Slovaks behind the curve in e-government

Grok Headline matches for Slovaks behind the curve in e-government

Slovaks vote for new president

Slovaks vote for new president 04/17/2004 07:37 AM
Polls open across Slovakia for voters to elect a new president, just two weeks before joining the EU.

Gasparovic Wins as Slovaks Reject
One-Time Pariah

Gasparovic Wins as Slovaks Reject
One-Time Pariah 04/18/2004 07:08 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 18 2004 10:43AM GMT

Slovaks, Czechs Bust Global Prostitution
Ring (Reuters)

Slovaks, Czechs Bust Global Prostitution
Ring (Reuters) 06/23/2004 07:33 AM
Reuters - Czech and Slovak police have charged 25 people with running an internet-based global prostitution ring using 230 women, many of whom were forced into selling their bodies for sex, officials said on Wednesday.

Gasparovic Wins as Slovaks Reject
One-Time Pariah (Reuters)

Gasparovic Wins as Slovaks Reject
One-Time Pariah (Reuters) 04/18/2004 04:30 AM
Reuters - Slovaks rejected a return to power of hardline nationalist former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar in a presidential runoff vote, choosing the more moderate Ivan Gasparovic as the country heads into the European Union.

The Probability Curve

The Probability Curve 03/23/2005 03:49 PM
Did you know that you can be exactly right and still lose money?

ASP.NET Learning Curve

ASP.NET Learning Curve 01/18/2004 08:12 AM

Here is a particularly useful information on ASP.NET: Application Instances, Application Events, and Application State in ASP.NET.  This is the line that surprised me:

The ASP.NET runtime creates as many instances of application classes as needed to process requests simultaneously.  ... Application instances are used in a thread-safe manner, that is, one request at a time.

Gee, thanks for that curve ball.  If you didn't know this before, now you know why application instance variables were behaving weirdly.  Yes, you were sleeping with her twin sister, so to speak.

Here is another one, this time from Dr. GUI: Am I Losing Memory?

A key reason that the Application object exists in ASP.NET is for compatibility with classic ASP code ... consider storing data in static members of the application class rather than in the Application object.

This begs the question “Why limit oneself to 'static members of the application class' instead of just 'static members'?”  That's just a good way to add unnecessary dependencies.

BTW, it's funny how many pure ASP.NET applications are using HttpApplicationState.  Old habits die hard.

Other side of the curve

Other side of the curve 06/28/2004 01:50 AM
USA Today Jun 28 2004 6:19AM GMT

Curve ball

Curve ball 05/19/2004 10:05 PM
Curves gym, with its no-stress workout for exercise-averse women, is the fastest-growing franchise in the U.S. But revelations that its founder gives millions of dollars to antiabortion groups has its customers divided over just what a "female-friendly" business is.

Bell Curve for Doctors

Bell Curve for Doctors 12/27/2004 09:34 PM
Is there a bell curve for doctors? How hard would it be to evaluate the performance of doctors and should this information be publicly accessible?

Curve API 1.0 (Default branch)

Curve API 1.0 (Default branch) 04/03/2005 07:54 AM
Curve API is an implementation of various mathematical curves that define themselves over a set of control points. The curves supported are Bezier, B-Spline, Cardinal Spline, Catmull-Rom Spline, Lagrange, Natural Cubic Spline, and NURBS.

The Bell Curve revisited

The Bell Curve revisited 07/16/2004 05:09 PM

Driving back and forth to Nashua, NH yesterday I listened to The Bell Curve as an abridged book on tape (picked it up for $5 in a used bookstore in San Diego).  This book created quite a stir in 1994 because of its discussion of average IQ differences among races but I had never read it.  It turns out that even if you leave out all the controversial stuff about race the book is potentially very relevant to our times.

The Bell Curve starts out by talking about how we live in an era where people get sorted by cognitive ability into socioeconomic classes.  In 14th century England if you were a peasant with a high IQ or a noble with a low IQ it didn't affect your life, reproductive potential, or income very much.  In our more meritocratic and vastly more sophisticated economy a smart kid from a lower middle class might make it to the top of a big company (cf. Jack Welch, who paid himself $680 million as CEO of GE) or at least into a $300,000/year job as a radiologist.  For the authors of the Bell Curve the increasing disparity in income in the U.S. is primarly due to the fact that employees with high IQs are worth a lot more than employees with low IQs.  They note that we have an incredibly complex legal system and criminal justice system.  So you'd expect people with poor cognitive ability to fail to figure out what is a crime, which crimes are actually likely to be punished, etc., and end up in jail.  (A Google search brought up a report on juvenile justice in North Carolina; the average offender had an IQ of 79.)  If they stay out of jail through dumb (literally) luck, there is no way that they are ever going to be able to start a small business; the legal and administrative hoops through which one must jump in order to employ even one other person are impenetrable obstacles to those with below-average intelligence.

