E-voting reality or dream ??

The Government had great reasons for wanting to introduce electronic voting. Their logic was that e-voting would: create flexibility and speed in the voting and counting processes, provision of a higher level of service and more democratic outcomes. However, it hasn`t worked out that way. This idea of evoting has ended up being nothing but an expensive burden on the tax payer. The life cycle of the e-voting system is something like this:

• examined and proposed in 1998
  
• first procurement roundin 1999
• trials in 2002
• scheduled to be launched in June 2004
• abandoned in May 2004

It is estimated that €52million was spent on the voting machines,and the annual cost of storing the new machinery is €700,000. That means to this day the total cost of the machinery by the end of this year is €55.5 million, of the tax payers money. Alot of money and nothing to show for it. With our current economic position I cant help but think this is an in-appropriate way of using our much needed money. However, to make these machines usable it will cost the tax payer a further €28 million. Are we stuck in a bit of a black hole ? It wastes money to have them obsolete, but costs even more money to make them suitable. I think the e-voting was more of a dream then reality. Before spending hard earned and much needed money it should have been checked thet these machines were fool proof, or a least a good investment for our country rather than an expensive lesson. Don`t get me wrong the idea was great, but I cant help but think next time we should crawl before we run. We should wait for technology to be sufficiently advanced to guarntee much needed security before diving in and spending millions.

eGovernment

eGovernment is the use of information and communication technology to improve government services, transactions and interactions with citizens business mand other forms of government.

The benefits of eGovernment ??
There are a few benefits of eGovernment, some of which are: efficiency, improved services , better accessability of services and more transparency and accountability.
Democratization
Through the internet people from all around the country can make their voices heard. Blogging will allow the politicians to see the views of the people they are representing. Chat rooms and interactive surveys will allow the people to have a direct impact on their government. This also helps the people determine who to vote for. These technologies create a transparent government.

I believe the politicians having contact with the people they represent can only lead to good things. By interacting with them and learning from their needs and views they can work together to make the best of every situation that comes up. This way the best solutions will be reached both for the people and the country.

However with benefits comes risks!
Does everybody have the same chance of benefiting from this eGovernment? People would argue that not everybody can avail of this service. Today there are still a number of homes which are located in remote areas where web access isn`t as available as in would be in the cities. As well as that, do older people have the knowledge of the internet which would be needed to benefit from eGovernment? This already leads to two minority groups not being able to benefit from the eGovernment. Their voices aren`t heard as easily as others.

Although the government having contact with the people is great for the country you have to remember the groups who arent as easily connected.

Ecommerce and everyday tasks (eRetailing)

Ecommerce has come a long way in recent times. It is a service that is continuously growing. It has changed many every day tasks for people. Simple things like grocery shopping, clothes shopping, paying bills, booking flights can all be done from the comfort of your own home.
People find that shopping online is better than going into town or a shopping center, looking for parking, standing in queues, or being in an overcrowded place. Almost every shop has some sort of website set up where you can purchase their products, some might say there is even a wider selection due to overseas shops having delivery services and online ordering services. There are even websites dedicated to finding the perfect gift for someone which would save hours of traipsing through shop after shop and having no idea of what to buy.
Banks now offer an online paying system where you can view your account balances or pay bills without going to the bank. These services benefit people who work long or unsociable hours or who are busy looking after their children. They no longer have to worry about closing times. They can order their grocerys or other products from the comfort of their sitting room and have them delivered to their door.

ecommerce

ecommerce is a subset of an overall e-business strategy. E-commerce looks to add revenue streams using the World Wide Web or the to build and enhance relationships with clients and to improve efficiency . Often, e-commerce involves the application of knowledge management systems. It consists of buying and selling over an eletronic system. The amount that has been traded electronically has rapidly grown due to wide-spread internet usage.