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Summary and acknowledgements

Róbert Sinka
p. 5-6

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1The development of the Hungarian information society is still a discontinuous and neglected part of the improving programs of both society and economy. The country is trying to copy the developed world, but no real, innovative break-through can at present be expected. The future of the Hungarian information society is rather a look-round that is changing daily. The only positive phenomenon is the unbroken eagerness of civil initiatives, although, in general, these are local programs.

  • 1 Magyar Információs Társadalom Stratégia (MITS, 2003) – The Hungarian Information Society Strategy 2 (...)
  • 2 Kék notesz 2009 – A 10. internethajó jelentése (Kék notesz, 2009) – Source: <http://mek.oszk.hu/070 (...)

2For a real change, governmental involvement should be increased in “supporting the ICT sector, raising the number of regular internet users, radically improving the e-ability of the population, increasing the number and level of e-public administration and e-sanitary services, and enhancing the programs of e-inclusion and digital solidarity” as soon as possible. It should again be realized1, that the modernization of society and economy is not autotelic, but it is the base of the competitiveness of the country2.

  • 3 The aim is the creation under government control of a physical infrastructure that makes the servic (...)
  • 4 See further the introductory paper - Robert Sinka: The forming of the Hungarian Information Society (...)

3The latest event is that, in November, 2008, the commissioner for Information of the Prime Minister’s Office made a proposal on the creation of a digital optical public utility3. Nevertheless, even this program primarily serves the development of the so-called “hard infrastructure”, like preventive programs, and it does not pay sufficient attention to the forming of the “soft infrastructure”, such as: decreasing the digital divide, generalizing digital literacy and e-public administration services, or involving the outsiders and the underdeveloped4.

  • 5 1000 Hungarian villages and towns do not have optical access at all, while about 1350 have only one (...)
  • 6 Robert, SINKA (Sinka, 2007): ‘Open source information society’ in the Hungarian higher education – (...)

4Without reinforcing the population-preserving and innovative role of little villages and rural areas, and improving the human infrastructure living there, the forming of the Hungarian information society “may be cancelled due to disinterest”5. This might become the most important task for the next ten years6.

5The mental basis, theoretical and academic background of the development of human infrastructure is provided by the community of researchers who are engaged in exploring the Hungarian information society, and who regularly publish and teach their results. The present publication includes a selection of their studies.

6Herewith, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to the geographer and sociologist researchers and colleagues who engaged in contributing to the publication of the thematic NETCOM, which aimed at introducing the Hungarian information society, with shorter or longer papers. In the last decade, their work laid the foundation of political strategies and of the common thinking about the forming of the Hungarian information society, and they will expectedly do so in the future as well.

7Hereby I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the editorial board of NETCOM for their patient and constructive support, and the possibility they provided by this publication for the researchers of the Hungarian information society to introduce themselves at international level. I am especially grateful to Henry Bakis, Philippe Vidal, and the members of the Geography of the Global Information Society for their interest and constant encouragement, without which this thematic publication introducing Hungary could not have come into existence.

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Notes

1 Magyar Információs Társadalom Stratégia (MITS, 2003) – The Hungarian Information Society Strategy 2003 – Source: <http://www.khem.gov.hu/data/cms1057442/mits_2003_eng.pdf> - last reach: 10.07.2009.

2 Kék notesz 2009 – A 10. internethajó jelentése (Kék notesz, 2009) – Source: <http://mek.oszk.hu/07000/07087/07087.pdf> - last reach: 17.06.2009.

3 The aim is the creation under government control of a physical infrastructure that makes the services of a modern optical main line network accessible at settlement and home level in the period of 18 months.” (Kék notesz, 2009)

4 See further the introductory paper - Robert Sinka: The forming of the Hungarian Information Society in the last ten years.

5 1000 Hungarian villages and towns do not have optical access at all, while about 1350 have only one, however, this is where 36% of the Hungarian population lives! (Source: Sallai-Horváth-Abos-Bartolits-Bódi-Huszty: A hazai szélessávú infokommunikációs infrastruktúra fejlesztése. There: Híradástechnika, 2009/1-2.)

6 Robert, SINKA (Sinka, 2007): ‘Open source information society’ in the Hungarian higher education – Conference presentation – Digital Communities 2007, 08-12, July 2007. Tallinn, Estonia – Helsinki, Finland

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References

Bibliographical reference

Róbert Sinka, Summary and acknowledgementsNetcom, 23-1/2 | 2009, 5-6.

Electronic reference

Róbert Sinka, Summary and acknowledgementsNetcom [Online], 23-1/2 | 2009, Online since 06 February 2014, connection on 29 March 2024. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/netcom/836; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/netcom.836

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The text only may be used under licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. All other elements (illustrations, imported files) are “All rights reserved”, unless otherwise stated.

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