Experiences w/ Tech-Savvy Politicians? 109
leperjuice asks: "I recently had the pleasure of speaking with John Podesta (Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff, now a visiting professor at Georgetown ) about tech issues and was pleasantly surprised: not only did he know of the DeCSS case but he knew of Jon Johansen and actually quoted an interview with him. This got me thinking; which politicos out there actually understand tech issues (rather than just have a staffer who occasionally reads Wired)? Which ones don't? What have been your experiences?"
NC Senator Eric Reeves (Score:1)
Although he's only in North Carolina's General Assembly at this point, the techies are very glad to have him.
BTW, his website is here [state.nc.us], or at http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/members/sen
Gore "got it" anyway (Score:1)
Re:Orrin Hatch (Score:1)
click here and listen [mp3.com] to Senators Hatch, Leahy, Feinstein, Schumer and Cantwell at the latest Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and decide for yourself
Re:My Experience with Al Gore (Score:1)
Then he gave a speech on how parallel computing was the future because it distributed processing out with the data, in the same way that localized democracy is more effective than centralized government because it puts decision-making close to the people. And he's a very good speaker in person. And Tipper stayed out of the way...
Of course, when they showed the coverage on the evening news, (1) he looked wooden, and (2) they only showed trivia such as an instant when he tripped over a cable. It's a shame that TV "news" programs are all abbout entertainment/ratings rather than information.
Re:I know a few (Score:2)
I don't know about now, but NSA paychecks and direct deposit paystubs used to be written by the Department of Agriculture, which confused many people. This was not because of any nefarious intent, but because USDA had a huge payroll system and did the payroll & checkwriting for a lot of other agencies in the DC area.
Intelligence people from all agencies who work "openly" outside the U.S. are typically attached to the local U.S. emabassy or consulate and are usually identified as State Department employees (and are often on "temporary duty" with State) so they can claim diplomatic immunity.
- Robin
Re:Not a great example... (Score:1)
Some expertise in whatever issue is at hand certainly helps, but their main skill is usally people. Hence, you don't usually find a lot of techies in politics.
Oh give me a break... (Score:2)
They predominantly give money to the Democrats.
Hatch could care less about Napster, or any of the ideals or philosophy of copyright.
He is only concerned with hurting funding sources for his competition.
That's it. If the MPAA and RIAA was giving him millions for his campaign, he'd be doing his best to protect the interests of that funding.
He's like most all politicians... completely transparent.
wrong, wrong, wrong (Score:1)
We had a very cordial conversation over coffee and jalepeno poppers where i thanked him for his enlightened stance and his work on the matter. This is when he told me how much he hated how record companies screw with artists and their rights.
So, VAXman, you're just plain wrong.
Also, on a side note, Senator Hatch HAS heard of
Rep. Rick Boucher? (Score:2)
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Re:Orrin Hatch (Score:2)
a reply to all the threads below....
While most of us may disagree with Hatch's opinions on tech, the fact of the matter is, he has opinions, and they're based on some knowledge of the actual tech involved. Even if he doesn't go the same way we do, at least he knows enough to go some way on his own accord, as opposed to being pulled along with the rest of the House and Senate that have no idea what's going on.
Re:Orrin Hatch, not John Podesta (Score:1)
Oh, right. My bad.
Orrin Hatch, not John Podesta (Score:2)
You know why? (Score:3)
Interesting intersection between the religious right and the hackers, eh?
At the same time, while I feel that the Right (hell, the Left too) has forsaken the normal citizen for corporate interests, it's interesting to see that when a legislator is directly, adversely affected by a corporate interest, all of a sudden they sing a different tune. So to speak.
I mean, if you told me that Orrin Hatch was on the Napster side of the online music distribution argument, I'd think you were nuts - if I didn't know that he had personal reasons to snub the RIAA.
Re:Dubya is Tech-Savvy (Score:2)
So what if he did? It's true.
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Re:Geography is a good guide (Score:2)
The guy who ran against Feinstein, Tom Campbell, (he was too much of a maverick to have any chance of winning) was pretty sharp. Stanford prof and congressman from the SV area, and very up on the anti-trust issues with Microsoft and encryption policy. Too bad he's out of government now. There's various other industry functionaries that have been elected to certain posts, but I would say that's more "chamber of commerce" than "technically saavy".
