Jens Hoff | University of Copenhagen (original) (raw)

Papers by Jens Hoff

The purpose of this paper is to analyse if and how three different green citizen engagement web t... more The purpose of this paper is to analyse if and how three different green citizen engagement web tools create the basis for different levels of environmental citizen participation. This is relevant in both an e-governance context and an environmental policy context, as it is normally assumed that ICT as such can be used to strengthen such participation, without looking neither at the special opportunity structure that the applications offer (their affordance) nor the actual use of the applications. Theoretically, the paper departs from Contextual New Medium Theory. This theory focuses on technological practices, and demonstrates how these are created in interplay between technology, policy ideas and actor skills. Empirically, the paper unfolds as a comparative case study of three different green citizen engagement web tools, chosen due to the differences in their affordance. It is then analyzed whether these differences result in differences in environmental participation. It is conc...

ITA manu:scripts, 2008

This article investigates whether political use of the Internet affects users politically. Using ... more This article investigates whether political use of the Internet affects users politically. Using a combination of log-and survey data from a study of Internet use during the Danish 2007 parliamentary election, and inspired by theories on agenda setting and on the active/interactive user, three hypotheses are tested: 1) that those who use the Internet most intensively politically are also the most politically affected, 2) that "net activists" (web 2.0 users) are affected more by their political Internet use than "information seekers" (web 1.0 users), and 3) that those who are somewhat or little interested in politics are those most affected by their political Internet use in an election period. All three hypotheses are verified with some modifications. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that sociodemographic factors like age, gender, education and income are of little importance in explaining variation in how voters are affected by their political Internet use. Rather, the level and type of political activity on the Internet and political interest seem to be the most important factors in explaining the degree to which voters are politically affected by their Internet use.

Institutional Capacity for Climate Change Response, 2017

All Systems Go: The Change Imperative for Whole System Reform

In her keynote speech, Fraser-Moleketi said: _Out of this process, we trust that a longer-term pa... more In her keynote speech, Fraser-Moleketi said: _Out of this process, we trust that a longer-term partnership will develop and that the award winners will derive benefits beyond just the enjoyment of the recognition that they receive here. The true innovator will never rest, but will always be inspired to look for the next level of engagement._ Awards were presented in four categories. Natalspruit hospital senior physiotherapist, Naumi Mashalane, scooped the Public Sector Innovator of the Year Award for her asthma project. The winner in the category Enhancing Delivery of Services to Citizens was the KwaZulu-Natal-based Centre for Criminal Justice. Their winning project focuses on facilitating access to justice for women and children. Turner and Townsend Africa was declared the winner in the Improving Efficiency of Internal Processes of Public Service Delivery category. They were awarded for their project which reviewed the framework for the implementation of capital investment infrastructure projects. The winner in the Innovative Partnerships in Service Delivery category was Blue IQ, a multi-billion rand initiative of the Gauteng provincial government aimed at growing Gauteng's economy. One of the mandates of the CPSI is to share knowledge and replicate good practice. The CPSI will therefore assist the winners in developing case studies in multi-media formats for dissemination, and will seek opportunities for the projects to form linkages within South Africa and the region, for purposes of knowledge sharing and possibly replication. "There is a growing realisation within the public and private sectors that innovative solutions need to be found to address service delivery challenges that our government is facing. Unearthing innovation aimed at assisting government to improve how it delivers basic services to citizens is at the core of the CPSI's work," said CPSI Executive Director Glenda White. Sponsored by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) and Grintek, the event provided senior government officials and high-ranking business personalities with a networking platform. The CPSI was established in September 2001 and is an initiative of the Minister for Public Service and Administration. It is intended that the Innovation Awards programme will be run annually.

This article investigates whether political use of the Internet affects users politically. Using ... more This article investigates whether political use of the Internet affects users politically. Using a combination of log- and survey data from a study of Internet use during the Danish 2007 parliamentary election, and inspired by theories on agenda setting and on the active/interactive user, three hypotheses are tested: 1) that those who use the Internet most intensively politically are also the most politically affected, 2) that "net activists" (web 2.0 users) are affected more by their political Internet use than "information seekers" (web 1.0 users), and 3) that those who are somewhat or little interested in politics are those most affected by their political Internet use in an election period. All three hypotheses are verified with some modifications. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that socio-demographic factors like age, gender, education and income are of little importance in explaining variation in how voters are affected by their political Internet use. Rat...

