An upcoming conference about electronic trading promises a refreshing alternative to the usual focus on commerce and increased profits. Mr Wingham Rowan, a British journalist and author of Guaranteed Electronic Markets: The Backbone of a 21st Century Economy? will visit Dublin on October 21st to outline a more inclusive model for electronic trading.

His ideas were endorsed last month by British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, who recommended the British adoption of guaranteed electronic markets by the Department of Employment to allow trades people like plumbers, electricians, child carers, tutors and car mechanics sell their services locally online. The event, organised by the Pathfinder Project with the support of Exselan Computer Systems, takes place in the Edmund Burke Theatre, Trinity, on Thursday, October 21st, at 8 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.