Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2001/08/10/oftel_gets_touchy_feely/

Oftel gets touchy feely

Won't make any difference though

By Kieren McCarthy

Posted in Networks, 10th August 2001 15:32 GMT

In its crusade to become the most loved UK watchdog, Oftel has taken touchy feely to new lengths. In a new set of guidelines, the winged watchdog (which should be checking up on the telecoms sector) plans to spend so much time asking us, the public, what we think that it will hardly have any time to do any enforcing.

It won't of course. The watchdog is terrified of asking people's opinions in case they get angry and ask it to actually do something. And you know how angry BT gets if you try to make it do something it doesn't want to. Still, be nice to be asked won't it?

Well, no, not really. There's little more irritating that being asked for your views as if they matter and then find them disregarded as soon as they don't fit in with what people want to hear. The whole piece - which can be read in its entirety here - reads like an essay by a sociology teacher gone soft.

You may disagree, you may think that this is great and more public involvement in quangos is exactly what we need in this country. We would argue that Oftel should learn how to do its job first and then worry about whether we love it or not. ®

Related Link

Oftel tells us how much it loves us