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Re:Perhaps I was unclear... (Score:2)
Re:Al Gore (Score:1)
Informative????? (Score:1)
And yet, this post has a score of 5, and is rated as informative! You people have a strange idea of what is "information".
Please think twice before moderating dubious posts in the future!
Sens. Russ Feingold D-WI & Pat Leahy D-VT (Score:4)
The only Senator who really outstrips him in this area is Patrick Leahy, D-VT, who takes the lead on more tech issues (Feingold often being a co-sponsor), especially since Feingold has put so much effort into the campaign finance issue.
But especially in those early days around 1995, when hardly anyone really knew what the internet was, Feingold said on the Senate floor [sandwich.net],
Guaranteeing the Internet is free of speech restrictions, other than the statutory restrictions on obscenity and pornography which already exist, should be of concern to all Americans who want to be able to freely discuss issues of importance to them regardless of whether others might view those statements as offensive or distasteful. Shifting political views about what types of speech are unsuitable should not be allowed to determine what is or is not an appropriate use of electronic communications. While the current target of our political climate is indecent speech (the so-called "seven dirty words"), a weakening of First Amendment protections could lead to the censorship of other crucial types of speech, including religious expression and political dissent. I believe the censorship of the Internet is a perilous road for the Congress to walk down. It sets a dangerous precedent for First Amendment protections and it is unclear where that road will end.
Very impressive. Remember, this was nineteen-ninety-five, TIME magazine was running cover stories suggesting the internet was some sinister force creeping into our homes, and most people still had to have the word explained to them. In those days [mit.edu], it was difficult to find anyone who would stand up for the rights of internet users, who were seen as a fringe group of suspicious characters, hackers, pornographers, terrorists and worse -- rather than today's view that the internet is a basic utility to be enjoyed by all citizens. Fortunately, shortly after this I attended a Rotary Club meeting where he spoke (we are from the same home town), and in the Q&A time I stood up and let him know that a lot of people online considered him a hero.
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lake effect [lakefx.nu] weblog
The Ex-Prime Minister (Score:2)
During his time as Swedish Prime Minister, the Swedish Government opened their first version of their website (I can't remember what year, but it was when Lynx and Mosaic were the only browsers available), and his party were very early using BBSes to distribute information throughout the organization.
He was the first swedish politician to start an on-line diary (an e-mail list), which he has (personally, actually - fairly unusual for such a high-ranking politician) updated once a week ever since '95. It was then written mostly on European airports inbetween flights and uploaded to the net using a GSM cellular phone.
I remember an interview he attended (with Stina Dabrowski if any Swede out there wonders), where he was asked about his interest for technology, and he claimed that he wasn't a tech nerd, but liked using new technology if it was better than old technology, and he had a positive attidute towards what new technology would be able to do in the future.
It is claimed in Sweden that he was the first prime minister of the world to communicate using e-mail with the US President - even if I guess it's mostly been used as a PR stunt.
It's fairly easy to sigh when comparing him with our current minister of communication and infrastructure who just a few years ago stated that "The Internet is just something that will pass by unnoticed and then being forgotten" (swedish: min tolkning av 'internet är bara en fluga').
Re:Get rid of the greybeards (Score:1)
This is a really interesting post...I really can't tell if you are serious or just a very slick troll.
EEFI's: essential elements of friendly information (Score:1)
And remind you that when Tom Clancy originally wrote "The Hunt for Red October", Senior Navy people freaked. They figured that he HAD to have somebody who leaked intel to him. You CAN piece a lot of classified data together from unclassified sources, if you know your subject.
I remember, unpleasantly, the grilling **I** got as a young 2nd Lieutenant, I was briefed on the deployment, ranges and capabilities of and its' fighter aircraft. I flew B-52's at the time. 5 minutes with a map, and I pronounced them not a threat in a WWIII/nuclear secnario ?
