Comments on: Finland and New Zealand, a comparison… http://www.diversity.net.nz/finland-and-new-zealand-a-comparison/2008/07/01/ Commentary and Analysis for User-Centered Technology Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:02:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Paul Spence http://www.diversity.net.nz/finland-and-new-zealand-a-comparison/2008/07/01/comment-page-1/#comment-4901 Paul Spence Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:55:36 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1334#comment-4901 Notwithstanding that Telecom is a corporate partner to the ISCR, it is good to see some deeper intellectual analysis of the issues around broadband. Yes - Finland differs in that it has been able to leverage a neighbouring population of (over) 300 million. The Finns also have a largely homogeneous society with a somewhat different value system to ours. But are any of those things evidence justifying NZ constraining its telco infrastructure? The ubiquitous use of ICT and better connectivity correlates with more innovation and improved productivity. That seems like a jolly good reason to get on with sorting it out. http://geniusnet.blogtown.co.nz/2008/06/30/why-ict-underpins-innovation/ Notwithstanding that Telecom is a corporate partner to the ISCR, it is good to see some deeper intellectual analysis of the issues around broadband.

Yes – Finland differs in that it has been able to leverage a neighbouring population of (over) 300 million. The Finns also have a largely homogeneous society with a somewhat different value system to ours. But are any of those things evidence justifying NZ constraining its telco infrastructure?

The ubiquitous use of ICT and better connectivity correlates with more innovation and improved productivity. That seems like a jolly good reason to get on with sorting it out.

http://geniusnet.blogtown.co.nz/2008/06/30/why-ict-underpins-innovation/

]]> By: Paul http://www.diversity.net.nz/finland-and-new-zealand-a-comparison/2008/07/01/comment-page-1/#comment-4894 Paul Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:46:08 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1334#comment-4894 I think this report shows a few things 1) in terms of GDP, having fast cheap networks means nothing unless you have business demand or an economy focused on ICT exports. I think it shows that NZ isn't the infrastructure backwater our politicians have painted (for their own political gains) I think it shows a critical need for a government to a) stop intervening in markets and b) have a long term vision for transforming the economy for our own GDP benefit... I think this report shows a few things 1) in terms of GDP, having fast cheap networks means nothing unless you have business demand or an economy focused on ICT exports.

I think it shows that NZ isn’t the infrastructure backwater our politicians have painted (for their own political gains)

I think it shows a critical need for a government to a) stop intervening in markets and b) have a long term vision for transforming the economy for our own GDP benefit…

]]> By: robin http://www.diversity.net.nz/finland-and-new-zealand-a-comparison/2008/07/01/comment-page-1/#comment-4886 robin Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:31:58 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1334#comment-4886 There is an old story about the Finnish farmer who found a wood-chip in the river, and rowed for seven days and seven nights up the river and when he found the person who dropped it into the river he killed him because he wanted to be alone. The Finns have a grim determination that New Zealand can only dream about. Their history is quite different to NZ, as is their geographical location and proximity to markets. They have a larger population (significantly larger, when one considers that the benefits from larger populations are not linear), and tech-savvy neighbours. I could go on (their psyche is quite different from NZ) but there's enough to see there is a world of diffreence between the two countries. Finland and NZ do have one thing in common: very high suicide rates (and NZ doesn't have the hard winters that undoubtedly contribute to the high Finnish rates). There is an old story about the Finnish farmer who found a wood-chip in the river, and rowed for seven days and seven nights up the river and when he found the person who dropped it into the river he killed him because he wanted to be alone.

The Finns have a grim determination that New Zealand can only dream about. Their history is quite different to NZ, as is their geographical location and proximity to markets. They have a larger population (significantly larger, when one considers that the benefits from larger populations are not linear), and tech-savvy neighbours.

I could go on (their psyche is quite different from NZ) but there’s enough to see there is a world of diffreence between the two countries.

Finland and NZ do have one thing in common: very high suicide rates (and NZ doesn’t have the hard winters that undoubtedly contribute to the high Finnish rates).

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