MyPolicy Technology Discussion HQ

Introducing the Obama 08 iPhone App

Scott Goodstein — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:15:18 EDT

With only 33 days left, it's more important than ever to call your friends and family to make sure they are registered and voting for Barack. We are excited to announce another way to help you organize your personal contacts and ask them to "get out and vote."

Today, we are launching an official iPhone Application, a free download for iPhone and iPod Touch users. This tool is designed to help you become more directly involved in our campaign to change our country.

The application has a "Call Your Friends" tool that helps you organize your contacts by key battleground states -- a feature we're hoping will generate thousands of additional personal contacts. You can also easily mark reminder notes to yourself on which friends you have called, who they are supporting and who wants a reminder call on Election Day. The information does not leave your phone (so your friends' and your own privacy are protected) but the total amount of calls the application makes are tallied, so you can keep track of your progress as we close in on November 4th.

The Obama 08 application also includes a tool to make it easy to find your local campaign office. Using your phone's current location, you can easily find a field office anywhere in the country (and even find directions to it using the mapping function).

Other features of the application include up to date news from the campaign, video, photos, and all of the issue information needed to use as talking points with your friends when convincing them to register and vote!

Please tell your iPhone users (and iPod Touch users) to download this app today. You can download the application here.

And all mobile users you can get news, updates, videos and more on your phone by texting SITE to 62262 to view our mobile WAP page.

Changes to the Website But No Change in Policy

Larry Strickling — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:25:30 EDT

In response to erroneous conclusions reached by some commentators that the Obama campaign’s changes to its website signal a change in policy, here is the campaign’s official response:

We’ve been updating the entire website to ensure consistency across the pages. The full tech plan is still available on the page, so there is absolutely no substantive change to our policy – the full plan is still available at the bottom of the page or by clicking here: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/technology/Fact_Sheet_Innovation_and_Technology.pdf

Announcing the Obama Mobile WAP Site

Scott Goodstein — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:13:15 EDT

Earlier today we launched the Obama mobile website, making it even easier for people who access Obama news on the go through their mobile phone Internet browser.

Our mobile website (called WAP for Wireless Application Protocol) will work on most phones that have mobile Internet access. You can text SITE to 62262 from your mobile phone to receive access.

We've added new features for the WAP site, including ringtones, wallpaper, and -- for the first time ever -- videos that you can download to your cell phone.

We'll be updating our WAP site often with news, videos and more. This site is ideal for all the people in your life that live and breathe on their cell phones.

Tell your friends to text SITE to 62262 to get connected to the official Obama for America mobile website.

How do we keep America competitive in the years ahead?

Scott Goodstein — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:50:24 EDT

On Tuesday, Barack proposed a new competitiveness agenda centered around education and energy, innovation and infrastructure, fair trade and reform. Today, on LinkedIn.com he is asking for your input.

What ideas do you have to keep America competitive in the years ahead?

Submit your ideas here or in the comments section below.

"Rebooting democracy" via the Personal Democracy Forum

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:08:55 EDT

Hey, the folks at the Personal Democracy Forum, an annual conference on how technology is changing politics that I attend, just started Rebooting America and the idea is to get lots of people's ideas on how to reinvent democracy using the net. Here's the deal:

When the Framers met in Philadelphia in 1787, they bravely conjured a new form of self-government. But they couldn't have imagined a mass society with instantaneous, many-to-many communications or many of the other innovations of modernity. So, replacing that quill pen with a mouse, imagine that you have to power to redesign American democracy for the Internet Age. What would you do?

Essays should be no longer than 1500 words and posted here no later than May 1. Readers can vote them up or down. Check out the details here.

Barack Obama speaks recently in San Francisco area

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:06:10 EDT

Hey, Barack spoke recently at a coupla fundraisers where he was extremely well received.

Drue Kataoka, from ValleyZen, was there, and got an okay to record some of his talk. Check it out here.

Election shocker: people view long Obama speeches online

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:04:30 EDT

Well, looking at the numbers, people are turning to substantive speech in long form online.

Jon Stewart captured the gist; people are shocked that Obama's treating us like adults.

Micah Sifry and Andrew Rasiej capture the issues in an article in Politico:

So far, Obama's videos have been viewed more than 33 million times on YouTube--and that's not counting partial views, since YouTube only reports a full viewing as a "view." His campaign has uploaded more than 800 video clips, and adds several more a day.

If you just look at his ten most viewed videos, here are some astonishing facts:
The average number of views for these top ten is currently more than 1.1 million (nearly double the average from a month ago!)

The average length of these ten videos is 13.3 minutes.

There have been nearly 3.9 million views of the longest of Obama's most popular videos, his "A More Perfect Union" speech on race in America.

In an age of sound bites, that's pretty impressive; in particular, his speech on race is maybe genuinely historic.

The Times is talking about the youth aspect in this regards.

Big things, they're happening.

The "Change Congress Project" with Larry Lessig, Sunlight Foundation, and Omidyar Network

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:29:48 EDT

... or, as Sunlight Foundation puts it: Mr. Lessig Comes to Washington

Hey, with this election year, and tools for Congressional accountability and transparency coming online, we got something big coming up. I really feel this is big history in the making.

Lawrence Lessig, Stanford University law professor and world-renowned expert in intellectual property, is announcing that he's going to invest a significant amount of his time and energy confronting the pervasive and corruptive influence of money in our democracy. You may have heard of the recent Draft Lessig movement that almost convinced him to run for Congress. He ultimately decided not to make the run, but he's not retreating from the fight.

Today, at a lecture here in Washington, sponsored by Sunlight and Omidyar Network, he's launching the ChangeCongress project where he'll focus his academic interests on the issue of the systemic corruption of American democracy. Lessig will outline his hopes for ChangeCongress and how it will help citizens reclaim their democracy from the culture of corruption.

Lessig will give his lecture at 1:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) today at the National Press Club. We are very proud that Lessig recently joined Sunlight's advisory board, where he's helping us stay on the vanguard of using technology to promote a transparent and open government.

These guys are the real deal, I'm just a pretty face.

Check that link for the webcast and more.

ObamaWorks Launched

Beth from San Francisco, CA — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:10:44 EST

A few days ago, I posted an excerpt from an editorial by two Yale students (David Manners-Weber and Justin Kosslyn) who, inspired by the Obama campaign rhetoric, put out a challenge to their peers to take action in their own neighborhoods. (Incidentally, there's a new site called The Point, which is designed to help people issue challenges, to others. I'll do X if 10 other people do Y.)

The Yale article intrigued Princeton graduate student Arvind Murugan, who wrote about the article on a few listservs which were, in turn, read by Philadelphia area residents who started collaborating through emails and impromptu meetings to launch a grassroots movement dubbed Obama Works. ObamaWorks is a means to create visible public service projects and inspire collective action.

On March 1, Philly residents will hold a "Philly Sweep" and it is expected that other neighborhood clean-ups will take place around NYU and Yale, too. As one of the authors wrote me, "I couldn't be more thrilled to let you know that, with the help of people I've never even met, words are getting turned into action."