Let's see, max range and max endurance from closest base put them in operations circle "a". We put maximum speed on, and in same time, can operate in maximum circle "b". Circles did not intersect. Hence, no threat. But until I showed them that on paper, I was in big trouble for about 30 minutes. Soon thereafter, I had additional duties in the intelligence shop (g)
Idiots do NOT survive Flight School. . . (Score:1)
Remember your first day in college ?? Remember how the pace seemed like drinking from a fire hose, compared to high school (mind you, this was 22 years ago...). Well, Military Flight School is the same experience, just turned up a few notches. The academic and mental pressure is intense, and on purpose. Yes, nearly anyone with a full set of basic human capacities can pilot a plane. The military needs quite a bit more. Try flying at 450 knots, 300 feet off the ground, in total darkness. Or keeping your situational awareness in a many-on-many furball. And then, delivering weapons onto a 4 foot bullseye. Those are just SOME of the capabilities a military pilot needs to have.
Pilots redundant ?? They're getting to that point now. In another 20 years, they will be. But we're not talking now, or 20 years ago: we're talking the early 1970s, where man HAD to be in the loop, at the controls.
And I suspect, the graduates of Wharton, Harvard Business, Stanford Business, etc, would take umbrage at your calling them a trade school. Those graduates have, in aggregate, been responsible for the generation of trillions of dollars in wealth. I hate to flame, but where's your equivalent achievement???
If you don't like Dubya, fine. But underestimate him only at your peril. . .
Re:Idiots do NOT survive Flight School. . . (Score:1)
Re:It doesnt matter... (Score:1)
Re:I know her too (Score:1)
Yeah, Dubya's a real idiot ... (Score:2)
Scored higher on his SAT than former Senator Bill Bradley, and by some reports Al Gore as well
Graduated Yale with a Bachlor's degree and a higher GPA than Al Gore's Harvard undergraduate GPA
Graduated from the U.S. Air Force's Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) and flew supersonic jet fighters
Graduated Harvard Business with an MBA (that's a Masters of Business Adminstration for you folks in Palm Beach County Florida)
Yeah, a real idiot. Let's compare to Al Gore:
Graduated from Harvard with a lower GPA than Bush's Yale GPA
Flunked out of Divinity School
Flunked out of Law School
And Al Gore is considered a Genious and Bush the idiot? Whatever!
Re:I know a few (Score:1)
An organization that does know (Score:1)
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Here in Kansas (Score:3)
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Check out the Scientific American Article (Score:3)
He got it. And he got it years before many of you youngun's first heard of the internet.
Tom Miller, Iowa Attorney General: Anti-UCITA (Score:2)
But there are some surprisingly clued-in politicians in Iowa when it comes to tech matters. Iowa attorney general Tom Miller is, IMO, one of the finest state AGs in the nation on tech issues. When UCITA had a full-court press going on it, Tom Miller advised the Iowa legislature that UCITA would ultimately be bad for customers; and, taking Miller's advice, the Iowa legislature passed an anti-UCITA law, making it very clear that Iowa not only does not have anything to do with UCITA, but has passed safe-harbor statutes specifying that Iowa consumers cannot be bound by UCITA.
Yes, that's right, you heard me. If you live in Iowa, you cannot be held accountable to UCITA, even if the EULA specifies that the license is enforced in a UCITA state.
The reasoning behind this is clear: no consumer contract can supersede State consumer protections. Since the State of Iowa has deemed UCITA to be dangerous, the Legislature has passed laws specifically to protect Iowans from UCITA.
Those laws wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Tom Miller pushing for them, hard, and educating a lot of the Legislature on the technical and legal implications of UCITA.
It doesnt matter... (Score:2)
Orrin Hatch (Score:2)
Re:Gore really did (Score:1)
Al Gore from about a year ago.
Podesta has known about tech/net for years (Score:2)
Do a quick Google search for "Podesta" and "EFF" [google.com]. The EFF [eff.org]'s Washington, DC office (back when EFF HQ was still in Cambridge) originally shared space with Podesta & Associates, and he did some legal consulting for the EFF, including helping to fight an early FBI data access plan [eff.org] (which sure sounds like what became Carnivore).
Of course, then he went to work for Bill & the Gang and was the person who answered EFF's questions about the good ol' Clipper Chip, with wording that amounted to "Yes, it's really secure. Trust us."
Dangers of Tech Savvy Politicians (Score:2)
So, while in Washington, D.C., I shared with Rep. Rohrabacher, Truax's vision of a rapid-turn-around reusable system and how additional legislation we were proposing, such as giving tax incentives for capitalization of commercial space transport systems, would help guys like Truax get people to plop down their own cash to help him get started.
