Talk:Business Link

Date of demise
The following comments were added to the article a few hours ago by David Moss. I'll move the added text here. --Wire723 (talk) 13:51, 12 November 2021 (UTC)

The claim that Directgov and Business Link were replaced in October 2012 is misleading. According to the UK national archives, jobseekers were using Directgov's JobSearch facility as late as 11 March 2018 and employers were using Business Link's JobVacancies facility as late as 11 August 2016. The earliest entry for DWP's FindAJob replacement is 12 October 2018, six years after Directgov and Business Link are supposed to have been replaced.

It's not just JobSearch that carried on long after 2012. The national archive records Directgov's application for a Blue Badge facility as late as 2018 and Business Link's ContractsFinder facility as late as 2015.

It is untenable to claim that Directgov and Business Link were replaced in any meaningful way in October 2012.

Why have you moved this text? Do you disagree with it? If so, why? On what basis? — Preceding unsigned comment added by David Moss (talk • contribs) 14:44, 12 November 2021 (UTC)


 * Thanks for pointing out these defects in the article. This is the right place note them. The next step is for someone to review your comments and make any necessary changes to the article. Wire723 (talk) 17:46, 12 November 2021 (UTC)

Thank you for your response. Who is "someone"? Could it be me?Brother Big (talk) 10:32, 13 November 2021 (UTC)


 * I'll work on it in a day or two if no-one else comes forward. You are not best placed since you have strong feelings on the matter. Wikipedia strives to keep a reputation for objectivity and neutrality, therefore articles are best written/updated by people who are not closely connected to the topic. Wire723 (talk) 13:55, 13 November 2021 (UTC)

It is of course a shared desire for objectivity that makes me want to correct this extraordinarily misleading sentence: "The online portal was replaced (along with Directgov) by the Gov.uk website on 17 October 2012, although the telephone helpline was retained".

Something like: "www.gov.uk replaced the front end www.businesslink.gov.uk and www.direct.gov.uk in October 2012. It took between two and six years of hard work to replace the central government on-line services websites behind them, like the Contracts Finder facility and the most popular facility of all, Universal JobSearch."? Brother Big (talk) 12:21, 14 November 2021 (UTC) Brother Big (talk) 12:23, 14 November 2021 (UTC)


 * I updated Directgov where you raised the same issue. Thanks for finding the National Archives evidence – I used 2 as sources. Hope to work on Business Link tomorrow. --Wire723 (talk) 19:16, 18 November 2021 (UTC)

Chapeau bas for your work on Directgov. Look forward to the Business Link update. Brother Big (talk) 18:15, 19 November 2021 (UTC)


 * Thanks. I cleaned up Business Link and added some details, then a bit about the continuation of services beyond 2012 using another two of the archive sources you found. Wire723 (talk) 19:23, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

Good cleanup on Business Link. The government web archives are an important source. Brother Big (talk) 17:46, 21 November 2021 (UTC)

Here's a nugget on the National Archives – DWP took out a 40-month contract in September 2012 to run the job search facility on Directgov and Business Link, https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20190110183442/https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive/contract/739032/ Brother Big (talk) 12:36, 22 November 2021 (UTC)