"Learn Computers or Goodbye," Says Russia's New President to Government Employees

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told government officials to learn computers or else. Russia's new Internet-savvy president is promoting IT as a driver of economic development and in a visit to a technology park today said that that a more advanced kind of electronic government will be developed in the Karelia region soon, according to the ITAR-TASS news agency. According to reports, Medvedev sees e-government as a way to increase transparency and help stop government corruption.

Medvedev was also quoted as saying that the country's government leaders must learn to use computers or they will be dismissed.

The Internet is not controlled by the government in Russia, and users hope that Medvedev will stop recent government initiatives to require registration of Web site owners.