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Alexander Zemlianichenko, pool/AP
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Medvedev Tells Russian Government to Go Online or Go Home
July 21, 2008 6:01 AM
by
Liz Colville
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has vowed to eliminate corruption by putting all documents online, but computer literacy among government officials is an obstacle.
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During a nationally televised meeting on July 17, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that government officials need to have good computer skills or they will be out of a job. They “either should learn or, as they say, goodbye. We don't hire people who can’t read and write. Computer literacy today is the same.”
The Associated Press, citing a 2007 report by the Internet research company comScore, writes that “Internet preparation” in Russia is “among the lowest” in Europe, “with only 12 percent of people age 15 or older online.” But that study also found that Russia’s Internet population is growing the most quickly.
Beyond the efficiency and transparency that an “electronic government” would yield, Medvedev said that “[f]ree access to information for our citizens is one of the key benchmarks of the democratic process.”
Medvedev has taken a serious interest in modern communications technology since succeeding Vladimir Putin earlier this year. He has proven to be a fluent Internet user and has even taken to watching the news online.
The Associated Press, citing a 2007 report by the Internet research company comScore, writes that “Internet preparation” in Russia is “among the lowest” in Europe, “with only 12 percent of people age 15 or older online.” But that study also found that Russia’s Internet population is growing the most quickly.
Beyond the efficiency and transparency that an “electronic government” would yield, Medvedev said that “[f]ree access to information for our citizens is one of the key benchmarks of the democratic process.”
Medvedev has taken a serious interest in modern communications technology since succeeding Vladimir Putin earlier this year. He has proven to be a fluent Internet user and has even taken to watching the news online.
Headline Links: ‘Russian leader to officials: go online or lose job’
At the meeting in Russia’s northwestern city of Petrozavodsk, Medvedev added, “Civil servants who don’t have elementary computer skills cannot work effectively.” His belief is that putting all the government’s documents and data online will help promote “transparency” and thus help to eliminate corruption.
Source: MSNBC
Medvedev said that “modern communications technology should become a gateway to democracy in Russia.” The president has shown interest in technology, particularly the Internet, since his appointment earlier this year.
Source: The Moscow Times
Background: Russia’s Internet-savvy president and growing Internet literacy rate
In a press release from comScore, its 2007 study of Internet usage in Europe found that Russia’s Internet usage grew 23 percent from 2006 to 2007. Europe’s overall growth in Internet usage was only five percent.
Source: ComScore
Russia’s Public Opinion Foundation released “The Internet in Russia/Russia on the Internet,” an extensive report on Internet usage in the country, in 2007. The report shows that 18- to 34-year-olds greatly outnumber users 35 and older, and that users with a higher education degree only slightly outnumber those with a secondary degree (39 percent to 33 percent).
Source: The Public Opinion Foundation
Medvedev shocked some of his citizens earlier this year when he “responded to questions that only a true Russian netizen would grasp.” He is familiar with Olbanian, a form of Russian slang popular on the Web, has searched for himself on the country’s version of Classmates.com, turning up 630 people with his name, and in light of his online savvy, has promised to be “Patron of the Runet,” the name given to Russia’s Internet.
Source: The New York Times: The Lede Blog
Key Player: Dmitri Medvedev
An economic liberal, Dmitry Medvedev previously served as chairman of Gazprom, Russia’s enormous state-run gas monopoly. Unlike Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, he was never a member of the Soviet KGB or the Federal Security Service (FSB) that succeeded it.
Source: BBC
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