Manners-Weber goes on to say in his email about my earlier blog posting: "In your post, you wrote of "people collaborating to improve their own social conditions." Well it looks like folks are starting to do just that - within 24 hours, 100 people signed up to participate in the "Obama Philly Sweep," where volunteers will be cleaning up the streets around the Graduate Hospital area."

Here is their press release:

Philadelphia, March 1, 2008... Within only 24 hours, 100 supporters of Barack Obama signed up for the first Obama Philly Sweep, which kicks off at 2227 Christian St. in the Graduate Hospital area on Saturday, March 1st, at 1:00 pm. Street cleaning tops the agenda for this community service event - signaling the start of a new breed of political campaign that brings volunteers together around a constructive purpose. The Obama Philly Sweep is the first local event hosted by Obama Works, a grassroots organization currently taking shape in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Obama Works intends to implement Barack Obama’s message of change through community service projects. According to organizer Amirah Naim, the group is “working to transcend our differences and transform our country.”

Obama Works will sponsor additional clean-up efforts in other Philadelphia neighborhoods prior to March 24th, the voter registration deadline for the Pennsylvania primary election. After the primary, Obama Works will continue to develop and organize a variety of community service outreach projects.

Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things

Beth from San Francisco, CA — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:10:56 EST

""Hope is the bedrock of this nation. The belief that our destiny will not be written for us but by us....by all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is, who have the courage to remake the world as it should be," said Obama in his Iowa victory speech on January 3, 2008. "Together ordinary people can do extraordinary things."

Justin Kosslyn, a junior in Ezra Stiles College at Yale University and David Manners-Weber a sophomore in Yale's Calhoun College take the message to heart. In an article the Yale Daily News, Kosslyn and Manners-Weber imagine that, instead of simply getting out the vote, young people follow Obama's exhortation to make change happen in the world.

We have three examples of what such projects might look like. The first is simple: neighborhood cleanup. Residents driving through town squares and walking through local parks would find groups of enthusiastic Obama volunteers picking up cigarette butts and candy wrappers. The volunteers on this project, and all such projects, would be decked out in Obama T-shirts, stickers and buttons."

Our second sample service project is a 5K run through Main Street to raise money for a local charity. In Connecticut, our state, we could support Operation Fuel, which subsidizes heating for low-income families. Obama has spoken about the impact of high fuel prices on working families, so this type of service complements Obama’s message.

Finally, Obama volunteers could work through local YMCAs to further a myriad of small-scale local projects. These range from re-tiling the bathroom in a local women’s shelter to distributing children’s books from the local book bank. Though often less visible than traditional campaigning, these efforts have the potential to generate tremendous word-of-mouth credibility and support for Obama.

They have the right idea. Unlike the Republican leaders who after 9/11 called for us to shop as a sign of patriotism, these Yale students, inspired by Obama's leadership, talk of becoming engaged and involved. They do not ask what Washington will do for them nor do they contentedly envision their role as passively voting every fourth year. These are the young people who want to make change happen for themselves in their own communities. Working together, people have the ability to do what they cannot do alone and the projects they envision imagine people collaborating to improve their own social conditions. Obama's message, strongly echoed in the Tech Plan's new vision for government, puts inspired students like Kosslyn and Manners-Weber at the center of the solution.

Barack Obama: a leader, not a boss

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:17:59 EST

Days ago, I figured out why I'm drawn to Barack, heart and mind.

Pretty much all of us work for a boss, sometimes one who's a pretty good manager, but we do what they want since they're the boss.

A good boss or manager can get a job done, but can't motivate more than a relative handful of people at a time, and that doesn't get big jobs done.

Recently, I've developed the unfortunate habit of reading history, seeing that now and then there've been people who moved entire nations. They're usually competent managers, but have some elusive additional ability that makes then what we call leaders.

That includes JFK, Lincoln, Elizabeth I, Victoria, Gandhi, Churchill, and a short list of others that you know.

We need to restore American values to the White House, and to enlist all Americans in that effort; we want to be the good guys again. That takes a leader, and that means Barack Obama.

Young Voters Organizing, MySpace-MTV Dialogue & New Ringtones!

Scott Goodstein — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:47:36 EST

With so many issues directly affecting young voters, it is exciting to see the overwhelming support our campaign is receiving from this new generation of voters. As Barack has said many times before, "our nation is at war; our planet is in peril," and it truly is time for the next generation to carry the torch. Please view this online video of how the young voters are not just voting for Barack Obama, but organizing for him.

MySpace and MTV are doing another "Presidential Dialogue" in the final days before the Super Tuesday Election. You can watch it live on MTV or online at MySpace.com.

New Ringtones!

Visit Obama Mobile to check out our new ringtones! Make sure all your friends know who you are supporting in the days ahead. There are even versions of Barack chants of "Fired up, Ready to Go!" My personal favorite the one where Barack says, "It's time we all answer the call!"

Text Ringtone 11 to 62262

YouBama; meBama

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:27:17 EST

Hey, I just got video blogged, saying briefly that leadership, hard as it is to articulate, is what Barack's about.

You can find it on YouBama, a really good viral effort by Christopher Pedregal.

(Hey, I want to be voted as popular as George Clooney; that would be the same as voting for George Costanza, preserving the number of Georges.)

Also available on YouTube here.

The Kids Are Finally Uniting

Scott Goodstein — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:01:35 EST

A recent California rally photo posted to BlackPlanet.com/Barack_Obama

According to The Nation "Obama has won among 18-29 year olds in every state, garnering 67% of their votes in South Carolina, 59% in Nevada, 51% in New Hampshire and 57% in Iowa."

In addition to pounding the pavement for this campaign, young voters are showing their support online and getting their friends involved as well. Using social networks, text messaging and the online organizing tools on my.barackobama.com, our supporters are getting the message out far and wide.

This excitement is showing up all over the internet as we now have over 12 million YouTube views, and over 200,000 friends on Facebook, MySpace and BlackPlanet, respectively.

We are excited to announce state-specific pages on both MySpace and BlackPlanet to help our supporters find each other, have local discussions and better organize. We hope that these relationships and networks become a place to work on local issues and share ideas as we change our country one neighborhood at a time. To find your state pages visit Myspace.com/BarackObama and BlackPlanet.com/Barack_Obama

We are also excited to receive TechCrunch's endorsement today as well as recently win all the progressive states primaries involved in the PickYourPresident.org online poll.

While online polls do not win elections, they are another way for those of us that do not live in an early state to share in the excitement of this growing movement and express our support.

After working in young voter politics for the last 5 years, I am truly excited to see young voters finally coming out en-mass to change the world.

But, we have a lot more work to do in the days ahead -- this is only the beginning.

Sen. Obama's Tech and Innovation Plan: A Vision for Democracy

Parul — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:47:01 EST

What an exhilarating victory for the Obama Team in Iowa last night! Could this mean that we are a step closer to finally electing a President that understands the importance of embracing a communications policy that not only promotes competition and innovation, but also recognizes the impact of a communications policy on civic engagement and progressive social policy?

I think so. While I was quite confident that Sen. Obama would create an innovative and forward thinking communications and technology plan, the actual details of the plan surpassed my expectations. Here are my top three reasons why:

Changes in the economy and the campaign

Robert Cohen — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:29:55 EST

I am hoping for a win tonight, but I think the complexion of the campaign will change dramatically in the coming weeks.