The trend that the decade-old Bell Curve book misses is telecom and outsourcing.  The authors assume that an American with high IQ will have a higher income and better standard of living than an American with low IQ.  That's the sorting function of an advanced economy.  They don't get into the question of whether it is sustainable that an American with low IQ should have a higher income than someone in India or China with a high IQ.  Statistically you'd have to expect that there are more really smart people in India and China than the total population of the U.S.  If the sorting-by-IQ process were efficient across international borders you'd expect that an American with an IQ of 100 should be making less than an Indian with an IQ of 120.  Given that a lot of brilliant well-educated people in India are getting paid less than $5,000 per year, this is a bit worrisome those of us here who are fat, dumb, and happy.  [Imagine that you were running a company.  Would you rather employ a local high school graduate with an IQ of 90 or an Indian college grad with an IQ of 130 via Internet link?]

For us oldsters, one unexpected piece of cheerful news from this book is that younger Americans are getting genetically dumber every year.  Even if you ignore the racial and immigrant angles of the book that created so much controversy back in 1994 it is hard to argue with the authors' assertion that smart women tend to choose higher education and careers rather than cranking out lots of babies.  As a middle-aged (40) guy whose own cognitive abilities are beginning to fade due to neuron death I felt sure that there would be no place me for in the America of 2050.  Our population is predicted to reach 450 million or so, i.e., the same as India had back when we were kids and our mothers told us about this starving and overpopulated country.  An individual person's labor in India has negligible economic value--the American firm Office Tiger gets 1500 applicants, many of whom are very well qualified, on a good day in Chennai.  It would seem that no enterprise would need an old guy's skills in a country of 450 million; why bother when there are so many energetic young people around?  And how would we be able to afford a house or apartment if there are 450 million smart young people out there earning big bucks and putting pressure on real estate prices?  But if the book is right most of those young people will be dumb as bricks.

which side of the Laffer Curve we're on

which side of the Laffer Curve we're on 05/05/2004 02:38 AM
revenues are increasing

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64130-2004May3.htmltrack this site | 4 links

Elliptic Curve Cryptography in Java

Elliptic Curve Cryptography in Java 06/13/2004 03:09 PM
A JECC Revival?

Power Line: Staying Behind the Curve

Power Line: Staying Behind the Curve 09/20/2004 07:07 PM
Powerline wonders if he's the real source .. Still behind the curve .. Powerline

powerlineblog.com/archives/007909.php
track this site | 3 links

Lucky Duck Jasper Curve

Lucky Duck Jasper Curve 06/22/2005 01:57 AM

Noah Acres, the man behind Bigha, who manufactures the unlikely combo of bikes and lasers, has told us he has spun the lasers out into a new company, called Lucky Duck. They've got a new $160 laser, called the 'Curve,' which has not only an ergonomic shape in five colors, but features a built-in chip that keeps the laser tuned as close to the 5mw legal limit as possible, meaning you'll get as bright of a laser as possible for as long as possible.

Just don't shine the Jaspers or Curves into airline pilots' eyes, or you'll be up for 20 years in a Patriot Act violation. For real.

Product Page [LuckyDuck]

Innovation to drive chip performance
curve.

Innovation to drive chip performance
curve. 01/17/2004 10:45 PM
EE Times: Innovation to drive chip performance curve.

BEA: huge adoption curve climbing very
fast for Linux.

BEA: huge adoption curve climbing very
fast for Linux. 03/11/2003 09:43 AM

From Computer World's interview with BEA's CEO Alfred Chuang:

What Linux trends are you seeing with BEA software?

Huge adoption curve climbing very fast for BEA over the last six to nine months. A lot of focus in the financial services marketplace, where there's a lot of experimentation and initial deployment going on with Linux on Intel. And I think the motivation in that arena is simplification and cost reduction, so they are looking to buy significantly less expensive hardware.

What's the breakdown of platforms on which BEA software is running?

About 50% is on Sun, and about 23%, 24% is on Hewlett-Packard. Hewlett-Packard has both Intel and non-Intel platforms in there. And then it drops off pretty quick. IBM hardware, I think, is 5% or 7%. In some countries, we sell a lot of IBM's hardware.

What about the Linux operating system?

Linux is around the 15% to 20% range, which has climbed pretty quickly.

Odd Bytes: Next-Gen April Gags In Steep
Growth Curve

Odd Bytes: Next-Gen April Gags In Steep
Growth Curve 04/02/2005 08:31 PM
Information Week Apr 3 2005 12:41AM GMT

Shark Tank: Mainly we expect you to quit
raising the curve

Shark Tank: Mainly we expect you to quit
raising the curve 05/06/2004 11:22 PM
This pilot fish is hired into a newly created IT position after running his own consulting business for a year. And when the company is looking at a pricey new document system, he suggests a better way.

