AlanBarber.Org
Monday, July 07, 2003
being wired is a human right?
I saw this article at CS Monitor and just had to post it! The little country of Estonia has declared that internet access is a basic human right in the 21st century.
"Some people still think of Internet access as a luxury," explains Kuut, whose company, Vemis, works extensively in rural areas. "But 10 years ago, most people in Estonia looked at hot, running water as a luxury, and nobody would think that today." Actually they declared this back in 2000 but that's a moot point.
This is probably my favorite part of the article:
"Inside Tallinn's medieval parliament and prime minister's offices, cabinet ministers and legislators have gone completely virtual, conducting meetings, votes, and document reviews on their networked flat-screen computers.
'We're the first paperless government,' says former Prime Minister Mart Laar, from the entrance to the courtyard of his old office. 'Journalists have compared [the building] to the Starship Enterprise, and it's true,' he adds, beaming with pride."
I just find it amazing how this little country can be so tech savvy. This is exactly what I wish the United States will do. Just think if our government went paperless. Right now you should see the amount of paper they go through daily, it's obscene! Plus take into account how slow the legislative process is. If they went virtual I bet the turnaround time from a bills creation to voting on it could be cut in half.
So who guessed Estonia of all places would be the country to finally get it and understand the communication for all citizens is important. I really believe depending on private companies to wire the nation will ultimately fail. It will take the government to decide that everyone deserves cheap fast network access and then fund a massive project to make it happen.
Thank you Estonia you have inspired me!