The Role of Non-state Actors in the Green Transition, 2019

Denne rapport diskuterer den politiske deltagelse online i forbindelse med valgkampen i 2015. Vi ... more Denne rapport diskuterer den politiske deltagelse online i forbindelse med valgkampen i 2015. Vi saetter 2015-valget i et historisk perspektiv i forhold til tidligere valg. Vi diskuterer mediebrug i valgkampen, generelt og med saerligt henblik på internettet. Vi analyserer politisk deltagelse i valgkampen med vaegt på online aktiviteter, og med et saerligt fokus på sociale medier. Vi berører også befolkningens holdninger til nettet i forhold til andre medier og dets betydning for valgkampe. Endelig diskuterer vi intern og ekstern efficancy i forhold til nettet, dvs. befolkningens oplevelser af effekter i forhold til demokratisk laering og uddannelse og effekten på den politiske dagsorden som sådan. Type af internetbrug: 2007 2011 2015 Jeg har søgt information om partier og deres holdninger 44 34 Jeg har søgt information om kandidater 35 34 Jeg har testet mine politiske holdninger i tests eller quizzer (på TV2.dk, JP.dk eller Politiken.dk f.eks.) 49 46 Jeg har set video med politikere på nettet 17

Resumo. A lógica fuzzy pode ser aplicada na emulação do processo de tomada de decisão humana em m... more Resumo. A lógica fuzzy pode ser aplicada na emulação do processo de tomada de decisão humana em modelagens de sistemas multiagentes. Entretanto estas aplicações se limitam quase que exclusivamente ao contexto acadêmico, enquanto outras formas de utilização da lógica fuzzy já se encontram empregadas efetivamente em aplicações profissionais. Um dos fatores que pode estar contribuindo para isto é a sua velocidade de processamento. Neste trabalho vamos apresentar algumas técnicas que podem ser usadas para se acelerar o tempo de processamento fuzzy. A ideia central está em se captar todo o conhecimento fuzzy de um processamento padrão, e então o simular por outra forma de representação que apresente resultados similares mas que tenha um tempo de processamento computacional muito inferior no caso a Matriz Fuzzy. Um exemplo prático de uma modelagem multiagente no contexto da simulação da evacuação de um ambiente construído será apresentado mostrando a equivalência dos resultados e resultando numa redução no tempo de processamento de cerca de 140 vezes sem perda da precisão dos resultados.

Energy-resolved neutron imaging at a pulsed source utilizes the energy-dependent neutron transmis... more Energy-resolved neutron imaging at a pulsed source utilizes the energy-dependent neutron transmission measured via time-of-flight to extract quantitative information about the internal microstructure of an object. At the RADEN instrument at J-PARC in Japan, we use cutting-edge detectors employing micro-pattern detectors or fast Li-glass scintillators and fast, all-digital data acquisition to perform such measurements, while continuing their development toward better utilization of the intense neutron source. In particular, for the Micro-Pixel Chamber based Neutron Imaging Detector (µNID), a micro-pattern detector with a 400 µm pitch and employing 3 He for neutron conversion, we have successfully improved the spatial resolution from 200 to 100 µm, increased the detection efficiency from 18 to 26% for thermal neutrons, and increased the maximum count rate from 0.4 to 1 Mcps. We are also testing a new readout element with a 215 µm pitch for further improved spatial resolution, and a µNID with boron-based neutron converter for increased rate performance.

Ecological Economics, 2021

Abstract This article analyses why Green National Accounting based on the SEEA system and/or a “G... more Abstract This article analyses why Green National Accounting based on the SEEA system and/or a “Green GDP” have not been seriously integrated in policy making processes, despite the long-standing public concern that economic growth may harm the environment.. Combining a historical institutionalist and a public policy-oriented theoretical approach rooted in Political Science in order to understand this puzzle, we analyse the case of Denmark; a country widely seen as a green front-runner, and therefore a likely candidate for implementing Green National Accounting/a Green GDP in political-administrative decision-making. We identify several barriers that make a transition towards a Green GDP very difficult. However, with the change of government in 2019 a window of opportunity opened, and Denmark now seems to be on its way to introduce green economic models based on green national accounts, and eventually a Green GDP in policy-making; albeit incrementally and in a way that fits existing administrative procedures and existing economic models.

