The Perils of the Internet

Scribbled on 15 March 2008 at 07:36 PM

The caption reads: Helena Jagosz (age 72) collects signatures from friends and neighbours. She is also finding other supporters of our newspaper's initiative on the Internet. This picture appeared in the Polish equivalent of The Sun. Look at the screen closely...

Ah, gotta love our former Prime Minister (the twin brother of our current president), aka Potato Alpha Twin. Answering the question about electronic voting he claimed that it is highly undesirable to let "people who watch pornography and drink beer" defile the ritual of voting. This is his perception of Interet users, and as you can imagine it made the Polish Internet boil with anger. Well I am not angry. This is the best thing that could happen apart from his party losing the last election. With one swift comment the guy alienated half of the country's population (if not more). Soon his party will be thrown into the garbage can of history, where it belongs. But one gotta wonder... This is a guy who never married (or got close), lives with his mother and his cat, doesn't have a bank account, doesn't have a driving license (but states publically that he enjoys riding quads for which a license is required) and never used the Internet. Just who exactly is he supposed to represent?

I would love to see voting over the Internet. regardless if the technical possibilities for it exist today or not. It would increase voter participation and be simply more comfortable. Of course there are risks, the opponents claim that it would encourage illegal influence on voters (as if we don't have it now) and trading votes. I'm sure that the technical advancements will reduce that possibility, but I must say that I don't consider trading votes bad per sé. But that is a topic for another post. Still, I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.

In other news... how could such a comic lover like never have visited Marvel.com? Their website is awesome, with a Wiki and everything! Go check it out.

16 folks have spoken :: post a comment :: link

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Scribbled on 16 March 2008 at 01:50 AM by Chandramoon

I can't really comment on this as I've never heard of the people but hello Moomin Man anyway - how are the piggies?

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Scribbled on 16 March 2008 at 10:00 PM by ben

I can't see what is on the screen.

hehehe

Scribbled on 17 March 2008 at 03:49 PM by CleanNeedles

I believe it the BIOS startup screen but i could be wrong with the angle.

Keep on Smiling :)

EclectaComment

Scribbled on 18 March 2008 at 11:24 AM by Eclectablog

What's on the screen?! What's on the screen?!

..."people who watch pornography and drink beer"...This is his perception of Interet users

*whispers* Luke, I hate to break this to you but it's true, d00d.

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Scribbled on 19 March 2008 at 10:14 PM by bitzky

Chandra: growing fat as always! Soon there will be bacon in the house ;)

Ben: check Needles' comment. No way this granny is surfing the Internet. In fact, her computer is not even booting up :D

Needles: indeed it is! But hey it's a tabloid. No need for technical accuracy, right? :)

E: Err... well yes, arguably. But he said that it is ALL the internauts are doing. Which is clearly wrong. Point is that he is a freakin' Luddite! ;p

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Scribbled on 24 March 2008 at 12:38 AM by pizzofmine

internauts...lol, I have to admit that was some cool definition I've encountered.

arhhh politics (or may I say in this case, polish-tics? j/k 3:p~>), I think they all have a secret motto: if there isn't any, just made it up.

Especially when it's nearing the general election; suddenly there's pictures of candidates visiting the old folks home or orphanage. Posing to the cameras, smiling, while being beside them, seemingly with a caring looking face/gestures. It's all plastics, all the way from the politicians to the miss world competitors. But..the strange thing is, the public bought it!

Either it must be that good or the general public is too stupid.

No wonder there's a saying something like: the people deserve the idiot they vote for.

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Scribbled on 24 March 2008 at 04:54 PM by bitzky

True words, Pizzo. I am still hoping that the public will learn but alas, we keep to repeating the same mistakes all over again.

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Scribbled on 24 March 2008 at 08:11 PM by pizzofmine

the recent general elections in my country went through a shocking result, the current government lost 7 out of 13 states to the opposition party. Perhaps the people are trying to tell something there.

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Scribbled on 24 March 2008 at 08:18 PM by pizzofmine

the recent general election in my country went through a shocking result, the current government lost 7 out of 13 states to the opposition party while they've won 1/3 of the state seats in the previous.

Perhaps the people are trying to tell something there.

Only the question though, if whether when the opposition party finally got the throne if they would be any different or it will be like escaped from the tiger's and into the alligator's mouth as the saying says.

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Scribbled on 25 March 2008 at 02:01 PM by Kazart

You have piggies??

:(

Scribbled on 25 March 2008 at 02:15 PM by CleanNeedles

Alas thats the way modern governments have gone. No longer are they in the business of govewrning they are now in the business of getting re-elected or retsining power. At any cost including at the expense of what is best for the electorate. Secret meetings, infringed upon civil rights, denial of access to information which should be accessible to the public. All in the name of retaining or regaining power.

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Scribbled on 25 March 2008 at 04:54 PM by logis

Voting over the internet is not doingable or everybody must have an electronic password and even then security is troublesome.

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Scribbled on 26 March 2008 at 08:17 PM by bitzky

Pizzo: Exactly. I had very high hopes for the opposition party in Poland but so far they haven't delivered. If they fail there will be no party left that I would identify myself with. Just like in Sweden.

Kazart: Sure have! :)

Needles: Exactly! In economics it is called the Leviathan government theory, where the government is interested in maximizing its own utility instead of the voter's. Check my newest post :)

Logis: Nope, that's true. Not with the current technology anyway. But I don't think that electronic voting is necessary.

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Scribbled on 26 March 2008 at 09:10 PM by Kazart

Would that be guinea pigs or swine?

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Scribbled on 27 March 2008 at 08:40 PM by bitzky

Guinea pigs, of course! :D

Well... unless you count me.. ;)

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Scribbled on 28 March 2008 at 05:08 PM by Kazart

Hehee!

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