perjantai 1. heinäkuuta 2011

Will portable device be allowed in the Finnish Parliament?

Promoting the information society is not easy. I have been searching for short, crisp and populistic phrases, that tell you in a few words, what the information society is all about and which underline the difficult change we are facing.


One of my most favourite sentences has been (in Finnish) missä "paperi siellä tehotomuus". Translated into English it would be something like "where there is paper, there is inefficiency". The English translation is not as good as the original Finnish. The Finnish wording also points toward the local paper industry, which has been a back bone of the Finnish industry. In recent years the local paper industry has cut about 10 000 jobs and hence underlines the inefficiency of paper.


I have used the phrase to search for new areas where inefficiency might be found. It is surprising that shops still give you a paper receipt and there is no way to get the receipt electronically. Most tickets remain in paper format, although an electronic ticket would be very convenient, when filing ones travel expenses.


Every now and then I come up with real surprises. Todays Helsingin Sanomat (1.7.2011) pointed out that in the Finnish Parliament the members of parliament can not use their lap top computers whilst Parliament is in session. Paper is allowed and mobile phone are allowed. The distinction between a smartphone and a portable computer is already difficult.


Oras Tynkkynen, a member of the green party, recently brought an IPad into the main session room. When looking at the stacks of paper members of parliament bring into the main session room, its is rediculous - as well as - totally inefficient -, that they can not bring a computer into the room. IPads and other portable devices have the potential of replacing these stacks of paper and thus introducing at least some inefficiency.


It will be interesting to see, whether all computers will remain under ban. If the IPad is not allowed and the Nokia smart phone is allowed, we will be facing an interesting discussion....


My assumption is, that we will soon see computers and similar devices in the main sesion room. The next interesting question is what will the members of parliament start to do with their intelligent portable devices.

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