Information Polity, 2004

Members of parliament (MPs) have, like the majority of citizens in the European countries, increa... more Members of parliament (MPs) have, like the majority of citizens in the European countries, increasingly taken up the use of information-and communication technology (ICT) as a part of their everyday work routines: in their information gathering, in dealings with parliamentary and party staff, in contacts with voters and citizens, organised interest groups, the media, etc. This use of ICT is likely to have an effect on both the volume and content of information-and communication flows between the MP and his/her political environment, and possibly also on the different roles of the MP. However now little research has been carried out in this field, and not much is known about the changes that the different uses of ICT have brought about in the work routines, roles, political agenda setting and decision making processes in which MPs are involved. For this reason a group of European researchers under the auspices of COST A14, a European research network on "Government and Democracy in the Information Age" funded by the European Union Cooperation on Science and Technology, 1 decided to undertake a comparative study of the use of ICT by MPs. A common survey questionnaire was developed for surveys including all MPs in the countries, which decided to join the Parliamentary project. These countries were Austria, Norway, Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark, where surveys were done in 2001, followed by Scotland and Germany where surveys were done in 2002. Also, a survey was conducted in Switzerland, using a similar but not identical survey format. In some of the countries a number of follow-up qualitative interviews with MPs were done in order to elaborate on answers and correlations that seemed unclear or contradictory in the survey responses, and to bring in perspectives that might have been neglected in the surveys. Also, attempts were made to have surveys conducted in France and the UK, in order to bring in more of the bigger European countries in the study. Unfortunately, these attempts were unsuccessful. The results of these surveys are presented in the different articles in this volume. In order to bring forward the comparative perspective the results are not presented country by country. Instead the articles are organised thematically, apart from an introductory article by Hoff, Kleinsteuber and Fries giving an overall presentation of research questions, methodology, data and some of the main results. Thus, in the second article, Filzmaier, Stainer-Hämmerle and Snellen elaborate on the institutional framework of the project, spelling out the internal and external factors that could be seen to influence the appropriation of ICTs by MPs. Narrowing the analyses down to a comparison between Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark, different modes of utilisation of ICTs are analysed. It is concluded that the Internet is used more frequently for internal communication (with party and parliamentary staff) than for external communication (with voters, lobby groups, etc.), and that political campaigning and marketing on the Internet is not very common and has a low status, but might be on the rise. Concerning differences between the three countries in the volume and type of ICTs used, such factors as the structure of the 1 COST A14 ran from 1998 to 2003, involved around 70 researchers from 16 different European countries, and was funded by approximately 300.000 Euro.

Information Polity, 2004

This article presents the research questions, research methodology, and some of the major results... more This article presents the research questions, research methodology, and some of the major results of a comparative, survey-based study of the use of ICT by members of parliament in seven European countries. The overall research question is whether ICT is an active driver in changing the role of MPs by strengthening either their delegate or trustee role, or whether we see the contours of a totally new role for MPs in the "information society". Even though the data does not permit a full answer to this question, they allow us to see at least the contours of a new role for the MP in which attention to information flows and the media comes more to the fore, and where ability to influence the political agenda through digital means is crucial. Three other results from the surveys stand out clearly: a) there is a rather clear North-South divide in Europe concerning both what types of ICT are used by MPs, and the extent to which they are used. For MPs from the Northern European countries included in the study ICT has become an indispensable daily tool, while this is less so in the more southern countries, b) in explaining differences and similarities in MPs use of ICT across countries, institutional factors like the organization of work in parliament, and the MPs parliamentary position seem to be the most important, c) MPs ICT competence and ICT experience are more important factors in explaining their attitudes towards the democratic potentials of ICT than more traditional background variables such as gender, age and party affiliation and size.

Information Polity, 2005

Departing from the concept of media citizenship, a concept implying certain personal informationa... more Departing from the concept of media citizenship, a concept implying certain personal informational rights such as the rights to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium without interference and regardless of frontiers (cf. WSIS (UN World Summit on Information Society) declaration on the Information Society), and seeing such rights as a fundamental dimension of democratic citizenship on equal footing with fundamental civil, political and social rights, this essay analyses the extent to which ICT/the Internet in its current form contributes to the realisation of such media citizenship. Through an analysis of recent developments within the copyright protection area and the software patent area, it is demonstrated that these developments constitute a serious undermining of the freedom to seek, receive and impart information on and through the Internet, and thus significantly confines and restricts media citizenship. Furthermore, these developments delegate significant legislative, executive and judicial power to a few international companies and industry organisations, and work to set up especially Microsoft as a decisive political authority in the information society.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse if and how three different green citizen engagement web t... more The purpose of this paper is to analyse if and how three different green citizen engagement web tools create the basis for different levels of environmental citizen participation. This is relevant in both an e-governance context and an environmental policy context, as it is normally assumed that ICT as such can be used to strengthen such participation, without looking neither at the special opportunity structure that the applications offer (their affordance) nor the actual use of the applications. Theoretically, the paper departs from Contextual New Medium Theory. This theory focuses on technological practices, and demonstrates how these are created in interplay between technology, policy ideas and actor skills. Empirically, the paper unfolds as a comparative case study of three different green citizen engagement web tools, chosen due to the differences in their affordance. It is then analyzed whether these differences result in differences in environmental participation. It is conc...