<>Yesterday, for the first time in five years, manufacturing data showed a contraction and the forecast for the future was for a contracting manufacturing sector. A number of forecasters noted the slowing growth at the end of last summer, but it had little impact on the stock market and consumer spending. In addition, oil prices spiked over $100, meaning that costs for energy will very likely continue to increase over the coming months.<>

If the figures we had yesterday for US manufacturing get reinforced by other trends, the US economy is going to go into a tailspin in the next 6 to 9 months and the key issues in the campaign are likely to shift even more from international to domestic, with a big emphasis on what to do about an economic decline.

<>So far, the discussion during the campaign has shied away from considering such an econommic turn of events. But if there is such a large and rapid shift in the fate of the US economy, this will affect the election. Obama's emphasis on vision and leadership will be even more important.

<> The issue will be what content he uses to spell out a vision to bring about change and economic vitality.

<>
<>To develop this content, several questions would need to be addressed:

<>1. What helps people keep jobs rather than lose them, particularly during a swift downturn if it happens? How might technology initiatives help these efforts?

2. What keeps the financial system, including smaller banks and state funds where localities have deposited funds, from going out of business or reducing their loans to consumers, localities, and firms?

3. What new institutions, like the ones we had in the savings and loan crisis, such as the Resolution Trust, might be needed to keep the financial system, consumers, and industry financed and functioning?

4. What new mechanisms for recovery and job creation would have the greatest impact and limit the costs to the government?

5. If the crisis begins to recycle from overseas back to the US, because industrial activity and consumption slow in important parts of Europe and Asia, what policies would ~~a new administration propose to put in place shortly after "Day 1" to~~ insure that these negative impacts don't worsen the efforts at recovery in the US.

<>In sum, there would need to be a Recovery Agenda that could be implemented shortly after "Day 1."

<> <>I'd appreciate any comments on these thoughts.

Bob Cohen

Economic Strategy Institute (for identification only)

More praise for USASpending.gov

Bill Lake — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:16:32 EST

Here's more praise for USASpending.gov, the new source of information on government spending that was created by the Obama-Coburn bill:

http://www.bluejersey.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=6413

(See more about USASpending.gov in Craig's Dec. 14, 2007 post.)

This new database, stemming from legislation that Barack pushed through Congress, is a concrete example of what his devotion to transparency in government can achieve. As Barack's technology plan makes clear, an Obama presidency will give us much more of the same -- thus creating a new relationship between Americans and our government.

As I leave for New Hampshire with three of my children to help get out the vote, it is exciting to know that this election can bring the change our country desperately needs. Bill Lake

Freedom to Tinker Covers Obama Tech Plan

Beth from San Francisco, CA — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:47:59 EST

Princeton Computer Science Professor, Ed Felten, Director of Princeton's Center for InfoTech Policy and renowned blogger on Internet freedoms has an extended posting and commentary (http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=1241) on "Obama's Digital Policy." The blog states: "A quick glance at the sites of other candidates suggests that Obama is an outlier -- none of the other major players has gone into anywhere near the level of detail that he has in their official campaign output."

"My favorite part of the document, by far, is the section on government transparency."

On leave from Google for Obama

Dan Siroker — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:11:04 EST

Working in a campaign is a lot like swimming in the ocean: it looks fun on the surface but underneath you are paddling as fast as they can to stay afloat and despite your best efforts you never know where the currents will take you.

This is the first of what I hope to be a handful of posts about my month-long hiatus from Google to work for Barack Obama’s campaign in Chicago.

FCC Processes Show Need for Obama Tech Plan

Gigi B. Sohn — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 23:02:09 EST

Hi! My name is Gigi Sohn, and I run an organization in Washington DC called Public Knowledge, which working to defend your rights in the emerging digital culture. Our biggest issues include preserving an open and universally accessible Internet and ensuring that copyright and patent laws do not inhibit creativity, innovation, competition and free speech. So Public Knowledge does a lot of work at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Copyright Office, the Patent and Trademark Office and in Congress.

In November, I was honored to be asked to evaluate Barack Obama’s technology and innovation plan, and I gave it very high marks. This should come as no surprise, since Senator Obama’s plan explicitly embraces the principle of network neutrality to preserve an open Internet; calls for increased broadband deployment; and recognizes the need for a balanced copyright and patent system that “promote[s] civic discourse, innovation and investment.”

Today I want to discuss a different and equally important part of the Obama Technology and Innovation plan: that which seeks to use technological means to make government more transparent and accountable and to give citizens the tools to participate in government processes. Among other things, the plan would:

•    Make government data available online in universally accessible formats to allow citizens to make use of the data to comment, derive value and take action in their own communities;
•    Establish pilot programs to open up government decision-making and involve the public in the work of agencies;
•    Requiring Executive Branch appointees and administrative agencies to conduct their business in public and to employ technological tools to allow citizens to participate and be heard in these meetings;
•    Provide a website, search engine and other web tools that enable citizens to track the influence of money in the political process;
•    Create the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer to ensure that the government has the right technological infrastructure and that it makes its records open and accessible.

Nothing points out the dire need for these kind of steps than the way that the FCC functions today, particularly as issues like net neutrality, broadband competition and media ownership have captured the attention of the general public. Despite the increasing importance and awareness of how government regulates (and in the case of this administration, refuses to regulate) our media and telecommunications systems, the FCC remains an agency dominated by opaque processes, corporate lobbyists and perhaps one of the most user-unfriendly websites in all of government (especially ironic for the agency that is expert on communications).   It is for these and other reasons that both House Energy and Commerce Chair John Dingell (D-MI) and Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) have called for inquiries into the FCC’s procedures.

Lack of Transparency: Despite the good intentions of the Government in Sunshine Act, its requirement that a formal meeting be held if more than two Commissioners meet places power in unappointed staffers. The staffers negotiate with each other and the votes are tallied before the Commission’s monthly meeting takes place. Thus, the formal meetings are staged events where the outcome is predetermined and the Commissioners come armed with pre-prepared statements. The public has no voice in these meetings.

The FCC’s processes also place inordinate power in the Chairman’s office. The Chairman decides when to send a proposed final decision to the other Commissioners and in the recent controversial decision on media ownership, the decision was circulated just two weeks before the meeting date. These last minute efforts have been exacerbated over the past several months by FCC meetings that have started long past their published starting times. Indeed, three FCC meetings this year have started 9 or more hours late, and the November meeting started 12 hours late - at 10 PM! Needless to say, few members of the public were watching the webcast or sitting in the FCC’s meeting room at that time of day.

In addition, what FCC rules there are to ensure that the public understands the inner workings of the Commission are largely ignored by industry advocates. The so-called “ex parte” rules require advocates to submit a letter that provides a detailed description of their meetings with FCC Commissioners and staff. Many industry advocates submit the most barebones ex parte letters that reveal almost nothing about their meetings.

Public Input is Largely Ignored: In 2003, and again this year, public sentiment was overwhelmingly against increased consolidation in the mass media. In public hearings across the nation and in thousands of comments to the FCC, ordinary Americans made clear that the homogenization and delocalization of local media was bad for them, their communities and the country. In these cases, and in other proceedings with significant input from the public, the FCC took little note of, and ruled against the public will.

