Here’s a use of technology (including the web) that I like

Just as much fun as filling in those surveys in trashy magazines but it actually tells you something useful - which parties most closely match your views.

Actually it told me something scary - the party that most closely matches my views is UKIP. I need therefore to distrust the methodology, change my views or move - I am not voting for Robert Kilroy-Silk.

Methodology? Being a cynic (although I fight against it) I am obviously wary. It would be easy to set up a site that purported to advise you who you agree with but always came back with the same answer whatever you put in - bit like old Sunday school talks, whatever the question you knew the answer would be Jesus.

I’m not even sure that it would be illegal - advertising standards? The web is pretty hard to regulate even if it was deemed illegal. What is a bit worrying is that at first glance some parties seemed way out of my line but looking at the actual results 5 parties were within 4 points (6%) of each other with one (UKIP!?!!) a few ahead and one several behind. As ever, although figures don’t lie the way we present them makes a hell of a difference.

So will I change my views? Now this is where it is interesting, because to do the survey I had to consider various issues and having got the results I am re-evaluating my views - wow, actually thinking about EU issues! I might do the survey a few times, see what I have to compromise on to get a candidate I like and then go with that.