ITA manu:scripts, 2008

This article investigates whether political use of the Internet affects users politically. Using ... more This article investigates whether political use of the Internet affects users politically. Using a combination of log-and survey data from a study of Internet use during the Danish 2007 parliamentary election, and inspired by theories on agenda setting and on the active/interactive user, three hypotheses are tested: 1) that those who use the Internet most intensively politically are also the most politically affected, 2) that "net activists" (web 2.0 users) are affected more by their political Internet use than "information seekers" (web 1.0 users), and 3) that those who are somewhat or little interested in politics are those most affected by their political Internet use in an election period. All three hypotheses are verified with some modifications. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that sociodemographic factors like age, gender, education and income are of little importance in explaining variation in how voters are affected by their political Internet use. Rather, the level and type of political activity on the Internet and political interest seem to be the most important factors in explaining the degree to which voters are politically affected by their Internet use.

Institutional Capacity for Climate Change Response, 2017

All Systems Go: The Change Imperative for Whole System Reform

In her keynote speech, Fraser-Moleketi said: _Out of this process, we trust that a longer-term pa... more In her keynote speech, Fraser-Moleketi said: _Out of this process, we trust that a longer-term partnership will develop and that the award winners will derive benefits beyond just the enjoyment of the recognition that they receive here. The true innovator will never rest, but will always be inspired to look for the next level of engagement._ Awards were presented in four categories. Natalspruit hospital senior physiotherapist, Naumi Mashalane, scooped the Public Sector Innovator of the Year Award for her asthma project. The winner in the category Enhancing Delivery of Services to Citizens was the KwaZulu-Natal-based Centre for Criminal Justice. Their winning project focuses on facilitating access to justice for women and children. Turner and Townsend Africa was declared the winner in the Improving Efficiency of Internal Processes of Public Service Delivery category. They were awarded for their project which reviewed the framework for the implementation of capital investment infrastructure projects. The winner in the Innovative Partnerships in Service Delivery category was Blue IQ, a multi-billion rand initiative of the Gauteng provincial government aimed at growing Gauteng's economy. One of the mandates of the CPSI is to share knowledge and replicate good practice. The CPSI will therefore assist the winners in developing case studies in multi-media formats for dissemination, and will seek opportunities for the projects to form linkages within South Africa and the region, for purposes of knowledge sharing and possibly replication. "There is a growing realisation within the public and private sectors that innovative solutions need to be found to address service delivery challenges that our government is facing. Unearthing innovation aimed at assisting government to improve how it delivers basic services to citizens is at the core of the CPSI's work," said CPSI Executive Director Glenda White. Sponsored by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) and Grintek, the event provided senior government officials and high-ranking business personalities with a networking platform. The CPSI was established in September 2001 and is an initiative of the Minister for Public Service and Administration. It is intended that the Innovation Awards programme will be run annually.

This article investigates whether political use of the Internet affects users politically. Using ... more This article investigates whether political use of the Internet affects users politically. Using a combination of log- and survey data from a study of Internet use during the Danish 2007 parliamentary election, and inspired by theories on agenda setting and on the active/interactive user, three hypotheses are tested: 1) that those who use the Internet most intensively politically are also the most politically affected, 2) that "net activists" (web 2.0 users) are affected more by their political Internet use than "information seekers" (web 1.0 users), and 3) that those who are somewhat or little interested in politics are those most affected by their political Internet use in an election period. All three hypotheses are verified with some modifications. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that socio-demographic factors like age, gender, education and income are of little importance in explaining variation in how voters are affected by their political Internet use. Rat...

