The Struggle for White House 2.0
You may have heard about the arguments going back and forth about whether or not President Obama gets to keep his BlackBerry and e-mail while president. Seems crazy in 2009 to cut the President off from the forms of communication that we're all so accustomed to, but both Clinton and Bush did it - it's standard.
Obama objected, though. After expressing a desire to keep his beloved smartphone and e-mail privileges in the White House, a debate erupted about the possible ramifications of a wired president. Would all of his mobile communications be made available to the public in the same manner that all written correspondence is required to be? What about all of the possible security concerns?
But Obama, like so many of us, understands the benefits of living in a wired world. When asked about his desire to keep the device, he has stressed the importance of staying connected to friends and family out in the real world, away from the bubble of Washington and the White House. To the new president, e-mail isn't just a matter of convenience; it's a necessity in his decision-making process.
It’s puzzling why it took so long for the experts to look for a solution to the technological blackout in the White House. We, the Internet Generation, would have immediately began finding or developing the technology to “make it work” (a la Project Runway’s Tim Gunn) years ago.
For now, Obama seems to have won the first battle in the war to update the White House. Reports say that he’s getting a fancy, BlackBerry-like smartphone... now dubbed the BarackBerry. Now we’ll just have to wait and see if the campaign that revolutionized electoral technologies can modernize their new digs in the White House - next stop, WiFi and laptops!
Obama objected, though. After expressing a desire to keep his beloved smartphone and e-mail privileges in the White House, a debate erupted about the possible ramifications of a wired president. Would all of his mobile communications be made available to the public in the same manner that all written correspondence is required to be? What about all of the possible security concerns?
But Obama, like so many of us, understands the benefits of living in a wired world. When asked about his desire to keep the device, he has stressed the importance of staying connected to friends and family out in the real world, away from the bubble of Washington and the White House. To the new president, e-mail isn't just a matter of convenience; it's a necessity in his decision-making process.
It’s puzzling why it took so long for the experts to look for a solution to the technological blackout in the White House. We, the Internet Generation, would have immediately began finding or developing the technology to “make it work” (a la Project Runway’s Tim Gunn) years ago.
For now, Obama seems to have won the first battle in the war to update the White House. Reports say that he’s getting a fancy, BlackBerry-like smartphone... now dubbed the BarackBerry. Now we’ll just have to wait and see if the campaign that revolutionized electoral technologies can modernize their new digs in the White House - next stop, WiFi and laptops!
Labels: cell phone, Obama, technology
posted by francesca at 6:30 PM
1 Comments:
We the Internet Generation should take a greater role in our future and voice our problems in our communities. Thank God for orgs like Rock the Vote and 99problems.org where you can submit the issue in your life or in your area.
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