Why is participation important?
Isn’t the traditional physical way enough?
We live in the communication age, where Internet based or wireless communication surrounds us. The upcoming generation, at least all over western Europe, is born in to the computer- and communication-age. Although, according to political analyst scientist, they want to participate in the “foundation” of the society (companies, organisations and so on).
The main problem is their lack of time. They spend their time on family, work and leisure activities. Therefore we soon will approach the “participation divide” (compared to the digital divide that is slowly disappearing).
Why don’t give them the possibility to participate on their own terms? From work, in the evenings at home and on vacations? Participate in legislation processes, policy making processes, labour issues, company issues and so on? Participate and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions because of less travelling.
There is, as far as we know, nobody against this description. Therefore we invented Dezide.
Why not?
Why a policy framework?
Nobody really believe in the security of an IT-based system. According to the knowledge of and reported articles of stolen credit card numbers, cheating with poker games and so on, there are obvious difficulties to believe in IT-safety.
Therefore a fact is that the really trust for a IT-system is the trust given of the people behind, the owner of a system.
Letsopinion have invented the (public) policy framework to authorise and avoid entrust to our system, Dezide. Via a public policy framework, transparent “rules of the game”, we give everybody invited the possibility to evaluate the trust of the workshops in the decision making-tool Dezide.
The trust of a system always strikes back to the owner (the one who runs the decision making conferences/workshops) of the system. Therefore Dezide will be a trustful system, if the owner is a trustful owner! Why not?
Why tranparency?
Depending on the settings in the policy framework, participants using Dezide can read all refused ideas, discussions or summarys in the archive. This is one of the EU goals of increased transparency and accountability. Why not?
Why web based?
Dezide uses the world wide web for connecting stakeholders in their processes. It is because the web works and are penetrating the world with the speed of the light. Why not?
Why asynchronic and text based?
In a group of people from different countries the ones who use their native language always take presedence. In phsyical meetings as well as in video conferences. If they can use their agreed language, but have time to spell and think, their working group have achived more equal possibilities for all the participants. Why not?
Why weighted voting?
There are many situations where weighted voting can be used. The US act of positive discremination. Women vs men. Children vs adults. Annual meetings of companys with A and B shares. Why not?
Why delegated (proxy) voting?
Dezide can, when using the proxy voting function, be used for as well representative democracy as well as when a stakeholder thinks that someone else is better shaped to vote in a certain question. Why not?
Why invite experts?
In an ongoing workshop a group of participants want to have advice from an expert in the subject or want her to make a summary for the summary part. With the expert function in Dezide its easy to invite one. Why not?
Why summaries?
In a deliberativ legislative process or in a decision-making process in a company the participants or an invited expert, perform the workshop with an summary to extract the best from the discussion part. Why not?