Comments on a strategy to give and get information from the public

I'll give more details in a subsequent postings. This posting is about an overview of my strategy:

Requirements:

• Cost nothing

• Is part of getting information out

• Allows anyone with a computer and internet access to provide advisory feedback

• Limit “votes” to registered voters only (assures the respondent is a Cowlitz person)

• Resistant to abuse (one vote per registered voter)

Solution: Use Google forms to produce the poll. Sorry, but I could not find any easier mechanism than this one.

• It requires that the respondent get a google account. Below are snippets from an internet search. “A Google Account is a user account that provides access to Google services such as Blogger, YouTube, and Google Groups. A Google Account is required for the use of Gmail, but account holders are not required to use Gmail and it is possible to create a Google Account without Gmail.” “To create a Google Account, go to the Create your Google Account page. You can also select the Create account link beneath the sign in box in the middle of any Google sign-in page. If you've signed in to any Google product before (like Gmail, Google+ or YouTube), you already have a Google Account.”

• Requires knowing email address conventions: Anyone who has an email address knows the basic convention, and many know that along with the email address can be a name. The convention is as follows: Arne Mortensen (or any free text) <dracjm48@gmail.com>

How will the poll be used? It will be used for advisory purposes only. It is not official; it is not a county function; it automates the effort that I would have to do to talk to each person ... this way I can "talk" to many people.