Managers and Information Society： A Croatian Experience

In modem society information has become one of the most important resources, playing a crucial role in everyday life. As a result, information technology （IT） is now an indispensable tool in the business world, which has a direct impact on company competitiveness and performance. With all the changes in business environment there is also a dramatic shift in the way the management functions. In order to efficiently perform their tasks and thus rise up to the challenges of the information society, managers need not only to master appropriate IT skills, but also to understand the processes launched by the information revolution. The aim of this paper was to determine the extent to which Croatian managers are prepared for the information society. In addition to the data regarding the level of IT equipment at managers＇ disposal, the paper presents the results on computer usage, self-assessment of IT competencies, and the level of acceptance of modern technologies. Although satisfactory attainment has been recorded in some areas, the results of the analysis reveal that additional effort should be devoted to further improve computer and information literacy of Croatian managers.

Sub-Saharan Countries in the Age of Informational Globalization： On Preservation of Cultural Identity

The paper is devoted to the problem of the development of information technologies in Sub-Saharan countries. The author comes to a conclusion that the up-to-date level of the development of information technologies in Sub-Saharan countries doesn＇t give us an opportunity to estimate the close equal integration of the region into the global information and communication space. African countries don＇t have appropriate financial and technological resources which seem to be necessary when creating the well-developed information and telecommunication infrastructure on their territory. The author argues that in order to reach the level of the development of well-developed nations African states are forced to seek the aid of Western countries which use the technological and financial dependence of their African partners as the strong instrument of preservation of their influence in the region. In current circumstances it would be very difficult for Afxican countries to create a self-reliant information society and to preserve their cultural identity in the upcoming information age.

Digital Communication： The Conflicts in the Transmission and Distribution of Information in the Era of Knowledge Economy

This article analyzes the concentration of production and distribution of information, from the analysis of the news in major international news agencies.The biopolitics is more and more interconnected to social, cultural, economical, and political matters, which led us to see in the contemporary scenario the creation of new forms of social organization which will determine how we interact with each other and how we face the world. Additionally, questions emerge about the usage of the means of communication, particularly those related to Technology of Communication and Information （TICs）. The influence of the media over the social-cultural activities tends to create homogenizations of senses, aiming a planetary visibility in a process that can not only disfigure but destroy many symbolic representations and cultural forms. On the other hand, globalization tends to, instead of minimize the differences in the world, ended up creating new conflicts that, through the usage of new technologies of communication, expresses and articulate themselves.

Spatial Strategy for the Information Society:Rethinking Smart City

This study examines the topic of the information society from a spatial perspective. It reviews the basic impacts of information technology on urban space in terms of travel behavior, functional organization, and spatial image, and then puts forward the corresponding spatial planning strategy for the information society. Inf luenced by information technology, the concentration/ de-concentration of urban functional organization and the changes in travel demand have increased the complexity of the urban spatial structure, while the city image delivered by digital media promotes the blending of real space and virtual space. According to relevant researches, information society is considered an objective existence, whereas smart city can be perceived as a planning paradigm embodied with a promising vision. Therefore, spatial planning in the information society should be conducted from the two perspectives of both instrumental rationality and value rationality. On the basis of that, this study proposes that the construction of a smart city should foremost improve the spatial effi ciency with the help of information technology, and pay attention to the spatial probability during the process of urban development, so as to bestow the spaces of all levels the adaptability to respond to different scenarios; on the other hand, the spatial strategy of a smart city should return to people-oriented values and shape localized spaces, so as to cope with the challenges of global mobility and ultimately achieve sustainable regional development.

Intellectual Property： Access to Culture and Sustainable Competition

This paper deals with intellectual property protection problems in the information society, when it is so easy to access unauthorised content （to pirate）. Society does not care much about the damages of right owners. Internet is often considered as a ＂public place＂, and works on Internet are considered as ＂displayed in public places＂ from which a lawful restriction of rights is permitted. It promotes unfair competition and hinders the development of sustainable business. Lawful use of protected copyright content is a tool for ensuring equal and sustainable competition level among entrepreneurs. On Internet, there are many copyright-protected works available. Many members of society wish to get an access to these works, which means that a solution should be found. For private and non-commercial use, there should be reasonable limitations. Combating piracy on Intemet using enforcement tools alone does not yield results. Piracy should be placed in a frame accepted by a civilized society, and the society and authors should get the maximum benefits from it.

Analysis of the Development of E-government in Poland Compared With the World and the European Union Countries

The paper focuses on the increasing development of e-services and an increase in interest in them. With e-government is developed, a collaboration between employees of public administration at different levels of the natural or legal persons according to their needs. The paper presents the electronic platforms of public administration services in Poland. The analysis of e-government was conducted based on selected statistics from reports prepared by the United Nations in 2010 and 2012. The data for the European Union and Poland are summarized in the table in order of occupied places in the ranking and evaluation of e-government and e-services in Poland on the background of world and the European Union are presented in the form of graphs.

Summary of the Seminar Held by the China Urban Planning Information Network and the China Urban Planning Society

The China Urban Planning Informa-tion Network and the China Urban Plan-ning Society held a joint seminar in Fushun,Liaoning Province,on July 12—16,1988.The major topics of the seminar includedthe paid use of urban land and the im-provement and reform of city planning.The seminar discussed the

ICT Development and Innovation Policy in China

The information and communications technology （ICT） industries＇ development and the China＇s trend to innovative economy are outlined. The relationship between the national innovation system and innovation policy are analyzed. Moreover, the innovation policy in China is discussed and a recommendation to the further ICT innovative policy making is made.

Constructing Legal Order in an Intelligent Society

Legal order originated in a land-centered agricultural society,having now gone through a market-centered industrial society and a network-centered information society.With the rise of the intelligent society,it is transforming into an algorithmcentered legal order of an intelligent society.The"digital""networking""intelligent"revolution brought by the intelligent technologies including big data,cloud computing,the Internet,blockchain,and artificial intelligence(AI),has been causing critical challenges to the current legal order,and has generated powerful momentum for construction of fresh legal order featuring scientificness,people centeredness,justice,inclusiveness and co-governance.Construction of such a new jurisprudential legal order to solve this intelligent society's"governance deficit"is an urgent task.There is a need to set up a new foundation on which an intelligent society can build steady and lasting progress.

Open data in spatial data infrastructure:the practices and experiences of Poland

As an important facilitator in e-government and society in general,Open SDI merits an assessment of its characteristics and the monitoring of its development.The aim of the study was the proposal of the SDI openness assessment approach based on existing openness assessment frameworks,as well as the presentation of the Polish Spatial Data Infrastructure(PSDI)development towards openness.The results indicated that ten geodetic and cartographic databases fulfilled ten out of eleven criteria of data openness,according to the methodological assumptions,and reached a 3-star level of openness.The need for further development of the infrastructure towards sharing public administration data is recognized,as well as non-governmental data that meet the open data criteria,thus contributing to the openness of the SDI.The proposed assessment method,referenced to a five-level data openness system and providing clear scoring benchmarking for assessing SDI openness,may be used for comparative analysis of SDI openness in different countries,including EU Member States that draw on the experience of the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive.