Directgov Is Dead

It's ironic that this first post is a eulogy on Directgov, since thirty seconds ago when I made this blog I proclaimed it had to die. Directgov the organisation is now the Government Digital Service and Directgov the website is now due to be replaced with a revolutionary new government website -

www.alphagov.co.uk

Hang on a sec ... what's this?

Alphagov

Hello and thanks for stopping by.
This is the domain related to the Alphagov project but there is nothing here.
We will be launching our alpha in early May and we will put details up at that time.
See you then!

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alphagov.co.uk
Internet solutions provided by Namesco Limited - Sunday 06 November, 2011

It's not www.alphagov.com - that's taken by a commercial company, as is www.betagov.com. 

Silly me. I forgot the .gov in the domain. I work with Directgov every single day in a professional capacity yet there I slipped back into my usual web browsing behaviour. I forgot that government websites have their own URL conventions. In other words, we have to make special allowances for government websites. 

I'll try - 

www.alpha.gov.co.uk

No, nothing there. 

I'll go back to the Puffbox post about Alphagov - I'm pretty sure there was a link there -

http://puffbox.com/2011/05/11/ten-things-alphagov-gets-right/

Ah there we go - 

http://alpha.gov.uk/

I'll need to finish this first post now. I'd planned to have an initial rant then make my morning coffee. But then, finding Alphagov took more time than it took me to create this Google blog. 

According to www.alphagov.co.uk's holding page it was launched a year ago today. A year seems like a long time for building a website. 

But for a Directgov, a year isn't enough time; just as £30 million a year isn't enough money.

Back soon.