The second reading of the Digital Economy Bill (#debill) has been confirmed for the 6th April 2010.

We are now entering the time for “wash-up” of unfinished business before Dissolution of Parliament which apparently was announced by MP Tom Watson earlier today at the Games Based Learning Conference.

The #debill has caused much debate in the Internet community together with lobbying for and against but very little quality and detailed debate by the elected Ministers of Parliament has occurred. Many letters have been sent by constituents to their MP’s and under the FOI Act one letter has a note from MP Clare Short in which she confesses "I am afraid I do not really understand the complaint but I would be grateful for your response." which highlights the issue rather well.

38 Degrees has teamed up with the Open Rights Group in providing an easy to use means of sending a letter to your MP requesting proper debate on this bill (copy of response from MP William Hague).

If you live in the UK this Bill could affect you both domestically and professionally. The articles by The Guardian and a brief from the Open Rights Group provide a good way of “getting up to speed” on this Bill and the issues surrounding it.

The European Commission's Digital Competitiveness report published today shows that Europe's digital sector has made strong progress since 2005. Europe can advance even further as a generation of digitally savvy young Europeans becomes a strong market driver for growth and innovation. Building on the potential of the digital economy is essential for Europe's sustainable recovery from the economic crisis. Today the Commission has asked the public what future strategy the EU should adopt to make the digital economy run at full speed.

The Internet has evolved in the last 20 years from a network connecting people to a bigger network connecting more people, but has something more significant happened during this expansion?  This is a copy of the presentation delivered at the #wdytyg workshop.