The Vanilla Blues News: March 2011

Although it would be nice to be the most connected country in the world, trailing on the list offers some privileges: like being able to study the effects of technology on those nations more connected than us. But it seems a lot of people think this is irrelevant, or won't effect us - or they don't understand it.

1) Since April 2010, Facebook has over 400 million users, with exponentially expanding growth. If facebook were a country, it would be the third most powerful nation in the world, second only to China and India. If Facebook, Google or another prolific website were to purchase the micro nation of the Principality of Sealand, they would instantly and irrefutably, become the largest country by population over the smallest land mass. This would change the way the world works. Think it can't happen? Zuck makes *many* allusions to this in his previous F1 Keynotes, and TPB has tried on numerous occasions to acquire the Principality of Sealand to house it's servers. It's only a matter of time.

If you party is elected, how will it contend with such major changes in the worldwide political landscape? Would Canada endorse UN and EU seats for 'web nations' ?

2) Since December 2008, the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory ruled that Facebook is a valid protocol to serve court notices to defendants. Australia, a commonwealth country, is believed to be the first to define a summons posted on Facebook as legally binding. In March of 2009, the new Zealand High Court associate justice David Glendall allowed for the serving of legal papers via Facebook.

If your party is elected, what reforms will it bring to the justice system to bring it into the 21st century?

3) In South Korea, the nation boasting the highest level of online penetration and speeds up to 200 times faster than the fastest internet available in Canada, kids who spend too much time online are sent to Internet detox boot camp. The government now estimates up to 30 percent of those under 18, or about 2.4 million children, are at risk. To combat the problem the South Korean government offers treatment at roughly 200 counseling centers and hospitals, and has trained more than 1,000 Internet addiction counselors. Of the 2.4 million at risk, 80% become hospitalized and 20% need medication. But South Korea is not alone. China has over 300 treatment centers which trest about 10 million teenagers. In 2007, the government ordered online computer game operators to set up a "game fatigue system" that encourages minors to play less than three hours per day by reducing their points in the game and issuing periodic warnings: "You have entered unhealthy game time, please go offline immediately to rest." This offers us a glimpse of what is coming to Canada within the next 72 months. Pandemic technology addiction will cripple our healthcare system in unimagineable, unfathomable ways.

If your party is elected, what immediate steps will it take to prepare our healthcare system for pandemic technology addiction?

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Friday, March 11, 2011