Singtel used to print a phone book containing the telephone numbers of subscribers arranged in alphabetical order. The first 50 to 100 pages of the phone book described their various types of services, and can be searched by an index. Although the phone book is still available, it is used less frequently now.
Although the information in the phone book is volumnous, it is quite easy to search for the right page using the index. It is also easy to read the page of information.
When Singtel moves the information to its website, it changed the format and introduced the spider web. It now requires many mouse clicks to find the right page. Consumres find it difficult to figure out where to click. They usually need a staff to guide them.
This same pattern is adopted by the website of most large organisations. It is not natural to the user and causes a lot of difficulty.
My prototype website is designed to overcome this problem. It allows an organisation to store information for the public in various documents (in PDF format) that can b searched easily by the Title (partially or in full) or by a listing of all titles in the Category. It will be quite easy to read the document.
I hope that most organisations will consider to build a second website, based on my prototype. The cost is quite low. The second website can run with the main website for 6 to 12 months, to gauge the response of the consumers or the public.
Tan Kin Lian
Sunday, July 11, 2010
RSS Feed
Regular visitors can add my blog to the RSS feed on your browser. This will allow you to keep track of new postings to my blog.
A reader wanted to have a feature to keep track of comments posted in my blog. I do not know how to enable this feature. Can someone guide me?
Answer:
For readers who wish to follow the comments in my blog, you can save this link in your browser:
http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default
A reader wanted to have a feature to keep track of comments posted in my blog. I do not know how to enable this feature. Can someone guide me?
Answer:
For readers who wish to follow the comments in my blog, you can save this link in your browser:
http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default
MAS reply to my suggestion on cheques
Why it's not feasible to ditch cheques
I REFER to Mr Tan Kin Lian's letter ('Cheques are cumbersome and redundant; July 3).
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) agrees that the use of cheques is less efficient than electronic means of payment ('Cheques are cumbersome and redundant', July 3). However, any effort to deter the use of cheques is likely to involve customers paying high cheque charges. Careful consideration has to be given to the needs of different segments of consumers and businesses.
MAS has been working with the industry to facilitate the development and use of alternative forms of payment like eGiro, Internet banking and kiosks, such as AXS and SAM.
Cheque usage in Singapore has declined by 9 per cent over the last five years while the use of eGiro has increased by 26 per cent, surpassing the volume of cheques cleared last year.
MAS will continue to partner the industry to enhance the electronic payment infrastructure and encourage the greater adoption of more efficient payment modes in Singapore.
Angelina Fernandez
Director (Communications)
Monetary Authority of Singapore
My comments
I did not suggest to ditch away with cheques (words created by the Straits Times). I only suggested that MAS should take the lead to make electronic payment easily, especially for payment to business entities. MAS did not want to call me to clarify my suggestion.
My earlier statement "Many countries have done away with cheques" is probably inaccurate and has been taken off-context by the Straits Times and MAS.
I REFER to Mr Tan Kin Lian's letter ('Cheques are cumbersome and redundant; July 3).
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) agrees that the use of cheques is less efficient than electronic means of payment ('Cheques are cumbersome and redundant', July 3). However, any effort to deter the use of cheques is likely to involve customers paying high cheque charges. Careful consideration has to be given to the needs of different segments of consumers and businesses.
MAS has been working with the industry to facilitate the development and use of alternative forms of payment like eGiro, Internet banking and kiosks, such as AXS and SAM.
Cheque usage in Singapore has declined by 9 per cent over the last five years while the use of eGiro has increased by 26 per cent, surpassing the volume of cheques cleared last year.
MAS will continue to partner the industry to enhance the electronic payment infrastructure and encourage the greater adoption of more efficient payment modes in Singapore.
Angelina Fernandez
Director (Communications)
Monetary Authority of Singapore
My comments
I did not suggest to ditch away with cheques (words created by the Straits Times). I only suggested that MAS should take the lead to make electronic payment easily, especially for payment to business entities. MAS did not want to call me to clarify my suggestion.
My earlier statement "Many countries have done away with cheques" is probably inaccurate and has been taken off-context by the Straits Times and MAS.
New Transport Fares - view by Rex
Is the new transport fare structure really good news to Singaporeans?
Actually those who take feeder services will save quite a bit of money, and also those who do other transfers frequently. Given the large number of flat units in huge towns where feeder services are daily part of travel pattern, it does seem logical that many many commuters will save money with the new structure.
Now why didn't Mrs Lim Hwee Hua et al, bring up this point? Instead, last night (11th July) she repeated the government standard answer: try it over a week before judging. This is plain stupid answer, because if your daily routine costs for the greater part of a week, is higher, for sure over the week the costs will be higher. It is an absolutely stupid, daft logic. Albert Einstein said that if you repeat an experiment with the same setup, you are insane to expect a different result. She is insane!
I think the correct reply to the issue should never have been crafted that way. It insults our intelligence. The correct government reply should be as follows:
The studies show that transfers via feeder services and other transfers form the bulk of commuters travel pattern. Hence we are very confident that majority commuters will benefit. We cannot please everybody under any system and we have always considered that the priority of the fare system should be focussed on benefiting the majority, and that for us is the fairest way to manage the public transport system.