I was pretty exhausted both physically and financially from all the political activism, so I took a position as VP of Public Affairs with E'Prime Aerospace Corporation [eprimeaerospace.com], initially to acquire the first Ka-band orbital slot from the FCC. It was for Norris Communications' geostationary "Norstar" satellite -- one of E'Prime's potential customers. This was all keeping an eye to attract capital for both E'Prime and Norris Communications. As part of that work, I ended up in Los Angeles. There, cable companies were interested in the high-frequency of Ka-band (and consequently smaller dishes for direct-broadcast media services). We had some potential investors interested. In the middle of the day of meetings with our potential investors, they disappeared. When we investigated, it turned out that McDonnell-Douglas had just (and I mean that day) held a press conference announcing they were going into a "public private partnership" to develop what would come to be known as the DC-X for "Delta Clipper-Experimental" [nasa.gov]. In addition to satellite launching, one of the early applications touted for this vehicle was to be commercial transportation services shuttling cargo between ports on earth.
McDonnell-Douglas's headquarters were located in Long Beach, CA just a few miles from our meeting place. Long Beach, CA was Rep. Rohrabacher's district.
Re:Informative????? (Score:2)
Or how about one of him and Herr Reno covering up federal racketeering [worldnetdaily.com] charges against Fuhr Clinton.
What about when he was a huge proponent of Carnivore and how he urged Congress to further wiretapping legislation? I wish I could find a URL for it though, specifically of him at the National Press Club. Stop being a CommiCrat and show some coherency.
Podesta is a criminal & threat to the Republic (Score:5)
By 1994, White House aide John Podesta had been called into the inner circle of the Clipper project. Meanwhile, Podesta's brother, Tony, a lobbyist and fund-raiser was representing AT&T. His donors and clients, including AT&T, were invited to participate in trade trips to China and obtain valuable export deals with Beijing. Only a year earlier, John Podesta had signed a legal statement promising not to engage in any conflicts of interest involving his brother.
Regional Coding (Score:1)
Can you explain them to me then please? Why can't I buy DVDs from the US in the same way I can buy books CDs and the like?
The only way around CSS is to either crack the coding (against your rules) or fix my DVD player and invalidate the warranty.
Re:You know why? (Score:2)
But it's a mistake to assume that just because somebody writes gospel music that he's part of the religious right. Christians have, historically, been involved in all kinds of liberal crusades -- just look at all the pictures of Catholic priests in anti-war protests in the '60s. Even today, there are plenty of religious moderates -- they just don't get all the attention that the bible-thumping homophobes do.
Why do I say this? Not because I'm a Christian. In fact, I'm an atheist. But my mother is a Christian with a pretty strong faith, and our relationship is built on non-denominational stuff like mutual respect and consideration. And that includes not assuming that the most extremist members of your faith speak for you.
Re:Orrin Hatch (Score:2)
AFAICT, the only reason Orrin Hatch is pro-Napster is because he is against the record companies. Not for artistic/ethical reasons, but because he thinks they should clean up the explicit lyrics, since he is part of the Christian Coalition, and thinks any music which doesn't praise God should be banned (you will recall that the RIAA is militantly against music labelling, censorship, and banning. Hilary Rosen herself won an award from the ALCU for her exemplary work in fighting for the First Amendment - against the PMRC, headed by none other than Tipper Gore).
Siding with someone just because they came to the "correct" view (in this case, pro-Napster) is extremely dangerous when you had wildly different means of getting to that view (for you, probably "information wants to be free"; for Hatch, the Christian Coalition's hatred of the RIAA). If you follow Hatch's reasoning, you will also think that prayer should be mandatory in school and evolution should be banned from biology class.
Hatch, of course, is also anti-Microsoft (which itself is neither a tech-savvy or tech-ignorant stance), and in fact was the principle instigator of the federal anti-trust suit. I believe the main reason for this is because Caldera is based in his home state (who, you will recall, launched their own anti-trust suit against MS nearly five years ago).
Re:Sens. Russ Feingold D-WI & Pat Leahy D-VT (Score:1)
I also recommend looking at the bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Internet Caucus: www.netcaucus.org
Liza
Not a great example... (Score:3)
For example, Ashcroft has powers granted by the legislature and the head of the DoJ. He is therefore confirmed by the Senate.
When the President hires an aide (normally done by someone assigned to this task by the Chief of Staff, who is responsible for overseeing the staff), they are not approved by the Senate.
