Xtra News Community 2
March 30, 2024, 02:34:48 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Welcome to Xtra News Community 2 — please also join our XNC2-BACKUP-GROUP.
 
  Home Help Arcade Gallery Links BITEBACK! XNC2-BACKUP-GROUP Staff List Login Register  

Poor review for $5m govt website

Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Poor review for $5m govt website  (Read 769 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
DazzaMc
Don't give me Karma!
Moderator
Absolutely Fabulously Incredibly Shit-Hot Member
*
Posts: 5557


« on: April 20, 2009, 10:22:53 am »

A $5 million government website designed to encourage healthy living among children has been criticised for failing to help those who need it most.

http://www.mission-on.co.nz

The Mission-On website was developed by Sport and Recreation NZ to promote physical activity and healthy eating to children aged five to 12.

But a report by independent research firm Synovate says poor usability and game quality mean as many as 20 per cent of children are turned off by the site.
"The site is having the least effect on those who need it most. It is those children who are too involved in the internet, who have high standards for online activities and reject Mission-On as an uncool website they don't really like."

Those children found the site confusing to navigate and its games unexciting, according to the report.
"A review of the free online games sites that children play on reveals that the Mission-On games omit most of the 'standard features' of popular online games.
"These competing games are simple Flash-based games, not the likes of PlayStation or X-Box."

The reported transfer of ideas from the website to real life was low. "More emphasis is needed to get website users to try activities or dietary changes offline."
Sports Minister Murray McCully is reviewing the future of the website as part of a review of the larger Mission-On campaign.
Members of the government administration select committee have raised concerns that the "large amount of money" invested in the website could have gone towards sports equipment for schools and clubs.
But Sparc spokesman Andy Millard says funding for the site came from the $67m committed to the entire Mission-On campaign by the previous Government and had to be returned to the government if it wasn't spent.

The use of Flash meant the website had to compromise on navigation.
"That technology is still pretty new and we had a few issues. But I agree we do need to make it easier for kids."
Mission-On was not designed to be an action-packed games site, he says.

"Our games are appropriate to the message we're trying to get across. We want kids to have fun on the site and then get off it."
Those who dislike the site could still benefit down the track, he says.

"It would be interesting to ask in five to six years time if they have a more active lifestyle or better nutrition because they're old enough to realise the benefit of the information they've already learnt."
The report reveals those children who use the site enjoy it, Mr Millard says.

"With them it rates off the charts. But we also wanted Synovate to give us clear direction about where the website needs to improve."
The website has about 27,000 registered users.

The report found users tended to be girls in provincial New Zealand aged 10 to 12 years, who liked creating their own characters and earning points, prizes and medals on the site.
Mr Millard says Sparc had planned to develop two other websites for youth but decided teenagers and young adults could best be reached through existing social networking sites.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2346535/Poor-review-for-5m-govt-website



http://www.mission-on.co.nz

$5 Million Dollars?!?

WTF!!!!


Report Spam   Logged

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Magoo
Guest
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2009, 07:14:06 pm »

 Roll Eyes  You got to wonder about the decision makers sometimes. 
Report Spam   Logged
DazzaMc
Don't give me Karma!
Moderator
Absolutely Fabulously Incredibly Shit-Hot Member
*
Posts: 5557


« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2009, 07:19:52 pm »

I reckon - $5 Mil for that site....  that's crazy!

 Huh
Report Spam   Logged

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
DazzaMc
Don't give me Karma!
Moderator
Absolutely Fabulously Incredibly Shit-Hot Member
*
Posts: 5557


« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2009, 07:20:18 pm »

Wish I had of won that contract.. lol...
 Smiley
Report Spam   Logged

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.

Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Open XNC2 Smileys
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum


Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy
Page created in 0.047 seconds with 15 queries.