The Revolving Door: With broadcasters, cablecasters, telephone, wireless and technology companies all doing business with the FCC, the future job enticements for an FCC staffer or Commissioner are lucrative indeed. A staffer or Commissioner may not want to step on two many industry toes so as to ensure a future position with industry.   This is not crooked – it is simply human. But the one-year prohibition on an FCC staffer coming back to advocate at the agency provides little disincentive to engage in this kind of behavior.

The Obama plan to open up government data processes through technology will not solve all of these problems, but it will force the FCC and other executive and administrative agencies to be more transparent and responsive to the public that they serve. Even more important, it will start a conversation long ignored, about how technology can lift the veil of secrecy from government and make our government more responsive to the citizenry it is tasked to serve.

The Privacy Conundrum

Mark Becker — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 21:02:59 EST

“We must balance privacy and security.”

This now commonplace sentiment is greeted with chagrin by those who feel using the word “balance” implies one goal must be sacrificed for the other. The truth is we need to work equally hard and with the same level of commitment and vigilance to ensure that both our privacy rights and nation’s security are protected.

It is abundantly clear there are groups seeking to do us harm. Many feel that government law enforcement should be provided sufficient latitude to gather and mine as much information as is necessary to identify and target those individuals, even if that means relinquishing our rights to privacy in our conversations, whereabouts, transactions and associations. Although law enforcement and intelligence groups do need requisite tools to perform their difficult jobs, this must be done in a manner that does not weaken our privacy and civil liberties. Just like that favorite children’s book series that includes “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” and “If you Give a Mouse a Cookie” the persistent animal is never satisfied with just a muffin or a cookie, since they always wind up “needing” more than their first initial, simple request. In government parlance this is referred to as “scope creep” or the expanded scope of a mission beyond its original purpose. And we have seen this with the abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which recognizes the exigencies of certain situations and provides for an emergency warrantless wiretap provided a request for a search warrant is made within 24 hours (now 72). Recent events have demonstrated that the latitude provided in FISA may be unilaterally expanded even though a 24 hour grace period was provided.

Why Barack? People smarter than me say why

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:09:06 EST

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, so it's good to have my choice reaffirmed:

Nathan Gardels:

The main issue in American foreign policy now is repairing America's image in the world. There would be no greater asset in that task than a leader like Obama, who by his very multicultural hybrid biography, renews the fundamental promise of America to the world as a society where every individual is considered worthy enough to get a chance in life.

Michael Medavoy:

We need a leader who will follow his conscience at the helm of a nation of citizens who are not afraid to vote theirs. There are those in this world who will hate us no matter what we do, but following the compass of our consciences, we will have behind us the moral and legal justifications for our actions -- actions that for the first time in too long we can support together as a nation. America can once again lead the way to hope and human dignity for all.

Madeleine Albright

I've learned from her to keep talking with people even if they think they're your enemy. Barack was smart and brave to commit to this in a recent debate.

(My personal opinion is that Hillary would be a good president, but her criticism in this matter was, at best, disingenuous.)

CLARIFICATION: Secretary Albright made this point at a couple of meetings, plus in her most recent book, The Mighty and the Almighty, which I recommend.

Why Obama's plan is different...

Kartik from Seattle, WA — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:25:17 EST

Most people’s initial reaction to the topic of technology policy can be described by the following policy debate scene in the movie Old School:

[Jeremy Piven] What is your position on the role of government in supporting innovation in the field of biotechnology?

[Will Ferrell] Recent research has shown the empirical evidence for globalization of corporate innovation is very limited. And as a corollary, the market for technologies is shrinking. As a world leader, it is important for America to provide systematic research grants for our scientists.

I believe there will always be a need for us to have a well-articulated innovation policy with emphasis on human resource development. Thank you....

[Will Ferrell] What happened? I blacked out.

Even the mighty persona of Will Ferrell does not change the reaction. Confusing. Jargon-filled. Applicable to only technologists. This is putting me to sleep.

In contrast, Barack Obama’s Technology and Innovation plan stands out for its simplicity and clarity of vision and purpose. All Americans, not just technologists, can appreciate the benefits of Obama’s comprehensive plan.

Technology has become an essential fabric of our lives and is no longer an isolated discipline that is pursued by technologists only. The Internet has become an essential utility that enables us to connect with family and friends as well as learn about almost any topic imaginable. Journalism, economics, and even art have been impacted and benefit from the power of technology.

Obama’s plan charts a clear vision of applying the power of technology to real problems such as health care and education. His vision of a national CTO shows his willingness to break down silos and increase the impact technology can have in all areas of government. The plan also shows a careful respect of the free market that has driven technology innovation balanced with the right level of government incentives and support.

Many of my friends in the technology and investment industry have commented to me that this is the first time they feel a candidate “gets it” with regard to technology. For us in the technology field, it is important to have a candidate that can have an intelligent viewpoint about technology issues and what do about them.

It is easy for many of us to forget that the Internet was started through a government (DARPA) grant. Or in the 1960s, John F. Kennedy charted a vision for the space program that established our leadership role in all fields of science and technology.

Imagine how much more we can do with a well thought out policy plan for technology that reminds us of the possibilities and not the impossibilities. And, by the way, does not put us to sleep, no offense to Will Ferrell.

Happy Holidays from Seattle,

-Kartik Raghavan

Barack Obama and Patent Reform

Chris Sprigman — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:40:28 EST

I want to talk a bit today about Barack's call, in his Technology and Innovation policy document, for reform of the patent system. Patent reform is something I care about a great deal, for a couple of reasons. First, a balanced and well-functioning patent system is vital for American innovation, techological leadership, and continued prosperity. Second -- and here is where I put on my academic hat (I'm a law professor at the Univ. of Virginia) -- it's long past time we re-focused on why we have intellectual property rules, and how those rules can best engage with our current (and almost certain future) environment of fast technological change.

So, a few words on both of my concerns. First, economics. The current patent rules produce too many low-quality patents, not least because the United States Patent and Trademark Office does not have the resources to deal adequately with the flood of patent applications. Low-quality patents -- i.e,., patents that should never have been granted, or, if granted, should have had their scope significantly cut back -- pose a significant competitive problem for the American economy. American innovators are threatened by "patent trolls" -- speculators who obtain and litigate often-dubious patents. And to make matters worse, in some cases the courts have issued rulings that allow patent plaintiffs to obtain injunctions and damages awards *much* greater than the actual harm caused by the patent infringement. The prospect of out-sized patent awards threatens to deter innovation, and to spur even more patent litigation.

This is why I'm very glad that Barack Obama supports patent reform. Reform bills are slowly working their way through Congress. The House has passed a bill; we are waiting now for the Senate to act. The reforms contained in the current bills are the right ones to fix the system. Particularly important is the provision that would build in an administrative review mechanism where the PTO can re-assess the validity and scope of granted patents. This process, which will be aided by information provided by those who would be affected by the patent under examination, would help raise the quality of granted patents and ensure that innovators are able to do their work free of patent trolls and junk patent claims. As Barack has recognized, it is important that this effort be completed and that we restore balance to the patent system.