New HDV Training DVD for Sony FX1 and
Z1U Camcorders Eases the High Def
Learning Curve

New HDV Training DVD for Sony FX1 and
Z1U Camcorders Eases the High Def
Learning Curve 06/06/2005 12:02 AM
The HDV (High Definition Video) format has made the latest generation of new camcorders more complicated to operate. The new training video 'Handson HDV' provides a step-by-step training of the new Sony FX1 and Z1U HDV camcorders. [PRWEB Jun 4, 2005]

Certicom Licenses Intellectual Property
to Research In Motion (RIM) RIM expands
use of Elliptic Curve Cryptogr

Certicom Licenses Intellectual Property
to Research In Motion (RIM) RIM expands
use of Elliptic Curve Cryptogr 05/03/2004 08:02 AM
Stockhouse Canada May 3 2004 11:27AM GMT

EL-1000 Series Thermal Converters
Substantially Reduce AC/DC Transfer
Errors and Produce a Flat Frequency
Response Curve up to 100MHZ

EL-1000 Series Thermal Converters
Substantially Reduce AC/DC Transfer
Errors and Produce a Flat Frequency
Response Curve up to 100MHZ 05/31/2004 02:13 PM
Precision Measurements has just introduced the EL-1000 series of thermal converters manufactured with the company’s most advanced high-accuracy vacuum thermocouple. The design substantially reduces the AC/DC transfer errors. The series EL-1000 thermal converters are designed for measuring AC current and voltages up to 1mhz [PRWEB Apr 15, 2004]

Dubai School of Government launches
first Executive Education Program on
E-Government Leadership

Dubai School of Government launches
first Executive Education Program on
E-Government Leadership 02/07/2005 01:08 AM
AME Info Feb 6 2005 9:47AM GMT

Government of Egypt hosts Microsoft's
Government Leadership Forum for the
region

Government of Egypt hosts Microsoft's
Government Leadership Forum for the
region 01/25/2004 01:52 AM
AME Info Jan 25 2004 5:33AM GMT

74% of government services e-enabled
says Cabinet Office e-Government Unit

74% of government services e-enabled
says Cabinet Office e-Government Unit 08/05/2004 08:47 AM
PublicTechnology.net Aug 5 2004 1:01PM GMT

Linux in Government: The Government Open
Code Collaborative

Linux in Government: The Government Open
Code Collaborative 12/19/2004 03:17 PM
Can a 'gated Open Source community' really work?

Mozambique government successfully
implements e-Government pilot

Mozambique government successfully
implements e-Government pilot 06/22/2005 02:08 AM
Africa Leader Jun 21 2005 8:33PM GMT

InformationWeek > E-Government >
Canada Is Still No. 1 In E-Government
Rankings > May 6, 2004

InformationWeek > E-Government >
Canada Is Still No. 1 In E-Government
Rankings > May 6, 2004 05/09/2004 12:19 AM
Canada Is Still No. 1 In E-GovernmentRanking

informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?arti cleID=20000010
track this site | 4 links

"After coming back from a critical legal
conference, I find that the US
government are going back to spying on
people who disagree with government
policy"

"After coming back from a critical legal
conference, I find that the US
government are going back to spying on
people who disagree with government
policy" 02/10/2004 02:52 AM

30% of all government transactions are
e-government in Canada

30% of all government transactions are
e-government in Canada 04/05/2005 02:19 AM
ZDNet Apr 5 2005 4:39AM GMT

E-government - Electronic Government

E-government - Electronic Government 02/16/2004 05:46 AM
EurActiv.com Feb 16 2004 8:36AM GMT

"RSS in Government"

"RSS in Government" 05/22/2004 02:19 AM

E-government: beyond the UK

E-government: beyond the UK 07/14/2004 08:10 AM
Personal Computer World Jul 14 2004 12:30PM GMT

Did you die on 9/11? If so, the
government would like a word with you.

Did you die on 9/11? If so, the
government would like a word with you. 12/06/2003 03:57 AM
Did you die on 9/11? If so, the government would like a word with you.
A woman whose husband died in the WTC disaster received a letter today from the Department of Commerce, requesting the deceased's assistance with their investigations. Presumably, many of the other victim's families received this letter too.
After all, they *were* witnesses, weren't they?!

12% of Brits use UK e-government

12% of Brits use UK e-government 04/06/2005 02:26 AM
ZDNet Apr 6 2005 5:32AM GMT

E-Government Motivation

E-Government Motivation 01/06/2005 09:12 AM
line56 Jan 6 2005 1:58PM GMT

Government docs on P2P

Government docs on P2P 07/21/2004 04:30 AM
Jeremy sez, "A St. John's University law student created a p2p network allowing users to share government documents. Over 600 court and government documents such as memos, communications and reports can be accessed through the Kazaa, LimeWire and Soulseek p2p networks. The Abu Ghraib prison memos and the Senate Intelligence Committee report on government intelligence leading up to the Iraq War are included. It would be nice to see this collection of useful, informative and sometimes embarrassing documents grow. It might also give Washington more fodder for legal maneuvers against p2p." Link (Thanks, Jeremy!)

UK government down the e-league

UK government down the e-league 05/06/2004 04:42 AM
ZDNet UK May 6 2004 9:27AM GMT

Government to lead the way in IT

Government to lead the way in IT 01/09/2004 09:58 PM
Silicon.com Jan 9 2004 5:09AM ET
Grok Description matches for Slovaks behind the curve in e-government
GrokA matches for Slovaks behind the curve in e-government

Slovaks behind the curve in e-government