(27 Mar 2014, 9:49 pm)aureolin wrote Were spoof responses the actual reason they removed the online option? Seems a bit extreme if that's the case...

Whilst I understand you can't prevent a spoof, there's certainly technology to make it more difficult. Mail out to all key card holders in North Sunderland, including a survey link and unique one time passcode?

I'm positive one of our forum members we associate with Go North East mentioned it as a possibility at the time - though it may have been amongst other reasons too, I'm not sure.

It goes without saying that the online presence would have allowed for a greater number of consultation responses, but the responses were not necessarily coming from the people that they should have been. Someone living in Fencehouses had the option to fill out the survey when it was online, and they might have only used the affected services once or twice per month yet had the same voice as someone who used the services multiple times per day. While 'spoof' seems a little exaggerated in this example, I don't think it's right that they had the ability to influence network changes. How likely is it that someone who lives in Fencehouses will travel to Park Lane, the City's main Library, or use a bus to Monkwearmouth for the sake of picking up a consultation leaflet? Far less, I'm sure.

I'm not being bias in any way whatsoever, but I really do think the new method is a lot better. Realistically, there is no way someone should be missed out. If I'm completely honest, the people who are less likely to notice the leaflets are the elderly. They should still have a say (and will if they receive one through their letter box), but I feel they're less likely to spot the leaflets on board buses. I don't know if this was the intention or not, but I can understand why it would be. The major thing which bugs me is that the results aren't available in the old .pdf document which was previously circulated, but this is mainly from an enthusiasts' point of view.