The Role of Non-state Actors in the Green Transition, 2019

Denne rapport diskuterer den politiske deltagelse online i forbindelse med valgkampen i 2015. Vi ... more Denne rapport diskuterer den politiske deltagelse online i forbindelse med valgkampen i 2015. Vi saetter 2015-valget i et historisk perspektiv i forhold til tidligere valg. Vi diskuterer mediebrug i valgkampen, generelt og med saerligt henblik på internettet. Vi analyserer politisk deltagelse i valgkampen med vaegt på online aktiviteter, og med et saerligt fokus på sociale medier. Vi berører også befolkningens holdninger til nettet i forhold til andre medier og dets betydning for valgkampe. Endelig diskuterer vi intern og ekstern efficancy i forhold til nettet, dvs. befolkningens oplevelser af effekter i forhold til demokratisk laering og uddannelse og effekten på den politiske dagsorden som sådan. Type af internetbrug: 2007 2011 2015 Jeg har søgt information om partier og deres holdninger 44 34 Jeg har søgt information om kandidater 35 34 Jeg har testet mine politiske holdninger i tests eller quizzer (på TV2.dk, JP.dk eller Politiken.dk f.eks.) 49 46 Jeg har set video med politikere på nettet 17

Resumo. A lógica fuzzy pode ser aplicada na emulação do processo de tomada de decisão humana em m... more Resumo. A lógica fuzzy pode ser aplicada na emulação do processo de tomada de decisão humana em modelagens de sistemas multiagentes. Entretanto estas aplicações se limitam quase que exclusivamente ao contexto acadêmico, enquanto outras formas de utilização da lógica fuzzy já se encontram empregadas efetivamente em aplicações profissionais. Um dos fatores que pode estar contribuindo para isto é a sua velocidade de processamento. Neste trabalho vamos apresentar algumas técnicas que podem ser usadas para se acelerar o tempo de processamento fuzzy. A ideia central está em se captar todo o conhecimento fuzzy de um processamento padrão, e então o simular por outra forma de representação que apresente resultados similares mas que tenha um tempo de processamento computacional muito inferior no caso a Matriz Fuzzy. Um exemplo prático de uma modelagem multiagente no contexto da simulação da evacuação de um ambiente construído será apresentado mostrando a equivalência dos resultados e resultando numa redução no tempo de processamento de cerca de 140 vezes sem perda da precisão dos resultados.

Energy-resolved neutron imaging at a pulsed source utilizes the energy-dependent neutron transmis... more Energy-resolved neutron imaging at a pulsed source utilizes the energy-dependent neutron transmission measured via time-of-flight to extract quantitative information about the internal microstructure of an object. At the RADEN instrument at J-PARC in Japan, we use cutting-edge detectors employing micro-pattern detectors or fast Li-glass scintillators and fast, all-digital data acquisition to perform such measurements, while continuing their development toward better utilization of the intense neutron source. In particular, for the Micro-Pixel Chamber based Neutron Imaging Detector (µNID), a micro-pattern detector with a 400 µm pitch and employing 3 He for neutron conversion, we have successfully improved the spatial resolution from 200 to 100 µm, increased the detection efficiency from 18 to 26% for thermal neutrons, and increased the maximum count rate from 0.4 to 1 Mcps. We are also testing a new readout element with a 215 µm pitch for further improved spatial resolution, and a µNID with boron-based neutron converter for increased rate performance.

Ecological Economics, 2021

Abstract This article analyses why Green National Accounting based on the SEEA system and/or a “G... more Abstract This article analyses why Green National Accounting based on the SEEA system and/or a “Green GDP” have not been seriously integrated in policy making processes, despite the long-standing public concern that economic growth may harm the environment.. Combining a historical institutionalist and a public policy-oriented theoretical approach rooted in Political Science in order to understand this puzzle, we analyse the case of Denmark; a country widely seen as a green front-runner, and therefore a likely candidate for implementing Green National Accounting/a Green GDP in political-administrative decision-making. We identify several barriers that make a transition towards a Green GDP very difficult. However, with the change of government in 2019 a window of opportunity opened, and Denmark now seems to be on its way to introduce green economic models based on green national accounts, and eventually a Green GDP in policy-making; albeit incrementally and in a way that fits existing administrative procedures and existing economic models.

