say in edits and contributions. So long as they can back it up with actual statements from themselves in policy/manifesto form. So hopefully some take us up on that.

    As for policies of the last election - I dont believe it was something widely considered. From a personal point of view, I think it would create a context where bias would form.

    -Graham


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 grahmkeatley


    PomBear wrote: »
    Great idea, very informative, fair play

    We have implemented now a new tab page for Quick Compare Policy Table for direct "simple" questions. Similar to below;

    aye%20nay%202.jpg.JPG

    For a full list please visit site. We definitely need more questions for this section. If you can suggest some, here or on the Facebook page we will try and get this list complete as I find it very useful for quick glance politics with all the back-up to the policies outlined in more detail in the sections.

    There are in fairness situations where it’s not just a yes or no answer. For example, Labour and the ULA are both raising and lowering income tax for the rich and poor respectively. So are Labour raising income tax? The answer is yes, but not for all of us. Some things need to be described in a line or two which is why the site can't ALL be charts.

    -Graham


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    The problem I would see with it is that one issue might have a higher priority for some visitors than others.

    I know they can sort-of specify that via the answer, but still, it's an issue if each "score" is weighted the same.

    In addition, the party it suggested for me is way out-of-bounds for policies and ethos NOT listed.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,688 ✭✭✭Kasabian


    Who is independantly checking this site for accuracy?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 grahmkeatley


    Liam Byrne wrote: »
    The problem I would see with it is that one issue might have a higher priority for some visitors than others.

    I know they can sort-of specify that via the answer, but still, it's an issue if each "score" is weighted the same.

    In addition, the party it suggested for me is way out-of-bounds for policies and ethos NOT listed.

    I think you are talking about a different website on this. Votematic? Both were posted recently, but we do not suggest a party to you at comparethepolicy.
    Kasabian wrote: »
    Who is independantly checking this site for accuracy?

    All information is linked to and comes from, primarily, manifesto and policy documents from the party website and literature. If anyone has any queries on information, I would encourage them to question and ask, and we will indicate exactly where it can be verified as we keep track.

    -Graham


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,649 ✭✭✭✭CDfm


    rehnfortaoiseach.jpg?w=400&h=578


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    I think you are talking about a different website on this. Votematic? Both were posted recently, but we do not suggest a party to you at comparethepolicy.

    It said I was "closest to" a party that - all things considered - I am a million miles from in reality.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 grahmkeatley


    Liam Byrne wrote: »
    It said I was "closest to" a party that - all things considered - I am a million miles from in reality.

    What said? The website listed in this thread; www.comparethepolicy.com has nothing that suggests to you what party you should be voting for...

    -Graham


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,900 ✭✭✭✭Riskymove



    All information is linked to and comes from, primarily, manifesto and policy documents from the party website and literature. If anyone has any queries on information, I would encourage them to question and ask, and we will indicate exactly where it can be verified as we keep track.

    -Graham


    in the quick comparer it suggests Labour wont cut public sector jobs, this is incorrect


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 grahmkeatley


    Riskymove wrote: »
    in the quick comparer it suggests Labour wont cut public sector jobs, this is incorrect

    Labour have not stated in their manifesto, to my knowledge, that they will cut jobs in the public sector. They have stated that they will reduce the number of quangos, but have not indicated the reduction of people employed in the public sector.

    -Graham


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,900 ✭✭✭✭Riskymove


    Reducing the public service pay billAs part of the process of fiscal consolidation, it is necessary to
    reduce the public service pay bill. Our proposals are based on a reduction
    of 18,000 in public service numbers in the period 2011-2014. Public
    employment ceilings will be reassessed during the Comprehensive
    Spending Review and Waste Audit to ensure that the maximum savings
    are being achieved and that frontline services are being protected

    page 15


    they have also mentioned it in a number of tv debates/interviews


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 grahmkeatley


    Riskymove wrote: »
    page 15


    they have also mentioned it in a number of tv debates/interviews

    Thanks for that. Site has been updated to reflect.

    Manifesto document seems to have altered in the last week from their previous Jobs policy.

    -Graham


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    What said? The website listed in this thread; www.comparethepolicy.com has nothing that suggests to you what party you should be voting for...

    -Graham

    OK - I'm completely confused now, because the other day I definitely had a site tell me who it incorrectly thought I was closest to. It must have been a different site.

    Apologies for the confusion.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 grahmkeatley


    Liam Byrne wrote: »
    OK - I'm completely confused now, because the other day I definitely had a site tell me who it incorrectly thought I was closest to. It must have been a different site.

    Apologies for the confusion.

    There is a site called Votomatic which surveys your opinion and matches it to parties. We now have it linked on this website, just a mix up, I guess.

    -Graham


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 453 ✭✭dashboard_hula


    This is really cool, thanks =)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 347 ✭✭GusherING


    In the education section, the Labour Policy is from 2002. WTF?


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 grahmkeatley


    GusherING wrote: »
    In the education section, the Labour Policy is from 2002. WTF?

    While the manifesto mentions some aspects of Education, the policy as presented is still relevant and active for Labour. And they still present it as their Education policy.

    -Graham


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 grahmkeatley


    New Section on Ethical/Social Issues added, along with a host of new questions submitted and requested by some on the forums.

    Also, note, if your question has not been added it is because we could find no single party to have made a significant comment For or Against the question statement.

    More are welcome though. T-3.

    Thanks,
    -Graham


Advertisement