Second, and finally, I hope and expect that Barack's support of patent reform will lead to a broader re-examination of our current intellectual property rules and how they work (or fail to work) in our current environment of fast technological change. Here, I'm talking not just about patent but also -- and perhaps especially -- about copyright. And I should also make clear that in what follows I am not in any way speaking for Barack. These are my ideas -- take them for what they are worth. I mention them, however, because Barack's support for patent reform is not simply a one-off. Barack's Technology and Innovation policy offers thoughtful and balanced ideas on controversies as diverse as media ownership, privacy, and open government. There is very little discussion of copyright rules in that document. Nonethess, I hope that what I'm saying here is informed by the document's spirit, if not its letter.

So, some thoughts. We are living in a time of incredible technological change. Just think of the music you'll be buying for your family this Christmas. Many of us will purchase that music in the form of a download -- perhaps from Apple's iTunes or one of its rival download services. Well, five years ago the market for music downloads was worth just about zero. Today, we spend almost a billion dollars per year on downloads -- and the dollar value of that market is growing by almost 75% per year. That's a bright spot for the music industry, but it's not the entire story, of course. According to the music industry's own statistics, the CD business is in free-fall, having contracted by more than 20% over the past five years. Some of the decline is probably due to widespread piracy of music over peer-to-peer networks like Gnutella and eDonkey. But most of the decline reflects a technological shift that gives consumers more of what they want (cheap download single tracks) and less of what they don't (the songs bundled on a relatively expensive CD that they'd rather not pay for).

The best outcome would be -- again -- balance. Consumers should get the benefits of the technological advances that lower the price and increase their choices in how they purchase and listen to music. And the music industry's legitimate interest in not having the market for its product ruined by stealing should be respected. But there are, of course, limits to what the law can and should do to stop infringement of copyrights. And unfortunately these limits have not always been respected. There is, for example, a proposal currently in Congress to expand criminal penalties for copyright infringement and introduce wide-ranging wiretap powers to detect infringement. With respect, these are terrible ideas. Copyright infringement is a wrong, but not one that should be dealt with through criminal sanctions except in the most egregious cases (for example, something like an organized copyright infringement conspiracy). So please chalk me up as opposed to "copyright prison". And the "copyright wiretaps" idea is just plain creepy -- given the current problem we face with a surveillance culture run amok, I hesitate to give the government wiretap power for the purpose of detecting copyright infringement. Why? Perhaps because under current law, I'd be willing to bet that everyone reading this has committed at least one copyright violation this week -- indeed, you've probably done quite a bit worse than that. And for the same reason, another proposal currently before Congress which would create a new offense of "attempted copyright infringement" is also a very bad idea. Under the current proposal, evidence of "attempted infringement" could be something as seemingly innocuous as having a computer and a bunch of blank CDs in the same room. Now how many of you would be guilty under that provision?

I hope what I've said here will provoke some of you to think about IP policy, and how it should change in the coming years. Perhaps the most important reason I support Barack is because I expect, based on his obvious intellect and deep commitment to fair debate and the public good, that an Obama Administration would engage us all in a more principled re-assessment of a range of policies -- IP among them -- that are vital to the future of a safe, prosperous and creative America.

All best for a wonderful holiday season. Yours, Chris Sprigman

Obama understands Tech Policy

Marti Hearst — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:58:23 EST

One of the many terrific things about Barack Obama is that he attracts
top-flight advisors, and he listens carefully to what they say.
The happy results are visible in Obama's policy document on
Technology and Innovation. I applaud Obama's positions on the
most pressing IT policy issues of our time.

For example, Obama supports making public government information
transparent and available, and at the same time, protecting the
privacy of citizens' information. Recent developments on the Web make
it not only possible, but have developed an expectation that users of
an organization's services can interact with and influence those
services. Obama embraces modern views about how to use technology,
and will apply them to helping make government information more
transparent. His administration will also be open to experimenting
with how to adapt existing technologies and web practices to allow
citizens to have more voice in government operation. Obama's IT
policy states several innovate ways to ensure participation in this
more open government is more accessible to all citizens.

Obama supports protecting citizens' information, and this is a
desperately needed change from current policies. Right now, citizen
concern about privacy is "a mile wide and an inch deep", to quote
Dierdre Mulligan. We need to have a national conversation about what
we want our privacy policies to be. Obama has a proven track record
in leading such conversations, and I am optimistic that once we know
what we as a nation want, then technologists and legal teams can
figure out how to make it happen.

Obama also recognizes that investing in high-tech and scientific
research and education is our best path to retaining our nation's
first place economic status. Rather than regressive trade
and immigration policies, Obama supports keeping America's workforce
competitive by being on the leading edge of new IT and energy
solutions. To help Americans participate in this high-tech employment
future, Obama supports appropriate educational changes.

I am hugely excited by and supportive of Barack Obama's entire IT
policy statement, and urge those with concerns about these areas to
take a careful look at it.

Sunlight Foundation gets Obama-Coburn watchdog database done by OMB Watch

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:24:52 EST

Hey, looks like a major watchdog database, USASpending.gov was launched today, inspired by Senators Obama and Coburn, done by OMBWatch and funded by Sunlight Foundation.

The story is told by the Washington Post here but the inside story is told by Micah Sifry who's involved with Sunlight:

Sunlight funded OMB Watch to build FedSpending.org (the first searchable database of all govt contracts and grants), for $325K.

They built it. Then the Obama-Coburn bill was passed (with help from a cross-partisan coalition of bloggers, who smoked out the Senator who had put a secret hold on the bill) mandating that the OMB build its own official database, for $15 million.

OMB Watch offered to help OMB get the job done...even though the watchdog group and the government agency are usually major adversaries.

As the attached story in the Washington Post explains, after some hesitation, OMB's director decided to work with OMB Watch, and they licensed the software from OMBWatch for $600K. The new site, USASpending.gov, launched today, two weeks ahead of schedule.

Disclosure: I'm involved with Sunlight, but can take no credit for anything.

Google for Government Live

Ian from Chicago, IL — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:07:05 EST

The first step in creating our transparent and connected democracy went live this morning. Everyone needs to check out the new Google for Government site (www.usaspending.gov). This site is the result of Obama-Coburn legislation and provides a searchable database of all federal spending. You can search either contracts or federal assistance and can search by recipients, congressional districts, types of products or services provided, type of competition, and a whole bunch of other criteria. The site also plans to have a wiki- forum for public comment.

I spent some time surfing around on the site this morning and it’s full of terrific data and amazingly user-friendly. In fact, it was kind of shocking that nothing similar had been available until now. Were I a reporter, I’d be having a field day. In the long line of open government attempts, this one is sure to be a milestone in using the internet to make government more transparent.

To cite just a few things I found with one or two clicks: unsurprisingly, the top four recipients of government largesse are military contractors; there have been $138 billion worth of no-bid contracts under Bush; and various agencies within the California education system dominate the top-tier of the government assistance list. But surely others will find more surprising and specific details with a little more poking around (and if anyone does find real eye-openers, please post them here so we can offer better examples of what the site can reveal).

The bottom line is that the tech plan is more than paper, it’s happening. It’s a good example to show others that this campaign doesn’t just talk the talk, it walks the walk.