Information Polity, 2004

Members of parliament (MPs) have, like the majority of citizens in the European countries, increa... more Members of parliament (MPs) have, like the majority of citizens in the European countries, increasingly taken up the use of information-and communication technology (ICT) as a part of their everyday work routines: in their information gathering, in dealings with parliamentary and party staff, in contacts with voters and citizens, organised interest groups, the media, etc. This use of ICT is likely to have an effect on both the volume and content of information-and communication flows between the MP and his/her political environment, and possibly also on the different roles of the MP. However now little research has been carried out in this field, and not much is known about the changes that the different uses of ICT have brought about in the work routines, roles, political agenda setting and decision making processes in which MPs are involved. For this reason a group of European researchers under the auspices of COST A14, a European research network on "Government and Democracy in the Information Age" funded by the European Union Cooperation on Science and Technology, 1 decided to undertake a comparative study of the use of ICT by MPs. A common survey questionnaire was developed for surveys including all MPs in the countries, which decided to join the Parliamentary project. These countries were Austria, Norway, Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark, where surveys were done in 2001, followed by Scotland and Germany where surveys were done in 2002. Also, a survey was conducted in Switzerland, using a similar but not identical survey format. In some of the countries a number of follow-up qualitative interviews with MPs were done in order to elaborate on answers and correlations that seemed unclear or contradictory in the survey responses, and to bring in perspectives that might have been neglected in the surveys. Also, attempts were made to have surveys conducted in France and the UK, in order to bring in more of the bigger European countries in the study. Unfortunately, these attempts were unsuccessful. The results of these surveys are presented in the different articles in this volume. In order to bring forward the comparative perspective the results are not presented country by country. Instead the articles are organised thematically, apart from an introductory article by Hoff, Kleinsteuber and Fries giving an overall presentation of research questions, methodology, data and some of the main results. Thus, in the second article, Filzmaier, Stainer-Hämmerle and Snellen elaborate on the institutional framework of the project, spelling out the internal and external factors that could be seen to influence the appropriation of ICTs by MPs. Narrowing the analyses down to a comparison between Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark, different modes of utilisation of ICTs are analysed. It is concluded that the Internet is used more frequently for internal communication (with party and parliamentary staff) than for external communication (with voters, lobby groups, etc.), and that political campaigning and marketing on the Internet is not very common and has a low status, but might be on the rise. Concerning differences between the three countries in the volume and type of ICTs used, such factors as the structure of the 1 COST A14 ran from 1998 to 2003, involved around 70 researchers from 16 different European countries, and was funded by approximately 300.000 Euro.

Information Polity, 2004

This article presents the research questions, research methodology, and some of the major results... more This article presents the research questions, research methodology, and some of the major results of a comparative, survey-based study of the use of ICT by members of parliament in seven European countries. The overall research question is whether ICT is an active driver in changing the role of MPs by strengthening either their delegate or trustee role, or whether we see the contours of a totally new role for MPs in the "information society". Even though the data does not permit a full answer to this question, they allow us to see at least the contours of a new role for the MP in which attention to information flows and the media comes more to the fore, and where ability to influence the political agenda through digital means is crucial. Three other results from the surveys stand out clearly: a) there is a rather clear North-South divide in Europe concerning both what types of ICT are used by MPs, and the extent to which they are used. For MPs from the Northern European countries included in the study ICT has become an indispensable daily tool, while this is less so in the more southern countries, b) in explaining differences and similarities in MPs use of ICT across countries, institutional factors like the organization of work in parliament, and the MPs parliamentary position seem to be the most important, c) MPs ICT competence and ICT experience are more important factors in explaining their attitudes towards the democratic potentials of ICT than more traditional background variables such as gender, age and party affiliation and size.

Information Polity, 2005

Departing from the concept of media citizenship, a concept implying certain personal informationa... more Departing from the concept of media citizenship, a concept implying certain personal informational rights such as the rights to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium without interference and regardless of frontiers (cf. WSIS (UN World Summit on Information Society) declaration on the Information Society), and seeing such rights as a fundamental dimension of democratic citizenship on equal footing with fundamental civil, political and social rights, this essay analyses the extent to which ICT/the Internet in its current form contributes to the realisation of such media citizenship. Through an analysis of recent developments within the copyright protection area and the software patent area, it is demonstrated that these developments constitute a serious undermining of the freedom to seek, receive and impart information on and through the Internet, and thus significantly confines and restricts media citizenship. Furthermore, these developments delegate significant legislative, executive and judicial power to a few international companies and industry organisations, and work to set up especially Microsoft as a decisive political authority in the information society.