UK Government's Payment Infrastructure Is Now Open Source

Post by toyg » Tue, Aug 22, 2017, 9:50 AM UTC

Nursie wrote: post #8

Still got Google Analytics on the page. I do not feel that reporting every online interaction I have with my government in the UK, back to a huge corporate in the US, is in any way appropriate. But I can't even get anyone to engage on the issue. When I tried to raise it I got directed to a helpdesk ticket on a site run by an SV helpdesk-as-a-service company. I appreciate that gov.uk have done some great stuff getting…

Post by coffeedoughnuts » Tue, Aug 22, 2017, 10:05 AM UTC

nepotism2018 wrote: post #13

"Most people have to pay government money at some point or another"...its sad that this is a given now

Post by splike » Tue, Aug 22, 2017, 10:06 AM UTC

robin_reala wrote: post #11

Nursie wrote: post #8

Still got Google Analytics on the page. I do not feel that reporting every online interaction I have with my government in the UK, back to a huge corporate in the US, is in any way appropriate. But I can't even get anyone to engage on the issue. When I tried to raise it I got directed to a helpdesk ticket on a site run by an SV helpdesk-as-a-service company. I appreciate that gov.uk have done some great stuff getting…

GDS’s GA Premium account contractually prevents Google from investigating the data, and Google self-anonymises with a flag in their API[1]. If you don’t trust them then that’s fine, but for functionality vs cost it seems to be the best option. For what it’s worth, for extremely sensitive projects like GOV.UK Verify other options are fine; Verify uses a local Piwik instance. You’re also welcome to block that specific…

Post by joelanman » Tue, Aug 22, 2017, 10:08 AM UTC

splike wrote: post #16

robin_reala wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GDS’s GA Premium account contractually prevents Google from investigating the data, and Google self-anonymises with a flag in their API[1]. If you don’t trust them then that’s fine, but for functionality vs cost it seems to be the best option. For what it’s worth, for extremely sensitive projects like GOV.UK Verify other options are fine; Verify uses a local Piwik instance. You’re also welcome to block that specific…

It's nice that Verify uses an internal analytics system, but the whole point of Verify is to outsource identifying people to private companies.

Post by Angostura » Tue, Aug 22, 2017, 10:13 AM UTC

duncan_bayne wrote: post #19

coffeedoughnuts wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it sad? I'm quite proud to pay taxes of many different kinds, and I think that the (admittedly quite imperfect) tax system is necessary to a functioning society. I'd also mention that it's been part of British society since the Roman occupation, so not sure when in time you allude to with your comment but if you're sad about it I suggest investigating a move to one of the functional libertarian nations with no tax…

sigh ... do we really have to trot out the Somalia straw man every time someone criticises either compulsory taxation or socialism? Yes, taxation is necessary for a civilised society. No, it doesn't have to be compulsory, and no, it doesn't have to fund socialism.