Staff members extend the policians range by acting on their behalf.
However, in the article you state, "This got me thinking; which politicos out there actually understand tech issues (rather than just have a staffer who occasionally reads Wired)?" This is an ironic question to ask when you are excited about a Staffer understanding tech...
Alex
Perhaps I was unclear... (Score:3)
however, the Chief of Staff is NOT the same as a politician. In the cabinet, people are normally accomplished politicians... i.e. popular Senators, Governors, or the occaisional undersecretary from the last White House of that party.
When picking Cabinet members, the President has to make certain that the Senate will go along. For this reason, the people in the "official" capacity are choosen for their political skills to influence people, etc. They are done to "appease a constituency", "secure a state" for the next election, etc. Rarely are they chosen for their ability to manage the organization that they head. Bush's shortened transistion may have helped in this regard, because he plucked a LOT of No. 2s from the last GOP administration, his father's.
The Chief of Staff is choosen to get the job done. As a result, they are chosen for their political sense and administrative efficiency. Most of the Chiefs of Staff could never have been elected President or Vice President (although Cheney seems to act like a Chief of Staff at times...), but they can run the White House like nobody's business.
They are NOT a politician in the regards that Slashdotters think, but they are not an aide as you suggested that I implied. Senior level White House staff are a unique breed... influential, powerful, and significant.
Alex
Bush couldn't fly if he was launched from a cannon (Score:1)
<a href="http://www.realchange.org/bushjr.htm">
http://www.realchange.org/bushjr.htm
</a>
<p>Note that Bush got 25% on his flight aptitude test. This was the minimum allowed at the time, so it was probably bumped upward. Despite this horrible score, he was allowed a "direct appointment" as a second lieutenant. This meant he completely avoided officer school, where he might have actually had to work to get by.
<p>Further, he lost his flight privileges after refusing to take any more medical exams in May 1972. Why? Because the army started adding drug tests to their medical exams in April 1972. Connect the dots, friend.
<p>P.S. I didn't even mention his military desertion, when he was supposed to be in the Alabama reserve but never showed up for a year.
of OECD relevance (Score:1)
um (Score:1)
well, whenever I email (Score:2)
Re:Maria Cantwell? (Score:2)
Re:Dubya is Tech-Savvy (Score:3)
The Yahoo News story [yahoo.com] actually says that Bush asked federal employees to "cut back" on email, not to "send less" email. Two very different things.
With the way you worded it, you made it sound as if Bush thought having the computer on (and sitting there), did not use as much power as having the computer on AND sending email.
The actual wording [yahoo.com] indicates that Bush wanted people to use their computers less by cutting back on the time they spend in email. Seems reasonable to me.
I also suspect that Bush has a fairly good idea as to how much time an average person could waste reading non-essential email from friends/family [applesforhealth.com].
Re:Sens. Russ Feingold D-WI & Pat Leahy D-VT (Score:2)
He is a law professor, for christ sake! (Score:2)
My experience with James Barcia (Score:4)
During the forum, I had a chance to ask a question about whether the congressional candidates had supported the DMCA, and what they thought of its potential ramifications for independent computer scientists. While the worker couldn't provide an answer, she did take my name and phone number, and a few days later, Rep. Barcia called me at my home.
While he was be no means a geek, Jim seemed to have a very good grasp of many issues relating to technology and society (he serves on the house Science and Technology committee). We spoke about DeCSS and Napster in particular. He mentioned that his son is a Napster user, and agreed that modern record contracts are unfair to artists, relating a story about some high school friends of his who sold the rights to a rather popular song of theirs for the price of a new amp.
So, in short, I found Mr. Barcia to be very open-minded and well informed, as far as politicians go. If only the rest of the congress could be as cluefull as reps Boucher and Barcia...
Anonymous Luddite: "What do you think of the dehumanizing effects of the Internet?"
Utah Governor Leavitt is tech-savvy (Score:1)
Anyways, a lot of politicians know the concepts behind technology, but not very many of them actually use it hands on. You'd be surprised how many have staffers that read their email for them. Governor Leavitt is not one of those. He had a nice computer, a PDA, a Nokia flip/phone/computer like in that James Bond movie. He really gets into technology, even the geeky side of it. He asked me what I studied in school, I said "Computer Science", and we immediately began a discussion about distance learning. Keep in mind this is back in 1997. He told me about the distance learning initiatives that he is sponsoring with the University of Utah. Some of the things they are doing are years ahead of any other state in the country. I was personally surprised, but his basic philosophy is that technology will make the world a better place to live and I was very impressed.