I think the above kind of recommended reply is more honest. You can disagree with the concept (of majority benefit) but at least it is an honest reply to what is happening.
A government must remain honest and not tell lies or give false logic to explain issues.This is a very crucial factor to secure voters' support.
rex
Actually those who take feeder services will save quite a bit of money, and also those who do other transfers frequently. Given the large number of flat units in huge towns where feeder services are daily part of travel pattern, it does seem logical that many many commuters will save money with the new structure.
Now why didn't Mrs Lim Hwee Hua et al, bring up this point? Instead, last night (11th July) she repeated the government standard answer: try it over a week before judging. This is plain stupid answer, because if your daily routine costs for the greater part of a week, is higher, for sure over the week the costs will be higher. It is an absolutely stupid, daft logic. Albert Einstein said that if you repeat an experiment with the same setup, you are insane to expect a different result. She is insane!
I think the correct reply to the issue should never have been crafted that way. It insults our intelligence. The correct government reply should be as follows:
The studies show that transfers via feeder services and other transfers form the bulk of commuters travel pattern. Hence we are very confident that majority commuters will benefit. We cannot please everybody under any system and we have always considered that the priority of the fare system should be focussed on benefiting the majority, and that for us is the fairest way to manage the public transport system.
I think the above kind of recommended reply is more honest. You can disagree with the concept (of majority benefit) but at least it is an honest reply to what is happening.
A government must remain honest and not tell lies or give false logic to explain issues.This is a very crucial factor to secure voters' support.
rex
Survey: TV subscription for the World Cup 2010
Please join this survey.
Interim results, based on 77 replies
38 respondents subscribed for the 2006 World Cup and 11 for the 2010 World Cup. This reflected a drop of 71% in subscription.
Of the 66 who did not subscribe for the 2010 World Cup, 64% said that the price is too high and 56% want to boycott the subscription to show their unhappiness. 24% said that they would have subscribed, if the price is $30 or less.
Clearly, there has been much unhappiness, leading to a significant drop in subscription. I wonder if Singtel and Starhub would be releasing the information on the drop in subscriptions.
Interim results, based on 77 replies
38 respondents subscribed for the 2006 World Cup and 11 for the 2010 World Cup. This reflected a drop of 71% in subscription.
Of the 66 who did not subscribe for the 2010 World Cup, 64% said that the price is too high and 56% want to boycott the subscription to show their unhappiness. 24% said that they would have subscribed, if the price is $30 or less.
Clearly, there has been much unhappiness, leading to a significant drop in subscription. I wonder if Singtel and Starhub would be releasing the information on the drop in subscriptions.
Survey - views of the young
Here are the revised survey results, based on 84 responses, from young Singaporeans, below 30 years.
I am quite well educated ................................................................ 87%
I am willing to be engaged with the community ................................50%
I can get a job easily ......................................................................49%
I am willing to speak my mind ........................................................40%
I am happy with my work environment ...........................................37%
My job pays quite well ...................................................................30%
I can compete easily against foreigners ............................................29%
I am happy with life in Singapore .....................................................29%
I will encourage other Singaporeans to be proud of our country .......29%
I prefer to stay in Singapore (even if I have the chance to emigrate) ..26%
My pay is adequate for the cost of living ......................................... 19%
I have a good future in Singapore ....................................................17%
I find the HDB flat to be affordable .................................................. 7%
My observation
Although the young Singaporeans are quite well educated and can get a job easily, they are unhappy with the pay, work environment, competition with foreigners for jobs, high cost of living and cost of HDB flats.
A small percentage said that HDB flats are affordable (7%), that they have a good future in Singapore (17%), and would prefer to stay in Singapore, even if they have a chance to emigrate (26%).
Earlier, I thought that the young Singaporeans fared better than older workers, but this survey results indicate otherwise. However, the sample size is small and this could reflect the unhappy segment of the young Singaporeans.
Tan Kin Lian
I am quite well educated ................................................................ 87%
I am willing to be engaged with the community ................................50%
I can get a job easily ......................................................................49%
I am willing to speak my mind ........................................................40%
I am happy with my work environment ...........................................37%
My job pays quite well ...................................................................30%
I can compete easily against foreigners ............................................29%
I am happy with life in Singapore .....................................................29%
I will encourage other Singaporeans to be proud of our country .......29%
I prefer to stay in Singapore (even if I have the chance to emigrate) ..26%
My pay is adequate for the cost of living ......................................... 19%
I have a good future in Singapore ....................................................17%
I find the HDB flat to be affordable .................................................. 7%
My observation
Although the young Singaporeans are quite well educated and can get a job easily, they are unhappy with the pay, work environment, competition with foreigners for jobs, high cost of living and cost of HDB flats.
A small percentage said that HDB flats are affordable (7%), that they have a good future in Singapore (17%), and would prefer to stay in Singapore, even if they have a chance to emigrate (26%).
Earlier, I thought that the young Singaporeans fared better than older workers, but this survey results indicate otherwise. However, the sample size is small and this could reflect the unhappy segment of the young Singaporeans.
Tan Kin Lian
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)