I think the Internet suit Swedes just fine. We can sit by our computers and don´t need to wrestle in a line or look at clothes in a crowded shop. To stand in a line is something that is almost holy in Sweden. We avoid it, but if we have to, we stand in the queue very calmly and quietly, almost solemnly and wait for our turn at the cashier or whatever. If someone try to get ahead we really explode but don´t show it. We give the person the killing eye. Without a word we stare. I am exaggerating this a bit, but it is pretty much a big issue if someone try to get advantages on our behalf and don´t wait for their turn to come.
On the Internet we surf around and since having high tecnical standards with broadband in almost every cottage we will soon be able to do everything over the Internet. Some people like to put on their washing machine from their workplace, others like to watch their children at the day care via a webcam. From my point of view I don´t think that is necessary but I must admit that the Internet makes my life a lot easier and it is nice to be able to use it as frequent as I do. But I have come across some traditional problems over the Internet when it comes to using services, buying things etc. I belive it is important to be present as a website owner even if the visitor actually doesn’t see this. This mean you are open to communicate with any one passing through your special cyberhome. I think nice behavior towards the customer is the key that many webshops forget over the Internet. New websites seem to pop up all the time and they wan to cash-in quick. They want to grow fast without putting too much energy into it. Most often you find a big faq-side on these websites. Usually the bigger it is the more difficult it is to find a real email-address to a real person. If you do find an email-address and try to contact the person to get some help to use their service, or buy an item, you aren´t always lucky enough to get an answer. Some owners have resolved this with sending a preprogrammed mail with instructions to enter the faq-pages again to be sure not to use their precious time in vain. I don´t know if they think I will be happier with that answer. If you are really lucky you get a mail from a real person after this if you have the strength to continue. I happen to run into one of these sites today when I was trying to use the changinglink.com on my website. The problem was that when I recieved the mail from this person he had a really arrogant tone, so I think they would made better impression if not answering at all. They are a good example of how websites should not be when communicating with visitors. Enough written about this boring website! I have met a lot more persons behind websites that is being nice, humble and friendly over the Internet. And one feel really appreciated for using their service or buying their items. One of them is http://www.iblogbusiness.com/. I am glad that I can find passionated people who like to make a website successful by being nice and put efforts into it. I hope this is worth doing in the long run on the Internet. I think most of us would enjoy surfing much more then.
Right now we are having a right coalition government in Sweden. I have been having my eyes on them since they started in 2005. Since the left-wing with Göran Persson has run the country for I think 12 years it is with interest and curiosity I follow them to see if they can do something new for this country. I think we have a pretty nice solution here with a mixed economy that we can be pretty proud of. Everyone can use the social security even if they don´t paid a lot of money on insurances. We have our problems like all others but I think we have a pretty human view of how one should treat each other both rich and poor. The question is if we can keep this standard in the future. There has been lot of cutbacks on the unemployed and the well-off have gotten their VAT lowered on houses and fortunes. We have a lot of taxes in Sweden so maybe we can get rid of some but the question is how we do this to share equally. What does it mean to do it equally? Some people like Kamprad who started and owns IKEA has put his whole life into serving his company, other people like to do nothing. Astrid Lindgren, the author of the Pippi Long Stocking books wrote a funny article many years ago and called some of the VAT Pomperipossa-taxes. She had gotten an amount of tax that was more than 100% of what she earned. I would love to have read a tale about that. This show something I think we have had some problems with for many years. Many people don´t earn more money if they work more. They pay more taxes instead. 55% of taxes isn´t unusual in Sweden on a salary. I guess it is persons with pretty high salaries but even though there should be some maximum percentage. Shouldn´t one have the right to retain more than the government? On the other hand men in black suits seem to validate their time in astronomical amount of money. Maybe we should lower both tax and salaries on these people.
Anyway the person who impress me the most today is the postman who is biking and biking all year long in rain and in snow. That is impressing. Perhaps he is more happy than the men in black suits!
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