Abstract
Panel Abstract. Liwen Vauhgan and Michel Menou
As the soβcalled knowledge or digital economy spreads through the world, a number of methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, are being developed to assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of countries in their readiness to become a part of the networked global environment. Various instruments or measurements have been proposed to monitor and evaluate a country or community's performance in the information society. These methodologies or instruments are often designed for practical purposes. However, they are derived from various models or conceptual frameworks. This session will present a number of these instruments and approaches, examine their underlying assumptions, and compare their advantages and disadvantages. The discussion can further expand into the relevance of such measures to the various stakeholders, especially citizens at large. The hidden assumption that the density of digital appliances and applications reflects the degree of advancement of a society and therefore the likelihood of achieving happiness for its members will be examined. The need for, and feasibility of, introducing various human factors as part of the measurements will be highlighted.