Should The Next President Use A Computer?
from the series-of-tubes dept
Much has been made of John McCain's status as a self-proclaimed "computer illiterate." Juxtaposed with his rival, the Blackberry-wielding, iPod-listening Barack Obama, McCain's inexperience with all things digital have raised concerns that he is out of touch with normal Americans. Although McCain is reportedly attempting to use computers more often, a bigger question remains unsolved: should the President of the United States use a computer?Lee Gomes at the Wall Street Journal seems to think the best policy is to "avoid computers." Among such significant insights as any computer should remain outside the Oval Office "since it wouldn't match the furniture," is a recommendation that the President be limited to 20 minutes of computer time "to keep up with the common folk" by reading blogs, playing Solitaire or watching YouTube. But, don't get carried away! "The severe time rationing is necessary because a computer, far from making you more productive, instead loads you down with things to do, and it's important for the machine to know who is boss."
It is slightly shocking that the WSJ would have you believe that computers are only good for keeping up-to-date on the latest cute cat videos (as long as you don't get bogged down in pop-ups -- which Gomes warns is how most computer users waste away their time). Of course the President should delegate menial tasks to staffers, but Gomes and others who think that technology is peripheral to the role of the Commander-in-Chief miss the point. Computer literacy isn't about "being in touch" with the "common folk," it is about understanding the foundation of the knowledge economy. The next administration will need to correctly address important policies with technology at their root, and if the leader doesn't understand the fundamental potential and differences of digital technology, the results will be much more catastrophic than wasting time deleting spam.
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Filed Under: computers, presidents, technology
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He does make to valid points. Rather than read "techdirt" The president is actually in a position to call mike and invite him to the whitehouse to DISCUSS and LEARN about the issues first hand.
etc...
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Re:
Its best for the top dog to have an idea of things himself, so that he can quantify and analyze different viewpoints against what he knows.
While I understand that the president is severely time constrained during his term, coming to the job with some computer skills in the first place is not at all unreasonable. As if for nothing else, he owes it the people to at least try and fix some of the heinous laws enacted over the last 3 terms (Like the DMCA and copyright law for starters)
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Left vs. Right and the copyright issue...
Conversely, if the left wins, we will see, for the short term, a slackening of the copyright laws... That is until the liberazi in Hollywood begin to demand stiffer penalties for their foisted work, and the eventual appropriating everything to the state and re-distributing of it to the people. Doesn't SEEM bad at first, but without rewards for performance, no one is going to write or perform anything good, and open source software will be appropriated just as harshly.
Truth be told, on copyright law, the organized criminals in the **AAs and SBA, are playing both the left, and the right for fools. So I feel that McCain or Obama will be just as numb to the realities of the digital revolution, due to the special interests (**AAs/SBA) having their ear allready.
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Re: Left vs. Right and the copyright issue...
Zaphod spouted:
Citation needed.
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So - I was prepared to consider McCain...
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Computers to fit the decor.
the-ultimate-steampunk-computer
category-gadgets
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Re: Edward McParland
Anyway, to answer the article's title's question- yes. Every politician should be forced to be tech savvy, read tech savvy news sites, and use p2p downloading if they want any copyrighted content until enough of them see the light and reform copyright laws.
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McCain's Computer Illeteracy
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Decoration?
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Re: Decoration?
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"That's a dangerous approach to things that a president will have to make policy on. As is, too many of these politicians take the word of their researchers and 'experts' as gospel ignoring the fact that all people have an agenda, and can and will use that kind of influence to further it."
The president needs to be informed and knowledgeable about the fundamentals of how the economy operates, and the modern, global economy is completely electronic. How can the man make (good) policy if he doesn't know the his ass from the Caps Lock key?
As for his Cabinet positions, get real! We as a country do not need, and really cannot afford more corrupted politicians hoisting their bought-and-paid-for-by-corporate-amerika agenda's on us. thats how we got into this mess with the DMCA, ATCA, COPA, and other very dangerous, and tax-revenue wasting legislation.
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Your statement that "he best Presidents in History did their job without the technology we have." is also utterly irrelevant. They didn't have *our* technology, but they were most certainly aware of the technology used by the majority of their citizens in the time they lived.
Businesses and ordinary citizens depend on computer technology for day-to-day life. It is not acceptable for a US president to be totally out of touch with a 30 year old piece of technology that the business, commerce, communication, finances, even education of his citizens depends on. He cannot possibly make effective decisions if he is.
"I'd like to think that the next Commander in Chief is better able to solve World problems.... than how to make butterfly cursors dance on his MySpace page, or waste time on iTunes."
I'd like to think that the next Commander In Chief knows how to use an office package, send and receive email, balance figures electronically, view world events as reported from the eyes of his enemies and opponents, and understand how modern business works. That *would* make him better able to solve world problems.
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POTUS: "Look, kitties."
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Imagine instead...
Now imagine the average American's reaction... considering the price of gasoline, the state of the US road system, and the general "out of touch-ness" such an idea implies.
Eric
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duh!
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Not out of touch...just out of date
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21st Century Presidents
That's the sincle most astute observation on the matter that I've read to date.
I've often wondered how different the current President's perception of the world might have been if he'd bothered to look around at it.I have it on good authority that GWBush is inept at so mundane a device as a pocket calculator- leave alone a PC.
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Re: 21st Century Presidents
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Economy and Technology
I can read Techdirt, but how does that enable me to better decide how to answer to the demands of Venezuela? I can write a wiki page, but I don't think I could write, or even read over, a bill for a comprehensive corporate tax reform.
I would love a job where I don't need to use a computer, I'd much rather read through a sheaf of papers, or have someone summarize them for me.
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No to Barney Rubble
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McCain saying he doesn't know how to use a computer is like Kennedy not knowing how to use a TV or a telephone. Sure, it's possible to get the job done in some way without knowing those things, but how could he know or relate to the daily lives of his citizens?
If McCain became president, he would be passing policies and making decisions without any direct knowledge of how modern business, commerce, or communication works. That's unacceptable.
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IDK, my BFF PM Brown?
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Pelosi si illiterate too
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Pinch of salt
My mum is very computer literate - hotmail, ebay, google and my cellphone number is all she needs. Do you think she's a great grasp of the knowledge based economy? She still tells her friends "my son does something with computers..."
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Re: Pinch of salt
McCain flew many years ago, before computers were as pervasive as they are now in jets so he wouldn't necessarily have been exposed to them. Even if he was, it's now an antiquated and highly specialised technology with little resemblance to the modern PC. And yes, the illiteracy is most likely a choice but that reflects badly on him. How can a man run the country properly without understanding one of the basic methods by which business is conducted today?
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Re: Re: Pinch of salt
>>understanding one of the basic methods by which business
>>is conducted today?
Couldn't have said it better, PaulT. Another thing is to understand, first hand, how computers is creating new businesses, and subsequently, challenges, in methods business is conducted that didn't exist 5 or 10 years ago-- business process outsorcing, job offshoring, international IP/patent/copyright, business process patents to name a few, are all things easier thru this magic box we call a computer.
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Blown way out of proportion...
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Re: Blown way out of proportion...
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Here's why the president needs to be Net literate
but the gist is that the only way a leader can be in touch is to use the best tools to do so, and the Net is the only platform that supports millions. You need to know the way people express themselves on the Net, and either be a little hands on, or have a confidante who gets it.
My experience is first hand, a community of tens of millions.
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economic proportion
Specifically, what factors would affect the current price of oil, like oh say, increasing supply thru drilling vs. looting the SPR vs. stealing "windfall profits."
You know, baby steps. sheesh.
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