Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Russia's President: An Avid Blogger

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has had a video blog since the fall of 2008 but as of Monday he has opened his blog up for commentary, according to Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti. His blog had over 3,500 registered users on Tuesday -- but they can be denied access if they use the site for commercial or advertising purposes or use bad words that promote discrimination or hatred. Comments, whose authors must include a screen name as well as their age, education, e-mail and country or region where they live, are edited before being published, the news service reported.

Medvedev had 603 comments on his blog on Thursday evening and 132 in line to be edited. There are 10 employees who handle the traffic on the president's Web site and some of the more interesting comments may be answered by the president himself. The news service notes that Medvedev has promoted the use of computers in Russian schools and he personally has three computer screens on his office desk. In 2008 The Guardian reported that Medvedev told government officials they should either learn how to use a computer or look for new jobs. The publication also reported that Medvedev would like to see increased Internet penetration in Russia and greater government use of the Internet to promote transparency.

Meanwhile in the United States, President-elect Barack Obama has made opening up the government to its citizens through the use of technology a priority for his administration. The "Obama presidency will use cutting-edge technologies to reverse this dynamic, creating a new level of transparency, accountability and participation for America's citizens," according to his Web site. However, the use of new technologies, such as Obama's Blackberry, also pose potential security concerns and it remains to be seen what e-government changes will be made under the new administration. -- Winter Casey