After spending about a half hour setting up his ISDN router, I spent a couple of hours just surfing the web with him and showing him sites that had broadband content. I was thoroughly impressed.
Representative David Wu (Score:2)
Representative David Wu, the congressman for certain areas of Portland, OR, and outlying areas, has a reputation for being techincally minded. He was put on the congressional comittee on science and technology during his first term.
On the other hand, I have never heard him make a statement on any type of particular technology. Maybe people just assume he is scientifically minded because he is Asian (and no, that is not a flame...)
Correction (Score:1)
Re:Dubya is Tech-Savvy (Score:1)
You're right. I *do* find it surprising. Now, if Uncle Dick were building machines for him, I might believe that. I have heard, however, that he changes the oil on Air Force One himself.
I have to thank you for the wonderful thought of a true Dunce like W. mastering the finer points of LUNs and IRQs. Maybe the acid test for mainstreaming Linux should be that it's ready for prime time when W. can install it unassisted?
Re:I know a few (Score:1)
Thanks for narrowing it down. They should now be able to pick her up up by tomorrow at the latest.
Re:I know a few (Score:1)
FOIA? Private detective? Journalism? Or do you mean there's no legal way for *me* to find out? I am glad you asked her about this, but I still think it's ill-advised to describe anyone involved in that sort of work in a public forum with a degree of specificity that would allow anyone determined enough to figure out who you're referring to. I know I wouldn't want myself described in such detail. Would you?
Re:I know a few (Score:1)
Re:I know a few (Score:1)
Re:I know a few (Score:1)
OT - Re:Yeah, Dubya's a real idiot ... (Score:1)
Neither Albert Einstein nor Rush Limbaugh finished high school. So we should think stepping through any 4-year program is a reliable indicator of someone's future intellectual contributions to civilization? For that matter, I can think of an Ivy-league dropout who is reviled on
Graduated from the U.S. Air Force's Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) and flew supersonic jet fighters
Yes, defending Texas from Oklahoma, we know all about that. I suggest that learning to fly a plane is not all that difficult, and the skills required to do so are not the same as those needed to run a nation. Besides, pilots are becoming extraneous and unnecessary [slashdot.org].
Graduated Harvard Business with an MBA (that's a Masters of Business Adminstration for you folks in Palm Beach County Florida)
Remember, having an MBA just means that an accredited institution has confirmed what everyone knew all along: you (the MBA) are an idiot and a useless piece of shit to boot. In fact, the only people who sing the praises of the MBA are those who went through such a program and those who administer such a program. Everyone else knows they're worse than useless. MBA programs belong at trade schools, along with things like auto repair and industrial refrigeration.
As for Gore, I'm not claiming genius status for him, but I will say someone who didn't become a lawyer or a clergyman did society a favor.
What's your point here? Hitler was kind to puppies. McVeigh is a decorated Gulf War veteran. Bush is a King-Hell Fucking Moron [msn.com]. It's not enough your guy won, you have to pretend he's actually smart, too.
Re:I know a few (Score:1)
I don't know. It could have killed two birds with one stone. I sure the conspiracy crowd made major hay out of that one when it became known. OTOH, there's the whole Forest Service/CIA C-130 thing. Do a google on Gary Eitel [google.com] if you're interested.
Re:I know a few (Score:2)
There can't be that many "female DoD asymmetrical warfare specialists" running around in D.C. So, do you think maybe you've hurt your "friend" by posting here? It can't be that hard to draw up a list and start excluding people. Maybe she'll have a polygraph session bacause of you. Maybe she'll be followed. Maybe her conversations will be recorded. Oh, and did you have a Win2K license for that dual-boot you set up for her?
Between the cries of "National Security!" and "Software Piracy!" you could potentially be in a great deal of trouble, along with your friend.
Unless she's been directed to feed you exactly what they want to disseminate "from the ground up." Even then, I hope you gave her the Win2K license.