Democracy can now be transparent and connected

Bill Lake — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:52:21 EST

As a practicing lawyer in Washington, DC for 30 years, I have seen firsthand how far our government institutions fall short of the ideals of openness and responsiveness to the public will. Just finding out what our government agencies are doing is difficult, let alone participating effectively in government decisions. This is one of the reasons why affected businesses and other organizations hire Washington lawyers – to detect and decipher the workings of government.

But it shouldn’t be necessary to hire a shaman to speak with our government. The problem, as I see it, has two aspects: government officials who resist openness because they are more comfortable operating in the dark; and a failure by everyone so far to seize the potential of the Internet and technology to become the vital nervous system of democracy.

The first aspect of the problem is at its worst today, with a Bush Administration that is actively hostile to public scrutiny or public participation. From the White House’s refusal to disclose who advises the Vice President on energy policy, to the FCC’s selective release of information about its upcoming actions, we see a government that isn’t even trying to meet the public half way.

The second aspect is simply an opportunity not yet grasped: No administration of either party has yet taken advantage of the potential of technology to make democracy work.

Outside government, organizations such as the Sunlight Foundation (sunlightfoundation.com) are attacking these problems – prying information out of government and using technology to disperse it. But this shouldn’t be left for others to do despite the government – the government should be taking the lead.

Barack Obama offers a solution to both halves of the problem. As his technology statement and other writings make clear, he is fundamentally committed to making government accessible and responsive to all the citizenry, not just Washington insiders. And he understands the transformative power of technology to make that happen. By bringing into the government the technology savvy and innovative spirit that have made our private technology sector the envy of the world, he wants to give us a transparent and connected democracy that also will be the envy of the world.

It’s time.

Barack Obama Wins at nationalcaucus.com

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:34:47 EST

National Caucus just held the first ever national caucus, and has announced results here:

On December 7, 2007 in cities and small towns across the country, Democrat, Republican and "Open" Caucus groups formed independently online and Caucused face-to-face on National Caucus Day. The first-ever national Presidential Caucus is now history and the results are in.

Barack Obama wins over Democrat voters generating 40% of Democrat Caucus voter preferences. Obama was followed by a three-way tie for second, with John Edwards, Bill Richardson and "Undecided" each generating 20% of Democratic Caucus preferences.

Obama's Technology Plan on the Environment, Education, and Privacy

Nathaniel from New Haven, CT — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:10:50 EST

The thing about Senator Obama’s technology plan is that it doesn’t just promise broad generalities – it offers specific commitments. The plan recognizes the vast potential of technology to change society for the better, and at the same time it recognizes the challenges of technology and works to mitigate those, as well. Obama sees the potential in technology and wants to use it to transform society.

Obama doesn’t just promise to ‘address climate change.’ He commits to a $50 billion government funded venture capital fund that will invest in innovative renewable energy technology. This will have direct, measured impact – it will help transform the ideas that the American marketplace generates into commercially viable technology solutions, and it will drive our innovation ahead of the looming energy crisis, rather than leaving us playing catch-up.

... more under the fold ...

Why I'm for Barack

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:01:25 EST

There are lots of good Democratic candidates, but when you run most of their proposals through the sausage factory, not much differentiation.

Barack offers something different in a big way, though, in a way where I'm quoted by Jose Antonio Vargas in the Washington Post:

"I figure we really need a guy who knows right from wrong," Newmark told The Trail, "and who can remind the world that we're the good guys."

I'm not an American "exceptionalist"; I'm a customer service rep, and have spoken with thousands of people in the US and overseas. Everyone wants Americans to be the good guys again. We need someone who can credibly remind and lead us back into good guy-ness, in terms of of our actions and how we're perceived everywhere.

Leadership means that you need to be able to bring out the best in people.

Barack's the guy to do that.

Text Messaging Takes Off

Scott Goodstein — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:42:26 EST

Our campaign had an amazing weekend of organizing young and active voters to stay connected with our movement...

Friday night, musician Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind) called on the crowd at Barack's Generation Obama event in Chicago to take out their cell phones and stay connected with the campaign by "texting in HOPE to 62262."

But the big boost came from our events with Oprah Winfrey over the weekend when thousands of people joined our text messaging campaign. At each event we asked the crowds of thousands to stay closer connected with our movement to change America by taking out their cell phones and texting "HOPE to 62262". South Carolina went a step further and asked everyone to make a few calls to undecided voters, making Williams-Brice Stadium the largest phone bank in the country!

Watch Tim Russert on the Today Show discussing the importance of staying connected to everyone at the Oprah events:

Also Abbi Tatton discussed our mobile program on CNN's Situation Room:

MSNBC's First Read reported:

"The campaign attempted to organize that enthusiasm by asking the crowd to text their cell phone numbers to the campaign. Jeremy Bird and Anton Gunn, the campaign's field and political directors, took the stage to ask the crowd to text their phone numbers to Obama's campaign. They also broke a Guinness World Record by conducting the world's largest phone bank, 36,426 people in the audience called four names of South Carolinian voters listed on the back of their tickets and asked them to support Barack Obama."

And the Associated Press wrote:

"Jamal Simmons, co-founder of cellular phone marketing firm Cherry Tree Mobile Media, said the calls and the campaign's pitch for audience members to sign up for text messages were smart innovations for a political campaign. He said, "If they got half the people in that crowd to get out their phone and text message, they got 15,000 cell phone numbers that they can send texts to on Election Day telling them to vote, which is a pretty powerful tool."

If you have not yet joined our text messaging program, what are you waiting for? Simply text HOPE to 62262 and become even more connected with our growing movement for change!

Obama's Tech Plan and Open Government

Steven Croley — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:17:30 EST

Among the many welcome aspects of Obama's exciting Technology plan, its components relating to open government also warrant admiration.

Open government cannot be taken for granted. Merging new modes of communication with government decisionmaking, Obama's plan will restore government openness and transparency.

But that is not all. In addition to ensuring that government is informationally responsive, the Obama Technology plan also calls for government to be informationally proactive. Originally, open government meant simply "We'll tell you if you ask." This form of openness is embodied, for example, in the Freedom of Information Act, which requires government to provide certain requested information. But government openness can mean more. Agency websites that provide information about agency intentions go one step further--"We'll tell you before you ask." The Obama plan would extend this approach throughout government, making valuable information available without formal request.

Here is the really exciting part, though. The Obama Technology plan takes open government to the next level. By actively soliciting input from citizens, the Obama plan gives government decisionmakers the benefit of opinion, information, and expertise from outside of government. That, in turn, will enhance the quality of the decisions government makes. This vision of openness makes government a partner.

For example, the Technology plan calls for government decisions to reflect the "best available data." Of course. But the plan makes this realistic by employing technologies that would ensure government decisionmakers know what data are available, and which are best. Government is open not just because it discloses information about what it has already done, but because it solicits citizens' input about what it is doing.

What a refreshing vision.

Obama Unveils Unprecedented Tech Plan

Beth from San Francisco, CA — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:24:23 EST

This is a reposting of a blog posting from Novembr 14, 2007 from the Cairns Blog, setting out why the Obama Tech Plan is such an important statement about the vision of democracy.

