Stop trying to save the world

TP: Wither the Information Society?
Governments Online

The notion of an information society is more than just simple rhetoric or an issue discussed at a conference. In Europe, the public services on offer — and not simply how many people shop online — is one indication of the nature and extent of the concept. Unfortunately, as with the WSIS, appearance is not a true reflection of reality.

According to a recent [extern] survey looking into the provision of public services online, EU member states are gradually moving more public services on to the Internet. Still, the report admits that with only 40% of these services fully transactional, there is some way to go before Europe has a high level of genuine online functionality.

But, as is often the case, content has been sacrificed for the sake of presentation. Greater progress has been made in the level of online sophistication of Internet-based services than in providing services which are fully functional. Moreover, differences exist depending on who the services cater to. Services targeted at business are more advanced than those aimed at citizens, both in terms of sophistication and full online functionality. In addition, over twice as many public services are fully available for businesses (58%) than for citizens (27%). Ironically, one of the main points of focus for the EU was to make sure that the information society doesn’t become a two-tier information society.

It goes without saying that money lies at the heart of the information society in Europe, not only in terms of e-commerce but also the services provided by public authorities. Hence, income generating services, such as tax collection, are the most commonly available on the Internet in Europe. One of the public services least widely available online is for businesses to make social contribution payments for employees — yet the report stresses that this is partly because this service is only relevant in some member states.

Other variations in service availability show that statistical data submission is much more likely to function on the Internet than is car registration, or change of address notification. Job search services are particularly likely to be fully functional online.

Contrary to what some might think, comparisons between old and new member states don’t show that much of a discrepancy. The situation of the ten new member states is considered satisfactory and corresponds, on average, to where the EU-15 were two years ago. Estonia is already ahead of all but the leading established member states.

Overall, Sweden and Austria are seen as the best performers, both in terms of sophistication and full service availability. Sweden has moved from having 28% of public services fully available online in 2001 to 74% by October 2004. Austria, in the same period, increased from 15% to 72%. In contrast, during those same years, Portugal went from 32% to just 40% and, in the process, dropped from being one of the top performing nations to near the bottom of the list. The countries with the lowest scores are Latvia and Poland, with Luxembourg scoring the lowest amongst the EU-15.

Key findings

* Denmark takes first place; Scandinavia claims four of top five spots
* Singapore makes leap to 7th place, leads in Asia-Pacific region
* Early Internet adopters, including the US and Australia, trail in broadband uptake
* EU accession countries poised to make quick advances
* Developing countries leverage e-assets to competitive advantage

Global prospects for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry look sprightlier than they have for a while. Enterprises are taking advantage of Internet protocol-based services, mobile-phone usage is mushrooming in developing and developed economies alike, and broadband is taking off. But despite the proliferation of cheaper, more reliable technologies, the global e-business environment remains uneven, according to the 2004 edition of the Economist Intelligence Unit e-readiness rankings,conducted in co-operation with IBM’s Institute for Business Value. (See table below or visit eb.eiu.com/err2004 to download a free report of the rankings.) Countries that are able to coordinate development programmes across different agencies and learn from global best practices will make swifter advances, the report concludes.

Since 2000, the Economist Intelligence Unit has published an annual e-readiness ranking of the world’s 60 largest economies. A country’s “e-readiness” is a measure of its e-business environment, a collection of factors that indicate how amenable a market is to Internet-based opportunities. We have made two additions to this year’s ranking: broadband penetration as a scored criterion; and in recognition of the European Union’s eastward expansion, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia have been added to the four accession countries already in the annual ranking (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia).

The Economist Intelligence Unit developed the criteria for the e-readiness rankings with IBM Institute for Business Value. “Economic development is largely predicated on the effective and innovative use of technology,” said Peter Korsten, director, IBM Institute for Business Value. “The e-readiness rankings provide valuable insight into how governments can influence the rate and nature of adoption of technology and applications. Equally, they provide business leaders with information that can help guide decisions on where to invest to grow their companies.”