Re:Yeah, Dubya's a real idiot ... (Score:1)
Corrected link...Sorry (Score:1)
It's more than Tech knowledge! (Score:3)
However, we elect our representatives primarily for their integrity and political acumen. Their knowledge of technical issues is a pleasant plus, but even more important is if they have an open mind and keen interest in adressing technical issues such as our Virginia freshman congressman, Bob Schrock who is already on key technical committees. Senator Warner can also be trusted to study, consult with aides and vote meaningfully on technical issues.
The two engineers we elected as President, Herbert Hoover and Billy Carter, were voted out of office after leading our nation to undesireable economic states, despite their strong technical background.
Re:Dubya is Tech-Savvy (Score:1)
Indeed. Do you have *any* idea how much power
an Anonymous Coward uses?
Chris Mattern
Re:Idiots do NOT survive Flight School. . . (Score:1)
I had to deal with Pilot Trainees. They couldn't understand why their computer stopped working after they left it turned on, in a thunderstorm, under an open window, on the windward side of the building. The big puddle of water didn't even clue them in. These same trainees, are now pilots in the USN.
They are living proof idiots can graduate flight school in the military.
Dave
Rohrabacher = patent goon (Score:1)
Typing "rohrabacher patent" into Google finds any amount of other creepy stuff.
Give me tech-illiterate politicos please (Score:2)
Maria Cantwell? (Score:2)
Now, is this because her constituents are big corporations like Microsoft, or is she genuinely interested in the tech world? Who knows, but she's a million times more likey to help us geeks out than G.W. "I'm not gonna use E-mail" Bush.
My Experience with Al Gore (Score:3)
Within 15 minutes I recieved a reply message with my answer: Christmas Islands. I'm telling you, this guy is GOOD. You'd think the founder of the Internet would be working on implementing IPv6 or something lofty like that, but good ol' Al never loses his touch with the common people. It's really a shame that he didn't win the election. A President with a command of his essentials like that would be a credit to the nation. I know you're all thinking one of his staffers wrote it, but you're wrong. If anyone else has had any other positive experiences with Al Gore or goatse.cx, please reply below.
Don't sweat it (Score:1)
You're going to reap just what you sow.
Lou Reed, "Perfect Day" from Transformer
We sure didn't care 7 months ago (Score:1)
Senator Hatch talks out of both sides of his mouth (Score:2)
He is responsible for the copyright tem extionsion act or CTEA (written by Hatch). More here [eagleforum.org].
He co-authored the DMCA. More here [theregister.co.uk].
He got caught [go.com] trying to extend the patent on Claritin for the drug maker Schering-Plough, whose private jet he used when running for president.
He's also responsible for this juicy piece [slashdot.org]
This is not a Republican vs. Demoocrat issue either. What it is though is one congressman who has managed to single-handedly rape the public interest on tech issues. The public needs to be made aware of Senator Hatch's dismal record and he needs to be held accountable for his loathsome representation of the public interest.
Re:Perhaps I was unclear... (Score:2)
I still have to respectfully disagree and say that the CoS is a politician. At least to the extent that Condaleza Rice or many other cabinet members are - many cabinet members come from acadamia and not politics. Then again, judging by the political in-fighting at my future college, they might have more experience than most. I guess I just take a broader view of the word "politician" to include not just elected/confirmed officials, but also lobbyists, senior staff, etc.
By the way, thanks for helping me brush up on white house staff information for my AP Gov test Tuesday morning. It's all coming back to me now - Reagan's triangle of power (later to be modified), Carter's hands-on approach... excellent.
Re:Not a great example... (Score:5)
Your average college intern staffer (like those found in congressional offices, white house mail guys/tour guides, whatever) may not have much power, but don't think that the Chief of Staff is a peon just because the people's opinion doesn't give him/her authority.
It's nice that you can point out irony, but the poster wasn't wrong in the slightest. The Chief of Staff is a politician to the same level that a cabinet member / Judicial apointee / etc is. (H/Sh)e probably has more power than either during the time of their appointment as well. The Chief of Staff is responsible for more than the White House aides. The CoS also must arrange for the thousands of other executive branch run departments. Some of these jobs need Senate approval, some don't. Suffice to say, it's a demanding job and provides one with more power than almost any other in Washington.
Re:I know a few (Score:1)
I think he means Microsoft.
