What A Concept: The President Should Appoint People Who Understand Technology
from the well,-duh dept
We've complained plenty about elected officials who don't understand technology but have no problem regulating it -- but the problem extends way beyond elected officials. Tim Wu has a bunch of recommendations on how the next President can fix tech policy in the US and it pretty much all boils down to one thing: appoint people who actually understand technology. That means not appointing lobbyists and lawyers to the FCC and getting a real infrastructure expert to be a "broadband czar." These aren't bad ideas, but it's positively frightening that it even needs to be brought up at all. Have we really reached the point that almost everyone in charge of crafting tech-related policy doesn't have even the slightest tech background?Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: appointments, broadband czar, fcc, policy, tech policy
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A broadband czar? Wouldn't that be about as effective as the drug czar?
Tims article is good though, someone should send it to McCain.
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Re: by Anonymous Coward on Apr 2nd, 2008 @ 1:30pm
Well, I would hope someone with a doctorate in chemistry or someone with a Medical Doctorate runs the FDA. I'd also hope someone with a degree in economics or finance runs the SEC, with hopes they have taken and passed the exams necessary to be a trader.
So I'd really hope someone with a degree in CompSci preferably in Networking and Preferably with at least a CCIE cert would be the advisor on Network Backbone or tech advisor for the pres.
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Bad comparison. There is no 'War On Broadband'
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Re: Re:
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We need a czar czar
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Re: We need a czar czar
When the US can become un-Chennyed and out of the Bushes our
country will be much better off.
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Of Course!
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DIY is fine by me
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Re:
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Techies are too smart to hold political positions
Many techies already get enough of that at work. Why would they want to take a pay cut and move their family to the craphole that is Washington DC to make political nonsense a full-time job?
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It is Warren Buffets philosophy and it works for him. Surround yourself by people who know what they are doing and let them do it,and keep your hands and lobbyists off!!!
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Appointing Experts to Govermnent Technology Positi
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I once had a conversation with a certain state atty general that left me shaking my head after a huge data spill. She actually said "the google".
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Yes, you all sound just as stupid to political insiders as they probably sound to you when you hear "the google" escape their lips...
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But seriously, it seems the only state with decent legislators is Washington State. They passed the 1995 SPAM act, and numerous other citizen-friendly, tech-based laws. Other states should take notice.
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Your entire argument is based upon extreme generalizations of people in two different careers and not even for any reason involving said careers.
Your entire comment is laughable.
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The point is there should be no one at the Federal level who should be in charge of technology! Let's read the constitution. The Internet was developed by the Defense Department, but it was not until it got into the hands of the private sector that the "dirt road" became the internet superhighway. The Internet is commmunication not commerce.
Let's keep the feds out of everything, but the military and let's leep the military for defense puposes only.
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Managerial Expertise
There are lots of ways to get and prove skills in leading people and it should be just as much a requirement as being tech savvy.
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nice idea
Although at this point, I'd be satisfied with a president who wasn't a puppet of Big Business.
I know, I'm a dreamer.
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Didn't you know the best defense is a good offense?
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