George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “All professions are conspiracies against the laity,” and nowhere is this more the case than in a democracy where we organize government as the closed domain of governmental professionals.

And what’s the result? Because we assume that government alone possesses the expertise to make public-policy decisions, the way we “do politics” is broken.

The Obama Tech & Innovation Plan

Julius Genachowski — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:47:59 EST

I recently heard this summary of the core principles of the Obama Technology & Innovation Plan:

Open Government. Open Networks. Open Markets.

The plan is the most comprehensive and detailed tech & innovation plan put forward by any candidate. But also bold, and simple at its core. I liked the sharp summary and wanted to share it.

I was fortunate to chair the group that advised Senator Obama and the campaign on the tech & innovation plan - a large and hardworking group that generated terrific ideas, rooted in the great work that the Senator and his strong Senate staff have been doing in this area for quite some time.

The response to the plan has been great. One independent comment that stands out: "If even half of the proposals outlined here were to be implemented, it would fundamentally change the nature of our democracy for the better". That's why Barack Obama is running for President - fundamentally changing the country and the world for the better. A lot will have to happen on many fronts for that to occur, and Senator Obama has been addressing all the topics in compelling ways. He is a 21st century candidate who recognizes that technology will be a key part of the solution to better government, and a key part of the solution to so many of the specific issues that concern Americans: health care, energy, education, as well as job creation and economic growth.

Send copies of the plan to people you know, especially people interested in technology and innovation. Or better, send them to BarackObama.com where they can read the plan and also participate in the discussion on the site. The Senator wants the feedback - and (not a small thing) is using technology to generate the best thinking and best ideas to make the country a better place.

Barack Obama: a call to service for America

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:25:14 EST

Craig Newmark is the founder and owner of Craigslist.org

Hey, we really need to renew our shared spirit of working together in the USA, and Barack's serious about it.

Our country needs someone to remind us of what our values are, and then we can remind the whole world that the America they believe in is still around.

(I'm flattered that he mentioned craigslist, but that's not consequential; what matters is the renewal of our values.)

Cross posted on Huffington Post

Obama and Google

Sam Graham-Felsen — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:14:05 EST

Another must-read in the New York Times -- on Obama's recent visit to Google headquarters:

Among the seven visiting candidates, only Senator Obama used his Google visit to announce details of policy proposals related to technology. Until his visit, he and Senator Edwards were widely viewed among technology bloggers as the two candidates who had the strongest positions on Internet neutrality, expanded broadband access and other technology issues. With his Google visit, however, Senator Obama succeeded in drawing attention to his plans for using technology to make government more accessible and transparent with, for example, live Internet feeds of all executive branch department and agency meetings.

For more on Obama's innovation plan, check out the MyPolicy Technology Discussion HQ.

The telecom amnesty bill; another reason for Barack

Craig from San Francisco, CA — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:02:25 EST

(or, a nerd who should know better tries messaging.)

You probably know how a coupla telecoms have been caught putting themselves above the law by spying on people; if not, check out the good work being done by the Electronic Frontier Foundation here. (Also, please join up, okay?)

Looks like the telecom execs don't want to "go away for a while", so they're hoping to get immunity from prosecution. It recently occured to me that the bill cited by that article is like when a library tells people they can return overdue books without penalties.

That is, seems most honest to refer to the bill as offering "telecom amnesty."

This is also another reason for supporting Barack; he gets this, which isn't true of all the candidates.

For that matter, remember that Reagan fought a much more dangerous enemy than al Qaeda without resorting to breaking the law like this. You might question other aspects of his presidency, but he really did fight the Communists without warrantless wiretapping. Perhaps we could do as well.

(This all occurred to me at a Dick Durbin fundraiser last night; special thanks to Dick for humoring me.)

Obama Foreign Policy Discussion: Watch Live

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:53:53 EST

Barack Obama believes that open discussion and transparency are critical to formulating policies that reflect the values of the American people. Today, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Senator Obama and several of his top foreign policy advisers are holding a forum with Granite State residents.

Panelists include:

Richard Danzig – Former secretary of the Navy under President Clinton
Tony Lake – National Security Advisor to President Clinton
Adm. John Hutson (USN Ret.) – Bow, NH resident; Dean of Franklin Pierce Law Center; former U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General and nationally-known expert on detention and interrogation
Samantha Power – Pulitzer Prize-winning author and renowned professor of human rights and foreign policy
Susan Rice – Former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Senator Barack Obama

We've made it live and you can watch now:

Obama "gets it" on technology

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:14:10 EST

TechPresident, a site that tracks presidential candidates' uses of technology, praises Obama's innovation plan:

Barack Obama not only gets it, he's put his whole technology/innovation platform into one neat package. Very helpful! In most respects, Obama differs little from Edwards in terms of understanding the power of the internet to drive innovation and educational opportunity, and like Edwards he also strongly supports net neutrality. Where he goes further is in arguing that "technology offers the tools to create real change in America," by connecting citizens to each other and by opening up the federal government to change how business is done--including "giving Americans the chance to participate in government deliberations and decision-making in ways that were not possible only a few years ago." (He calls this creating "a transparent and connected democracy"--hard to argue with that goal.) He also states a clearer case for how new communications infrastructure can help fuel economic growth, create jobs, reduce health care costs and solve the energy crisis. That said, we wish he didn't tout his own campaign's use of technology as demonstrating how he will open up governance, as we know the Obama campaign has maintained strong control over how its supporters use its web tools. But by calling for the explicit use of blogs, wikis and social networking tools "to modernize internal, cross-agency, and public communication and information sharing to improve government decision-making" and direct public commenting on the White House website before legislation is signed, Obama is clearly signaling a commitment to a much more robust e-democracy than anyone else. When it comes to education and the digital divide, Obama's platform is surprisingly less ambitious in imagining technology's potential benefits (given how broadly he sees its value elsewhere); his main concern appears to be wiring schools. As for any kind of national tech guard, Obama is also silent, though he does call for creating a new position of government chief technology officer and calls for making sure first responders have interoperable systems. Close but no cigar. We give him an A-.

Click here for more on Barack's technology and innovation policy and check out the MyPolicy Technology Discussion blog to weigh in with your thoughts.

We'd Like to Hear What You Think About the Tech Plan

Larry Strickling — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 15:23:08 EST

Hi, I'm Larry Strickling and I work on policy here at the Barack Obama campaign. I was one of the folks who helped put together the Senator's Innovation and Technology Plan that he released last week in connection with his visit to Google. The plan has received the support of many leaders in the tech community, including the two chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission during the Clinton Administration, Reed Hundt and Bill Kennard. Following the release of the plan, over 40 tech leaders announced their endorsement of Senator Obama for president.

Now, we'd like to hear what you think about the plan. What do you like the most? Where is it strongest? Where would you suggest changes and additions to the plan? We view the plan as a starting point for this discussion. Just as Senator Obama wants to open up government to give folks more of a role in the deliberations and decision-making of Washington, we'd like to use our plan as a "test drive" of the same principles. Over the next few weeks, we'll have members of our technology/media/telecom policy committee joining the discussion to respond to your comments and questions, but don't wait. Tell us now what you think.

