Updated From the “there but for the grace of God” department comes a new website to find affordable housing in London containing data it shouldn’t.
The URL – homes-uat.london.gov.uk – is a bit of a giveaway. This is probably a user acceptance testing site accidentally made public, complete with test data. But rather than shots of an affordable property, visitors find internet memes.
Where wide-angle shots of cramped flats with strategically cropped damp patches should be, there are images of a British national treasure looking worse for wear, the “tapping head” meme man, a Christmas celebration, and former London Mayor and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The text? “Test Homes for Londoners Home 1” repeated endlessly.
At least there’s no profanity, a common feature of test data. This hack has no stones to throw, having witnessed test data appear before real customers. A scroll through The Register’s Who, Me? column reveals countless similar incidents that expose developer frustration rather than the professionalism sales teams promise clients.
Affordable housing in London has long been a persistent problem, growing thornier in recent years. Many regions worldwide face the same crisis as property prices increase beyond the means of many ordinary people.
Because of this trend, a website devoted to finding affordable housing is to be applauded, even if it doesn’t tackle root causes. Still, having a furtive-looking Boris Johnson front and center is probably not the intended aesthetic.
The Register contacted the Mayor of London’s Office regarding the meme-laden test data, but we have yet to receive a response. ®
Updated to add at 1446 UTC, January 13
A Greater London Authority (GLA) spokesperson told The Register: “This was a technical error on the test site for the GLA’s Homes for Londoners portal. The page has now been removed and the issue has been resolved.”