Among the main conclusions suggested by this year’s rankings:

Scandinavia dominates. Scandinavia—Denmark (in 1st place), Sweden (3rd), Norway (4th) and Finland (5th)—has emerged as the region to beat in our annual rankings, overtaking earlier adopters including the US, Australia and Canada. The UK came second. (In the 2001 rankings, the top four countries were, in order, the US, Australia, the UK and Canada.) What sets Scandinavia apart is the extent to which the Internet has reshaped business transactions, the eagerness with which citizens have incorporated Internet technology into their daily routines, and the extent to which Scandinavian governments have driven development.

Asian contenders step forward. Singapore (7th) has made the greatest advance in this year’s ranking, up five places over last year. Like its neighbours, Hong Kong (9th) and South Korea (14th), Singapore is a world leader in broadband rollout and benefits from strong government-industry cooperation.

Broadband has an impact. To reflect its role as an e-business driver, we have modified our scoring methodology to include broadband penetration, replacing an indicator on fixed-line rental rates. For most countries—particularly the top-ranked ones—the change has had a dampening effect on overall scores, because broadband adoption is still very low. With the exception of Spain (21st) and Israel (22nd), which have excelled on other criteria such as IT investment, the scores for all top 25 countries have slipped, largely due to this change in methodology. In a digital world, new technology will constantly move the goalposts.

Coordination and competition pay off. Governments that coordinate with industry associations, with the ICT service and manufacturing sectors, with local governments, and with other national governments, show that learning from each other and progressing toward common goals is the fastest and cheapest way to e-readiness. The European Union is showing what coordination can accomplish. And for the ever-competitive Asian tigers, observing and emulating best practices in neighbouring countries is standard practice.

EU entrants stand to gain. This year’s EU accession countries—Estonia (26th), the Czech Republic (27th), Hungary (30th), Slovenia (31st), Latvia (34th), Poland (36th), Lithuania (38th) and Slovakia (39th) (as well as Cyrus and Malta, not included in our ranking)—already have decent infrastructure and e-business environments. In Estonia, the majority of Internet users are broadband subscribers, and all public schools have broadband access. These countries will immediately benefit from the EU’s coordinated approach to development.

