Thoughts about the 2009-10 Hong Kong budget website

While looking at Hong Kong’s so-called interactive platform for the Budget Speech 2009-10, TG feels a bit disappointed. The website is far too simple and can hardly see any interactivity. In our last post – A New Era, A New Look, we found that the Whitehouse is using blog and other social media tools to channel its policy, Mr Tsang is still counting on traditional media channels to present his idea and interface with users.

TG is curious about the click-through or download rates of the big comic book embedded in the site. The comic book is indeed not a bad concept as it may initially draw the idea from Google Chrome and the author is amongst the top in Hong Kong comic book industry. His drawing skill is affirmative!

Nonetheless, as a user, TG feels it fails to become a “WOW” statement, it’s painstaking to flick over the comic book online; downloading its pdf format and viewing it on the screen is a poor user experience either. Overall, TG feels sorry to say that it does not engage users.

It may be better to package it as an offline collateral material and at the same time, highlight the main point with a screenshot online. One single image may worth thousand words. This is particularly true to the majority of internet users who will leave a site unless it captures their attention in the first 5 to 10 seconds.

Our Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah is to deliver his fiscal plan 2009-2010 in the legislature tomorrow to sustain the SAR’s economic growth and employment rates amid the bleak financial environment.

It won’t be in Mr Tsang’s “To-do” list in his budget speech tomorrow, TG is quite sure about it.

It happens to follow the same pattern again and again: IT professional staff are among the first batch of employees who got sacked during economic crisis!! While our Financial Secretary told us not to expect freebies, would he please reconsider a long term plan for our industry? Woud he spoon out some sweeteners? Would our government take the lead to revive our stagnant IT and media industry?

Perhaps we need something more than a free hug or a few kind words, TG is hoping to see Mr Tsang to be Totoro bringing his Catbus, giving us some support in the near future. Yes, Neighour, we need your help!!

John Tsang be my Neighbour Totoro