Liste, Messrs Anon 1 & 2 and different Anon – if you feel I should speak to NHS Choices you have but to pick up the phone. I’m on 683113 this am (Wormley exchange is 01428).

But tell me staight: is this or is it not a fatuous, poorly-contacted waste of money done in a rush for political preening purposes?

My view about the unsophisticated moderation processes comes from discussing in some detail how Patient Opinion handles a whole range of issues, compared to the minimal requirements of the Healthy Choices tender. It may need to be updated.

If you are an official/company spokesman hiding behind the cloak of being Mr Anon perhaps you might explain in fuller detail how you now handle moderation. Which company does it? What do you do about malpractice allegations? What is the copyright position on comments, and who controls what use can be made of them?

The reason I’m irritable about this is that having worked out that such feedback systems are necesary abd desirable (see IdealGov c 2005) – subject to the crucial quality of their being independent – and having found Patient Opinion that provides this service in an exemplary manner I’m vexed that the controllist D’oH! should ladle out taxpayers money to some profitmaking outfit that replicates the feedback functions of an exemplary independent service by favouring its own (I was going to say feeding its own poodle…you know what I mean).

I’m angry about the waste of my taxpayer’s money. and I’m angry about the political control/bossy editorialising element and loss of independence.

I feel a team of exemplary social entrepreneurs have been kicked in the teeth by the D’oH! with disgraceful attempts at bullying by contractors bidding for the fat pile of government/taxpayer cash.

You’re welcome to tell me it’s otherwise if you know any better. But more details would be good. ou’re perfectly welcome to post articles in your own right, under a pseudonym if you prefer.

You mention that the Choices website is less well moderated than the Patient Opinions site? Do you have any proof to back this up? Choices uses a 3rd party moderation company who specialise in moderation and are experts in this field. They moderate many corporate websites in the UK. Comments are moderated for liability, accuracy and profanity, but other than that users can post whatever they choose and it will make it on to the site. Take a look at some of the comments and you will see that it’s not only good comments that are published.

Going forward there are some very interesting plans afoot for Choices around the voice area. Choices is barely a year old and in that time alot has been acheived. I’d give the Choices team a chance before being too critical.