The new kid from the bloc

Here is a look at two former Soviet bloc countries and what the very different ways they are handling the IT industry says about their overall economy. One on hand, you have Belarus, which has made the very odd decision of limiting internet dating. Now the argument is that this is to prevent human trafficking, which is a very real concern in that part of the world. But rather than curbing trafficking, this reeks of more authoritarianism and government control. Cut to Estonia, (or “E-stonia” as it is trendily, and sadly, being referred as) which is on the leading edge of e-business and e-government in the region. I’ve already seen quite a few articles on the high-tech trend in this country, which is poised to become a poster-child for the successful former Soviet-bloc countries.