Developing countries leverage e-assets. Countries that have all Internet enablers working in tandem (complete technology infrastructure, and favourable policy, business and social environments) are the most e-ready. But even where some of these pieces are missing, proactive governments and smart businesses can use the Internet to improve services and create new opportunities. Examples include e-government advances in Mexico (39th) and Romania (50th), and the creation of software and outsourcing niches in India (46th), South Africa (32nd) and Bulgaria (42nd).
Economist Intelligence Unit e-readiness rankings, 2004
2004
e-readiness ranking (of 64) 2003 ranking Country 2004
e-readiness
score (of 10)a 2003 score
1 2 Denmark 8.28 8.45
2 3 (tie) UK 8.27 8.43
3 1 Sweden 8.25 8.67
4 7 Norway 8.11 8.28
5 6 Finland 8.08 8.38
6 3 (tie) US 8.04 8.43
7 12 Singapore 8.02 8.18
8 3 (tie) Netherlands 8.00 8.43
9 10 (tie) Hong Kong 7.97 8.20
10 8 Switzerland 7.96 8.26
11 10 (tie) Canada 7.92 8.20
12 9 Australia 7.88 8.25
13 13 Germany 7.83 8.15
14 16 South Korea 7.73 7.80
15 14 Austria 7.68 8.09
16 15 Ireland 7.45 7.81
17 17 (tie) Belgium 7.41 7.78
18 19 France 7.34 7.76
19 17 (tie) New Zealand 7.33 7.78
20 20 Taiwan 7.32 7.41
21 23 Spain 7.20 7.12
22 25 Israel 7.06 6.96
23 21 Italy 7.05 7.37
24 22 Portugal 7.01 7.18
25 24 Japan 6.86 7.07
26 n/a Estoniab 6.54 n/a
27 (tie) 26 Greece 6.47 6.83
27 (tie) 27 Czech Republic 6.47 6.52
29 28 Chile 6.35 6.33
30 29 Hungary 6.22 6.23
31 n/a Sloveniab 6.06 n/a
32 31 (tie) South Africa 5.79 5.56
33 33 Malaysia 5.61 5.55
34 n/a Latviab 5.60 n/a
35 36 Brazil 5.56 5.25
36 30 Poland 5.41 5.57
37 35 Argentina 5.38 5.41
38 n/a Lithuaniab 5.35 n/a
39 (tie) 34 Slovakia 5.33 5.47
39 (tie) 31 (tie) Mexico 5.33 5.56
41 37 Colombia 4.76 4.86
42 40 Bulgaria 4.71 4.55
43 42 Thailand 4.69 4.22
44 38 Venezuela 4.53 4.75
45 39 Turkey 4.51 4.63
46 46 India 4.45 3.95
47 41 Peru 4.44 4.47
48 45 Saudi Arabia 4.38 4.10
49 47 Philippines 4.35 3.93
50 43 Romania 4.23 4.15
51 51 Egypt 4.08 3.72
52 (tie) 50 China 3.96 3.75
52 (tie) 44 Sri Lanka 3.96 4.13
54 54 Ukraine 3.79 3.28
55 48 Russia 3.74 3.88
56 49 Ecuador 3.70 3.79
57 52 Iran 3.68 3.40
58 55 Nigeria 3.44 3.19
59 53 Indonesia 3.39 3.31
60 56 Vietnam 3.35 2.91
61 58 Algeria 2.63 2.56
62 57 Pakistan 2.61 2.74
63 59 Kazakhstan 2.60 2.52
64 60 Azerbaijan 2.43 2.37
a The tendency of 2004 scores to be lower than 2003 scores is mainly due to a change in our methodology to include broadband penetration, which is still very low in most countries.
b Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia are new to the annual rankings and were not ranked in 2003. The year-on-year drop in rank for countries below these is due largely to the addition of four new competitors.
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit

TeliaSonera mulls moving part of its services to Latvia - Forbes.com
Riga (AFX) TeliaSonera Finland (TSF), part of TeliaSonera is mulling the possibility of temporarily moving part of its data input operations to Latvia, the company said, BNS news agency reported.

Presently, TSF together with Latvia’s Lattelekom fixed-line phone company are working on a pilot project.

Opinions on end of days, ‘Illuminati’ get man fired on Southern Standard
Opinions on end of days, ‘Illuminati’ get man fired

general manager of Knology Inc. fired after he repeatedly appeared in local media espousing his belief in a coming apocalypse and a shadowy, all-powerful secret organization called the “Illuminati.”

John Gilmore, 34, has worked for the West Point, Ga.-based cable television and Internet access provider for the past five years.

In a column published Tuesday in The Knoxville News Sentinel and in subsequent interviews on local television stations, Gilmore said the number 11 holds significance: the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks occurred exactly 11 years after President George H.W. Bush said the words “New World Order” in a speech to Congress………..snip
………….snip
A Knoxville lawyer who specializes in First Amendment issues said any kind of punitive action against someone expressing their opinions has a chilling effect.

“Anytime any action is taken adverse to an individual as a stated or implied consequence of that individual’s expression or statement on a matter of public or general concern, there are First Amendment implications,” Rick Hollow said.

BNL :: Barenaked Ladies Official Website
BARENAKED ON A STICK!
… is a USB flash memory drive containing songs, videos, and exclusive content from the Barenaked Ladies, and will go on sale November 22, 2005! Essential for any BNL fan’s collection, the 128mg USB flash memory drive (about the size of your pinky finger) is a fast and easy way to share music, videos, pictures and other data. It is PC/Mac compatible, re-usable and incredibly low priced at $29.98 (close to the same cost of the device on its own with no special content). It will be available on Amazon.com and Werkshop.com (Nettwerk’s online merchandise store), and will also be sold at all BNL shows this winter.

Ziņas: Apollo
Mācītāju Juri Cālīti izslēdz no baznīcas [277]
«Apollo»
Trešdiena, 16. novembris (2005) 17:08

Par atvērtību un toleranci trešdien Latvijas Evaņģēliski luteriskās baznīcas (LELB) vadība nolēma no baznīcas izslēgt Rīgas Reformātu brāļu evaņģēliski luteriskās draudzes un Anglikāņu Sv. Pestītāja draudzes Rīgā mācītāju, Latvijas Universitātes Teoloģijas fakultātes dekānu Juri Cālīti, kā arī disciplināri sodīja Kursta draudzes mācītāju Vari Bogdānovu, interneta portālu «Apollo» informēja Rīgas Reformātu brāļu evaņģēliski luteriskās draudzes locekle Inese Riežniece.

Baltic Business News - Latvian news

Netrūkst labdaŗu, kas mēģina līdzēt Latvijai un Rīgai atrast savu vietu uz kartes.

DIENAS BIZNESS

Riga port demands guarantees from Tallink
Riga Freeport says that in order to get permission to open the Riga–Stockholm ferry route, Estonian ferry operator Tallink should sign a guarantee on passenger flow for the next five years. Karlis Leiskalns says that Tallink should be interested to carry larger number of passengers since Riga Freeport can offer reduced port fees for lines that carry over 250,000 passengers a year. Tallink has already established a subsidiary in Latvia.

Hawking’s cosmological riff | CNET News.com
—snip—
Time and history
Hawking is the Lucasian professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, a post once held by Sir Isaac Newton. He is known for his contributions to the understanding of quantum theory, black holes and the Big Bang theory of the universe’s origins. Hawking is currently promoting his new book, “A Briefer History of Time,” a follow-up to his best-selling work, “A Brief History of Time.”
“We cannot be sure of the future of the universe: Is inflation the law of nature? Or will the universe eventually collapse again?”
–Hawking

He’s also known for a great sense of humor, which he displayed numerous times throughout the evening. In an introduction, the speaker illustrated his trademark wit by describing a recent interview on “Larry King Live,” during which Hawking was asked what he didn’t understand about the universe. He replied: “Women.”

Transitions Online: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
by Quentin Reed

The regulation of non-commercial TV in the Baltics runs the gamut, from well-designed practices to no regulation at all.

In principle, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania aspire to the European principle of a dual system of public service and private broadcasting. But the experience of the past few years in each country provides a clear illustration of the predicament facing public-service broadcasting across Europe, according to a new report.

The different paths and problems of the three small Baltic countries that have all emerged from a common legacy of Soviet rule illustrate the complexity of the task of establishing a broadcasting system that fulfils a vital role in a democratic society as well as enabling commercial interests to make money. This is the finding of the report issued by the European Union Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP), an arm of the Open Society Institute.

LATVIA LAGS BEHIND

For all their historical and cultural contrasts, the three Baltic states share many common experiences. In addition to the legacy of foreign rule, they all strove for European Union membership, and, in harmonizing their laws and civil services to EU norms, they all satisfied one of the EU’s important conditions: reform of broadcasting and its regulation. All three have established competitive private broadcasting sectors, and, at least in formal terms, a public-service television.

While a market perspective on Baltic broadcasting might focus on issues such as concentration of the commercial television market – all three countries face the dilemma of whether and how to restrict concentration in markets as small as theirs – the most striking aspect of broadcasting in the region is that the transition to public-service broadcasting remains more formal than real. In differing ways and to differing extents, all three countries display a problem common in Central and Eastern Europe – a failure to fully understand the conditions necessary for a well-functioning public-service broadcaster to emerge.