Re:Not a great example... (Score:3)
More disturbing than this, is the fact that the lobyists I've had the misfortune to talk to are even more knowlegable. This of course, shouldn't suprise anyone. The problem is, in the tech arena, more so than in others, knowlegable indeviduals exert far greater influence, than someone who might be speaking authoritatively on something like enviromental issues. This is a function of the technology industry's extensive use of jargon (which is a whole othrt discussion), but this use of jargon makes the technology insustry especially ceceptable to allowing marginally knowlegable indeviduals, masquerade as experts (also not an infrequent occurance) and due to the extensive use of jargon in the industry, come off more easily as expert than would be possible in industries in which a less extensive jargon vocabulary exists.
--CTH
--
Re:Gore really did (Score:1)
Orrin Hatch co-wrote the DMCA (Score:1)
Growing Part of Tech in Society (Score:1)
You think politicians use these things but have absolutely no clue how they work?
Also, politicians get asked question on all aspects of life as we know it- remember "Mr. Bush, what's the price of milk?"- if a reporter asks Politician X what his opinion is on the integration P2P file-sharing with copyright laws he better say "I don't know". Words of death.
This means that as time goes on more and more politicans will "speak the language" to a certain extent. Heck, kids know more about computers then many adults, and as they grow up and become politicans then we will have MANY tech-savvy reps running around on Capitol Hill.
--------------------------------------
Politicans know a little.... (Score:2)
-MR
Re:Why this fascination with young piloticos? (Score:1)
___________
I don't care what it looks like, it WORKS doesn't it!?!
Re:I know her too (Score:1)
Just in CASE someone's still tracking this damn thread, here's [imdb.com] some more information about Charlotte Blackwood and her stint at Miramar.
And I can't believe nobody caught it.
Nevermind Politicians (Score:3)
So does this mean the server is on Xmas Isle? (Score:2)
Or is it redirected, possibly to some place in Louisiana like in David Brin's Earth?
Re:Gore really did (Score:1)
Re:Check out the Scientific American Article (Score:1)
...wait...
TA DA! Government to the rescue with free computers for the poor.
Like all politicians, he buys votes with other peoples' money on conjured "emergencies." The Health Care "emergency" was already taken, see?
And why is it "Health Care"? I guess politicians decrying a "Medical Emergency" sounded too idiotic, so conjur up a new name...
Re:Oh give me a break... (Score:1)
> the ideals or philosophy of copyright.
>
> He is only concerned with hurting funding
> sources for his competition.
It's called Playing The Game for $$$. You don't think Clinton had Barbara Streisand over to the White House because he valued her razor mind and keen political analyses, do you?
Geography is a good guide (Score:3)
Senator Orrin Hatch [senate.gov] (see a statement about Napster [senate.gov]) has always seemed to have a clue (and an anti-Microsoft one) about these matters. This seems to be because of geography as well -- he's served in the Senate with Novell located in his state.
Re:You know why? (Score:2)
This is true, and is why he supported recent copyright extensions. It has nothing to do with being tech-savvy, and everything to do with serving his own interests.
Ryan T. Sammartino
Barry Jones of the ALP (Score:3)
Currently Australia doesn't have someone quite of that calibre. There are no more tax breaks for corporate R&D, professors in Australian Universities are stuck with declining pay rates compared to their overseas equivalents and it seems that all the worthwhile Australian inventions are being brought to market by non-Australian companies.
All of which might explain why half of the bright people I know have left to work in London, San Francisco, New York and Boston.
Wrong Question (Score:2)
Where they stand on those issues is the key.
Case in Point
Dick Cheney, our VP for those of you who missed the coup, is very tech saavy. He understands the technical issues surrounding cryptography so well that as Bush Senior's Secretary of Defense he lobbied the congress to outlaw any computer cryptography to which the government did not have a key. This was in the very early 90's before most politicians had even used a computer.
I'd say that puts Dick in the head of the class when it comes to knowledge about technical issues. I'd also say that he is no friend to Slashdotters!
Re:Dubya is Tech-Savvy (Score:3)
The AC's I can see, of course. But to put them in the same sentence with "sending email"?
My personal guess is that they have him running an Etch-A-Sketch.
Re:Barry Jones of the ALP (Score:3)
Dubya is Tech-Savvy (Score:2)
He also used email extensively, at least until privacy concerns caused him to stop recently.
KTS:Lover, Poet, Artiste, Aesthete, Utensil.