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Thursday, February 09, 2006

New Technology

One of the features of the new chamber is the vast array of new technology at our disposal. Every seat has the usual electronic voting buttons and access to simultaneous translation. We also have a computer with full access to our e-mail and the internet. Unfortunately, the internet has not been working properly this week and so it has been off-line.

Naturally, we are all getting used to this new equipment, whilst at the same time finding our way around. The first member who fell victim to the unfamiliarity of new surroundings however, was North Wales Tory, Brynle Williams. Rushing back to vote on the Police settlement yesterday, Brynle lunged at the equipment and pressed the relevant button just in time before the vote closed. Settling in his chair and catching his breath he suddenly realised he had voted in the wrong seat. He had cast a vote on behalf of the absent David Davies.

Brynle stood up immediately to confess his mistake and the record was duly corrected. However, for some reason the Record of Proceedings have omitted all reference to his point of order. Is it that we seeking to maintain an illusion of infallibiility for AMs? I think we should be told.
Comments:
No, there is a swipe card which is put in all the voting machines to activate them before each session for us and left their until the session ends regardless of whether the member is there or not. It is therefore possible (but highly illegal) to vote for another member.
 
the internet has not been working properly this week and so it has been off-line

I know the whole world revolves around the Siambrrrr but I didn't notice any probs with the Internet this week.
 
That will teach me to be more precise. The internet on the chamber computers was not working as whenever you clicked on a hotlink it crashed the machine. Accordingly, they took it off-line.
 
So when it is all working, will you be encouraging a group blog from the Siambrrr? To reach out to voters - better than pretending to be a cat I suppose.
 
Two of the four AM bloggers have already blogger from the siambr during the rehearsal. I am sure we will do so again when the computers work properly.
 
first of all am i missing something with the "siambrrrr" comments

a few questions if i may
- why do you leave the ID cards in the machine constantly

there was a second but i cant remember - oh well.

thanks
 
there it is

question 2)

i thought the record of proceedings were a transcipt of what was said - when you said the the point of order was not recorded does that mean the record is incompleat or inaccurate?

if this is the case i would encourage you to pursue this matter as it has serious implications.
 
The record of proceedings have always been edited in this way, even in the House of Commons. There was a moment a few weeks ago when Alun Cairns was speaking in Welsh and struggled with one word which he rendered in English. By the time the record was published it was as if he had spoken perfect Welsh. The ID cards are in the machines constantly because that is how the system works. If you take them out too many times you can disrupt the system.
 
I thought - to be fair to David - that it was a reference to the fact that the place is freezing!

David could try and pay a bit more attention though, maybe read emails occasionally. There was one sent to all Members and staff informing them that there were problems with the Siambr Internet.
 
er...wrong David. Of course, if you'd care to share internal emails with the population at last in the interests of open government I'm sure we'd all welcome the experiment
 
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