Consultation: sure. Anonymous On-line Opinion seeking: not so much

The Dunedin City Council recently voted, for reasons of cost, to use on-line processes for public consulting on the long-term plan: it's a sign of the increasingly digital times. It's also a reflection that central government is very likely to change the criteria for long term plans and local government expects whatever they are statutorily required to do will change.

However, consultative processes have drawbacks, particularly if anonymous. Beyond disenfranchising those without the means to web access, simple-to-access technology like random IP addresses, free emails and email automation, without checks on identity, can allow a small group of activists to give the appearance of a huge crowd.

Therefore, without on-line proof of ID, on-line consultation about any contentious issues must be regarded as of questionable validity at best. At worst it can be dangerous, as mis- and dis-information get championed as accurate without a check against reality .

So: a logical requirement would be to make the Department of Internal Affairs 'Real Me', or other government ID, mandatory for submitting to on-line consultation. 

Those, however, do come with costs of use and there is a reluctance amongst some on the web to express opinions that are not anonymous.

But that's the thing about participating in democracy: with out positive attribution, do the contributions have value?