World e-Democracy Forum

In France, Politest tests individual political positioning

Politest is a French "voting navigator", such as "EuProfiler", awarded by the e-Democracy Forum Award 2009. This online application can determine what parties or political trends are closest. Just answer a dozen questions online or, if you're ready to pay 1.59 € to know, via its iPhone application Politest has been designed by a group of former students of Political sciences, "enthusiasts by politics and concerned about the level of abstention", as they write on their site. By analyzing what makes you feel closest a trend that another, they have developed a political positioning analysis grid that allows you to distinguish between the right and left, as well as most of the parties.

The World e-Democracy Forum becomes World e-Gov Forum

Since its first edition in spring 2000, hundreds of politicians, public and private decision makers, intellectuals, webusers over 70 nationalities gathered at the World e-Democracy Forum in Issy-les-Moulineaux (Paris, France) and discussed issues related to the impact of ICT in public life. Other similar conferences are now organized in Vienna, Berlin, New York, London or Barcelona. All are inspired by the model established by Mayor Santini in Issy-les-Moulineaux. The World e-Democracy Forum is changing its name to become the World e-Gov Forum and have for ambition to be the hub of an annual debate on e-Government tools. Next edition will be held on October 13-15, 2010. 

More than 100' british MPs using Twitter

More than 100 Members of Parliament are using Twitter to communicate with voters, a survey suggests. Tweetminster, which monitors politicians' use of Twitter said more now used it than wrote their own blogs. It found that, of 111 MPs tweeting, 65 were Labor, 23 were Liberal Democrats and 16 were Conservatives, according to an article published on BBC News. Conservatives were "more effective at distributing their message from the top", but "less so" at grassroots level.

E-diplomacy: Online Discussion and Malta Conference (3-4 June 2010)

The Diplo’s E-diplomacy initiative focuses on the Internet and information and communication technology-driven changes in the conduct of diplomacy and international relations. Today, the Internet is used for gathering and sharing information, negotiating, communicating, and other diplomatic functions. Increasingly, diplomatic services use Web 2.0 tools. Some have established virtual embassies. Even "corridor diplomacy" – strongly linked to traditional diplomacy – is increasingly supplemented by SMS and Twitter. The Internet has opened up two-way channels of communication, providing tools that allow individuals and organisations around the world to influence global policy.

Are we going towards an Internet schism?

The French newspaper "Le Monde" has published, last February 19, an interesting article entitled: "China: towards a great schism of the Internet?". Hubert Guillaud, chief editor of InternetActu.net and one of the founders of the French New generalation Internet Foundation, explains how China is changing Internet by creating a new network with a new architecture. With the same ambition than before: to control what chinese people are reading.

The French newspaper "Le Monde" has published, last February 19, an interesting article entitled: "China: towards a great schism of the Internet?". Hubert Guillaud, chief editor of InternetActu.net and one of the founders of the French New generalation Internet Foundation, explains how China is changing Internet by creating a new network with a new architecture. With the same ambition than before: to control what chinese people are reading.

£30 million for digital solidarity in UK

In UK, the Smarter Government report announced, last december, a £30m investment in digital inclusion for UK online centres to get one million people online for the end of 2012. The majority of that funding will go directly to grassroots providers in the form of grants, according to eGovernment Bulletin. The report recognised the potential to reduce the cost of public services and improve customer experience by moving the majority of provision online. It also acknowledged 100% online government had to mean 100% online citizens, and the money was pledged to UK online centres to help get one million people online over the next three years.

Can Internet help to increase voter turnout?

Next 14 and 21 March, French will vote for Regional elections. Few weeks before the election day, many people wonder for who they will vote, and even if they will go to the polling place. If they can bet on results with a website like Predipol, they don't have a French "voting navigator", such as "EuProfiler", awarded by the e-Democracy Forum Award 2009. Its designers had explained how it had been difficult to compile the views of some 300 political parties at European level to help citizens to distinguish the positions. In Germany, voters of North Rhine-Westphalia can use a similar system before their regional election, in May."Wahl-O-Mat" was created in 2002 by the very official "Bundespolitische Zentrale für Bildung".

America's 2020 Broadband vision

In a few weeks, the American Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will unveil its "National Broadband Plan", as it was asked by Barack Obama at the beginning of its mandate. In a post published on "Broadband.Gov" and posted on the White House Blog, the Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski unveils "America's 2020 Broadband vision", qualifying it as "vitally important to America's future" because "leading the world in broadband is leading the world".

Controversy in South-Australia about political Internet comments

Adelaide, Capital of the State of South Australia, is stricken by a controversy during the State election campaign. During an election period, "a person must not publish material consisting of, or containing a commentary on, any candidate or political party, or the issues being submitted to electors, in written form, in a journal published in electronic form on the Internet or by radio or television or broadcast on the Internet, unless the material or the programme in which the material is presented contains a statement of the name and address of a person who takes responsability for the publication of the material".

Internet can be muzzled?

"Virtual walls are cropping up in place of visible walls" said Hillary Clinton, last January 21, in a very important speech on Internet freedom. We can see it every day in Iran, China, Viertnam, Burma and in many countries a spike in threats to the free flow of information. It also happening in Europe, in Belarus, where President Lukashenko has signed a decree regulating the dissemination of information on the, in the context of a tumultuous presidential election, next year.