“Jimmy Schulz, a member of parliament with the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP), drew criticism this week after using his new iPad during a speech before the Bundestag,” Spiegel Online reports. “‘One of the presidents of the Bundestag told me that the iPad usage had violated policies,’ Schulz told the Berliner Kurier newspaper.”
“Schulz had been the first member of parliament to eschew pen and paper and instead use an iPad as the cue card for his talking points,” Spiegel Online reports. “The issue is to be taken up by the Bundestag’s Committee on the Rules of Procedure, a parliament spokesperson told the newspaper.”
Spiegel Online reports, “41-year-old Schulz would like to see the Bundestag get wired. ‘The age of the telefax and telex has passed,’ he told the newspaper, taking a swipe at parliament’s Luddite rules. ‘The Bundestag also needs to open itself up to new media.’ The FDP’s parliamentary group is pushing for permission to use digital files in Germany’s legislative body. ‘It is not acceptable that we have to continue schlepping mountains of files around with us,’ Schulz said.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Wolfgang M.” and “Lynn W.” for the heads up.]
Much more classier and better than a teleprompter!
I shocked and appalled that they allow pen and paper on the floor.
They should have to use clay tablets and stylus.
@ Mark, brilliant.
Telefax? Isn’t that just a newfangled Teletype machine?
I am surprised that they do not have Stone Slabs with Hammers and Chisels. Very very cool to buck the trend in this way. But those Stone Slabs are harder to steal.
Recall Moses? Yup they break easier than the iPad too!
Here is proof!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
‘schlepping’ funny its one of those german yiddish words that we commonly use here in London that I had no idea was still actually used by Germans. That and the point that for a supposedly high tech country Germans are often surprisingly technophobe are the only points of note worth making I reckon. Mind you its all quill pens in the mother of parliaments don’t you know.
Contrary to what one would think, Germany is very hesitant–no suspicious–of new technologies, and usually take many years before accepting new ways of doing things. Many Germans, for example, still are very wary of microwave ovens, because they cook with invisible “waves”.
Germany’s parliament holds loyalty to Gutenberg, obviously.
The more efficient a government is, the fewer freedoms its citizens will have (in general).
I’ve got the feeling that fewer bills that are too long to read would be passed in the Congress if they were also too heavy to carry around easily on paper.
Ban computers in Congress!
Vee haf appoved vays of allowing you to make notes!
@Spinoza
They’re wary of microwave ovens with good reason.
Microwaved food is bad for you. Couple that with the crap processed foods that are usually cooked in those things and it’s not unimaginable.
Well Germans are renowned for their “Papers Please” stereotyping phrase!
And it is better to raise eyebrows then to raise your right arm in salute!
However, I concur with those saying the speech/bill should be printed out and, might I add, every piece of current legislation that is on the schedule not only has to be printed out but has to be carried around ON the lawmaker’s person while in the capitol building. No more 2000 plus page bills will be produced I can assure you of that!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Did Shultz use the yiddish word “schlepping”? Hurray!
Appropriate that someone named “Wolfgang M.” would give the heads up.
> And it is better to raise eyebrows then to raise your right arm in salute!
Yes. And it’s better to raise eyebrows than raze office buildings in New York.
Wonder if they allow smart phones (read iPhone here) in the Bundestag???? Isn’t it a minicomputer?
Actually pretty typical of the German mindset. They won’t go digital until they decide to, dagnabit, and that’ll be when they’re good and sure this digital technology thing isn’t some fad or fluke.
When they do decide, though, they will plan and implement the most advanced and effective technology available- putting every other parliament in the shade.
Reminds me a bit of Apple, actually… smartphones had been around for years, Gates has been hocking tablets for almost a decade. But when Apple decided to enter those markets they just showed everyone how it’s done.
“They’re wary of microwave ovens with good reason. Microwaved food is bad for you.”
Don’t tell that to my 90-year old mother, who’s been using a microwave for over 40 years now… or to me for that matter, who has been cooking with one every day for some 40 years as well.
Given how eco Germany likes to believe they are, you’d think they’d go for the iPad as a way to reduce paper usage.
Schultz. when caught using his ipad on the floor of the bundestag, later remarked, “I know nothing! I see nothing!”
spyinthesky: ‘schlepping’ funny its one of those german yiddish words that we commonly use here in London that I had no idea was still actually used by Germans.
“Schleppen” is a regular everyday german word which has just been adopted by yiddish, which is essentially a german dialect. Many if not most yiddish words are simply german.