Of the three, Latvia clearly remains the laggard. The broadcasting regulator, the National Radio and Television Council, has from its establishment been composed solely of members of the ruling parties in government, and the council has failed to resist or react to political pressures on the public Latvia Television such as recent demands by the government that television produce special broadcasts sponsored by ministries in order to disseminate information of their choice. The failure to appoint a professional and balanced council has had knock-on effects in other areas, including ties between council members and private broadcasters and the council’s failure to carry out adequate supervision and enforcement of broadcasters’ fulfillment of their legal and license obligations. Currently-proposed draft laws would split regulation between two bodies, and would probably improve the balance within the council; however, general broadcasting policy and regulation – as well as regulation of commercial broadcasting – would be entrusted directly to the culture ministry, with no provisions to ensure independence.

By contrast, Lithuania is at the forefront in terms of regulatory independence. Representatives of professional associations make up the majority of members of the broadcast regulatory body, the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania. The separate body charged specifically with regulating publicly funded Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) comprised members nominated in equal parts by civil-society organizations, parliament (half of whose appointees must be from opposition parties), and the president. In practice, both regulators have shown themselves to be very independent. The last attempt at political interference – in 1997, when the ruling party in parliament tried to replace the LRT’s director general – met with fierce resistance and resulted in a protracted crisis at LRT. Politicians have clearly learned their lesson from that experience. Lithuania’s well-thought-out regulatory structures exist side by side with what may be a unique system of self-regulation that is based on a journalists’ and publishers’ code of ethics and supervised by a Journalistic Ethics Inspector.

Estonia is an interesting case: regulatory independence is not guaranteed by law yet appears to be in place in practice. General broadcasting regulation is the responsibility of the culture ministry, yet there is little evidence of political interference in regulation. The same can be said of the regulatory council of publicly funded Estonian Television, as provisions to ensure representation of all parliamentary parties (five members) along with four specialists have in practice created an independent regulator.

Latvian Seym limited the freedom of street assembly - Politics - REGNUM
Latvian Seym limited the freedom of street assembly

On November 3, Latvian Seym passed the corrections to the “Law on meetings, street processions and pickets”, which severely limits the possibility of their organization and conduction, a REGNUM correspondent informs. Moreover, according to Member of Parliament coalition “ZaPChEL” (Russian abbreviation “For Human rights in united Latvia”) Vladimir Buzayev, this corrections de-facto nullify the article 103 of the Latvian constitution that presumes “state protects the freedom of planned meetings and manifestations”. Buzayev commented the meaning of the corrections: “The main idea is that local administration can forbid or allow every action in 48 hours before the beginning (previously it was 72 hours – REGNUM). So, the possibility to appeal a decision to forbid the action becomes completely impossible. Besides, de-facto all manifestations in the Old City (central part of Riga) are prohibited because of the 50-meter restriction to draw near administrative buildings, the list of which also increased greatly. Moreover, the organizers of a meeting cannot lead pickets by commanding the crowd, even if the time is up and they want to say the meeting to break up.”

According to Buzayev, by the second reading “ZaPChEL had asked Internal Affairs and Justice Ministries to give their conclusions on the corrections, and later representatives of the party distributed them among the deputies. The party proposed to the Seym decline everything that the commission accepted. However, the Seym followed the commission. So now, after that the law has been passed, article 103 of the constitution has de-facto been abolished. According to the articles of the European Convention and Pact of civil and political rights are also de-facto abolished in the Latvian territory.”

“The ruling party made everything for that law to pass before November 18 – Latvian Independence Day – and it reminds me how in 1943 Stalin wanted to takeover Kiev by November 7 – the day of the October revolution anniversary. It has been done with enormous casualties. We also sacrificed everything – democracy, common sense,” said Buzayev.