Upgrade. Upgrade. Upgrade. In a word, that is what this section deals with. It is about upgrading the very infrastructure that criss-crosses this great country. Realistically it is that “Greatness” or “Vastness” that proves to be the largest hurdle to providing more internet access across this country.
Image the U.S. Government being run like a true Enterprise. To do so would require a huge political undertaking to say the least. That is only on the Business side. On the Technology side you would think it would be much easier. After all, Technology would not differ as greatly as that of the Business of running a Government. There are International Business who undertake a more complex technology environment. You only need look at the likes of GE or any of the major Investment Banks on Wall Street.
The old boy network is what I think of when I think of the Federal Government and elected officials. It is almost as if it is a race to get through all of the hard work and struggles of a state level politician to achieve that goal of making it to Washington. Once there all of the reasons and issues that led one there are quickly forgotten or overshadowed by the perks of an elected official in Washington.
How can it be a right to have privacy yet live with limits to that privacy? Is that truly a right? I would think it is more of a Guideline to Privacy. Yes ladies and gentlemen this is a tricky one made even more complicated by the numerous stories of Governmental misuse of laws “re-engineered” to allow wire-tapping in the name of terrorism.
As a Parent of two young children who have yet to figure out how to do anything with my computer other than to sneak up and punch keys while I am typing. However, the day will come soon when they are asking for a time-share deal on my hardware. This became evident to me after realizing that at my Daughter’s Day Care they actually had a computer in the classroom for the children to “explore,” opening another avenue that I will have to patrol as a concerned parent.
Protect Our Children While Preserving the First Amendment The Obama take on this concern is interesting. Going against the general Democratic belief that “Government” is needed to legislate problems out of our lives, Obama is yet again putting the parents under the spot-light for being responsibility for their children’s exposure to undesirable content both in the media as well as on the web.
When faced with a decision to put up Wonder Pets or Sponge Bob Squarepants, I always choose Wonder Pets because I feel Sponge Bob is more for entertainment than education. Thanks to the Mrs, TV is scrutinized and managed heavily in our household.
Maybe that one was too easy, here’s another:
I was a bit disturbed and shocked by something my Daughter said within ear-shot of myself. She was in the other room and at the age of 3 and a half she said; “My Daddy’s going to kill me!” All I could think about is her saying that in a public location and me being hauled in by some Child Services Division for Child Abuse! I immediately went to her and asked her what she said; to confirm my own ears. She repeated it word for word. I had to know where she picked it up from and she said; “from the Little Mermaid Daddy.” Wow… Disney.
This is going to be tough. It would be so easy to somehow mandate the FCC to step into the Internet and attempt to regulate this, but everyone knows this is both impossible and would draw huge protests centered around the First Amendment. It would also put us in the realm of that which we are all so quick to criticize the Chinese Government for doing. Dare I say it? Censorship.
I am on board with this Policy’s view that true responsibility has to begin where the “rubber meets the road.” That is right here at home. Whether it is done with software made easy for the non-technical or through service agreements that providers offer to restrict certain non-child-friendly content through to the home which parents can sign up for. Myself, being in the IT Industry, I plan on implementing strict controls on my machines and leveraging any tools out there to assist me in making sure that I am on top of what my children are doing on-line as much as possible. One other thing I would want more clarity on is how this proposal intends to handle a means to report, track and apprehend the likes of predators and others conducting improper practices designed to exploit children. As an involved parent, this part of Mr. Obama’s Technology Policy Paper has my full attention. Gone are the days where you had to be home before the street lights came on and had to check in each and every hour because you were out playing in the neighborhood. The neighborhood of now is limitless with untold millions of dark alleys where children can be drug into and become exposed to things we, as their parents hadn’t encountered until much later in life.Industries grow and contract like an inch-worm moves through its life. At this point of our own lives, Mr. Obama is concerned that the FCC has been spending more time focused on the consolidation of media outlets and communications pathways. In his view, this has done more harm than good for the small business owner or small media outlet. As local radio/television stations are consumed by these Media giants.
“Ensure the Full and Free Exchange of Information through an Open Internet and Diverse Media Outlets”
This is the full title as written in the Technology Policy Paper released by the Obama team. As with anything else, I am sure there will be more vague terminology such as this from all of the candidates, however it does provide a vague concept to grasp onto. To assist with this, the Policy Paper actually breaks it down into 4 bullet points which i will attempt to translate into my own digestible understanding and thus also opening it up for discussion here.
Protect the Openness of the Internet In one very broad swoop, this section seems to support an “open” concept at two key layers. At first glance, it appears to address the right of free access of content provided on the internet. The second, actual access to the Internet. It is not long in reading before I quickly understood what issue this first section was attempting to address. The issue of Network Provider restrictions and controls over it’s customers.
With it being an election year, every pundit on the street has their opinion about the economy, the candidates, the geo-political issues. Much like the general public, politicians who are engaged in an election cycle also begin to become “concerned” or “aware” of the issues of we, the people. These points of public interest are usually addressed by these candidates in their fresh-off-the-press Policy Papers. It would seem there is a policy paper for everything.
This is going to be a blog series that will look at an area that I am well plugged into; Technology. Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has release his own Policy Paper addressing technology. I intend to read through and blog on each section. Might be able to shed some light on where a possible President will see my future going. For now, I leave you with the quote from Mr. Obama’s website:
“Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age. Let’s set high standards for our schools and give them the resources they need to succeed. Let’s recruit a new army of teachers, and give them better pay and more support in exchange for more accountability. Let’s make college more affordable, and let’s invest in scientific research, and let’s lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America.” — Barack Obama Presidential Announcement Speech in Springfield, IL 02/10/07
The Dark Knight has taken the world by storm in terms of popularity and Box Office receipts. This is obviously a clear indication that those of voting age have been spending quite a bit of time in the theater enjoying yet another episode in the trilogy that is Batman. So what do you expect to happen?
Each of the mainstream Presidential Candidates have proclaimed Batman to being one of their “All-time” favorite Comic Book characters. Does this not scream of political pandering? Do we really think either of these guys would have said the same thing 6 months ago? I really find it hard to believe. As a matter of fact, I want to know how long it took their political strategists to come up with these answers?
Hell, I would have given more credibility to it if McCain said something like Dick Tracy, Beetle Bailey or even Charlie damn Brown! Come on! At least Barack tempered it with what probably would have been his first choice of Spiderman. Or would it? Spidey has been a bit popular over the past few years as well.
I suppose in the grand scheme of things, should we really care what make-believe superhero any politician likes? Actually, I would have to be a bit concerned about the state of the union if anyone really gives 1/2 a rats ass on what superhero either of these guys likes.
If you are really going to ask such dumb ass questions of your Presidential candidates you might as well ask them if they prefer Boxers or Briefs! And you wonder why we have problems in Washington today.
As I sit here on the subway I look around and catch the occasional glance returned back at me before eyes quickly dart away. It is that minute before recognizing that someone has just seen you that you wonder what is going on in the depths of that individuals mind. What are they thinking? Are their thoughts on their destination? Is it the events or location of where they just left or are they on something completely random?
It is that last option that intrigues me. You could almost write the story yourself for any of the people on this train. I wonder if this is now how novels are born? You always find one person that intrigues you. You watch them analysing them. Trying to discover hat their lives must be like. Your mind drifts as you begin to paint the picture for them. You don’t need to know. Your interpretation is much more exciting, adventurous.
It is then, when it hits you square in the face. You are compensating, remapping everything you wish your own life was, onto the frame of another commuter.