Obama's tech policy: More glowing reviews

Sam Graham-Felsen — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:44:50 EST

TechPresident has a round-up of some of the overwhelmingly positive reactions to Senator Obama's innovation plan.

Obama's plan, Josh Levy writes:

is winning rave reviews from across the web. Among other things, Obama strongly supports net neutrality, is calling for technological approaches to governmental transparency, and wants to use technology to get citizens involved in the governing process. But that’s just the tip of the ol’ iceberg; you should read the whole thing to get a better sense.

Barack Talks with Google & YouTube

Scott Goodstein — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:19:58 EST

Yesterday at Google's HQ, Barack was interviewed by YouTube's Steve Grove. Watch the video:

Visit Youtube.com/BarackObama to see the latest Barack Obama YouTube videos.

Update: Here's the full video from yesterday's Town Hall meeting at Google HQ.

Obama rolls out innovation agenda

Sam Graham-Felsen — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:36:33 EST

At a town hall meeting today at Google headquarters, U.S. Senator Barack Obama rolled out an innovation agenda that will connect and empower Americans through technology. Click here for a full rundown of Barack's bold and important plan.

“Together, we could open up government and invite citizens in, while connecting all of America to 21st century broadband. We could use technology to help achieve universal health care, to reach for a clean energy future, and to ensure that young Americans can compete – and win – in the global economy," said Barack. "If America recommits itself to science and innovation, we can lead the world to a new future of productivity and prosperity. That’s what we can do if we seize this moment."

“I will take a backseat to no one in my commitment to network neutrality. Because once providers start to privilege some applications or web sites over others, then the smaller voices get squeezed out, and we all lose. The Internet is perhaps the most open network in history. We have to keep it that way.”

Barack explained that we have to use technology to open up our democracy. "It’s no coincidence that one of the most secretive Administrations in history has favored special interests and pursued policies that could not stand up to sunlight," he said. "As President, I’ll change that. I’ll put government data online in universally accessible formats. I’ll let citizens track federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and lobbyist contacts. I’ll let you participate in government forums, ask questions in real time, offer suggestions that will be reviewed before decisions are made, and let you comment on legislation before it is signed. And to ensure that every government agency is meeting 21st century standards, I’ll appoint the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer.”

Here's what some of the experts had to say about the plan:

Reed Hundt, Former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission (1993-1997):

Barack Obama's innovation and technology agenda will end the current oil-and-gas Administration's lack of leadership on the issues shaping our future. This is a 21st century agenda, one that was developed for the American people, not the powerful, entrenched interests in Washington, DC. Barack Obama is the one candidate for president who can create the change necessary for America to enjoy real prosperity in a global economy. An Obama administration will drive investment in our communications infrastructure, our human capital and ensure we have a competitive marketplace that benefits all Americans.

William E. Kennard, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission (1997-2001):

Barack Obama's technology plan is unique because it focuses first and foremost on empowering people to connect with each other and with government to solve problems. The plan recognizes that technology is not an end in itself, but a means to improve education and health care, create jobs and make America safer. No other candidate so fully embraces technology as a way to strengthen our democracy and improve people's lives. The plan is truly innovative.

Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google, Inc:

Senator Obama's plan would help make sure that the Internet remains a free and open platform, and that America maintains an atmosphere of high-tech growth and innovation. We particularly share his aims of getting more Americans online, using the Internet to increase government transparency, and applying high-tech know how to thorny problems like education and health care. As the 2008 campaign unfolds, we hope that more candidates on both sides of the aisle will present their concrete ideas for maintaining America's competitive edge.

Barack's plan has also recieved rave reviews from Lawrence Lessig and bloggers including Matt Stoller and Markos Moulitsas.

“We need to make sure that the next success story – the next Google – happens here in America," concluded Barack. "The Google story is about what can be achieved when we cultivate new ideas and keep the playing field level for new businesses. But it’s also about not settling for what we’ve achieved. It’s about constantly raising the bar so that we’re more competitive, and so we use technology to reach ever-expanding horizons…The promise and prosperity of our new economy must not become the property of the few, it must be a force that lifts up our entire country, and that lifts up the world.”

A New Vision and a New Blog

Joe Rospars — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:56:33 EST

As Barack outlines his vision for technology and innovation today, we thought the issues and ideas would be a natural candidate for launching a MyPolicy discussion. So far thousands of people have people have shared stories and ideas that have been incorporated into this and other policy initiatives from the campaign.

In this space, we hope to foster some more detailed discussion of the plan and the opportunities the next president will have to streamline government and open up governance like never before. You'll hear from staff, outside experts, and folks like you.

So please react to the plan in the comments, and watch this space for questions, commentary and new ideas on these exciting issues.

Obama to unveil innovation agenda today... reviews already rolling in

Sam Graham-Felsen — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:07:40 EST

At a town hall meeting today at Google headquarters, U.S. Senator Barack Obama will unveil an innovation agenda that will connect and empower Americans through technology. The comprehensive plan will ensure the full and free exchange of information by protecting the openness of the internet and encouraging diversity in media ownership, create a transparent and connected democracy by opening up government to its citizens, modernize our communications infrastructure, employ technology and information to take on the challenges facing America, and improve our nation’s competitiveness.

Click here for the full details of the plan.

News of Barack's plan is already making major waves.

Lawrence Lessig writes:

First, and again, I know him, which means I know something of his character. "He is the real deal" has become my favorite new phrase. Everything about him, personally, is what you would dream a candidate should be. Integrity, brilliance, warmth, humor and most importantly, commitment. They all say they're all this. But for me, this part is easy, because about this one at least, I know.
Second, I believe in the policies. Clearly on the big issues -- the war and corruption. Obama has made his career fighting both. But also on the issues closest to me. As the technology document released today reveals, to anyone who reads it closely, Obama has committed himself to important and importantly balanced positions.
First the importantly balanced: You'll read he's a supporter of Net Neutrality. No surprise there. But read carefully what Net Neutrality for Obama is. There's no blanket ban on offering better service; the ban is on contracts that offer different terms to different providers for that better service. And there's no promise to police what's under the technical hood (beyond the commitment already articulated by Chairman Powell): This is a sensible and valuable Net Neutrality policy that shows a team keen to get it right -- which includes making it enforceable in an efficient way, even if not as radical as some possible friends would like.
Second, on the important: As you'll read, Obama has committed himself to a technology policy for government that could radically change how government works. The small part of that is simple efficiency -- the appointment with broad power of a CTO for the government, making the insanely backwards technology systems of government actually work.
But the big part of this is a commitment to making data about the government (as well as government data) publicly available in standard machine readable formats. The promise isn't just the naive promise that government websites will work better and reveal more. It is the really powerful promise to feed the data necessary for the Sunlights and the Maplights of the world to make government work better...

Here's Matt Stoller of Open Left:

Today, Obama is throwing down the gauntlet on a internet freedom, telecom lobbyists, and on opening up government in general to the public. It's some genuinely radical stuff, and it includes the use of blogs, wikis, and openness in government hearings. Significantly, Larry Lessig has endorsed Obama's platform...
In the face of this set of challenges, Obama has thrown down a big gauntlet, policy-wise. He is pushing to break up the wireless gatekeepers, net neutrality will be a strong priority in his administration, and open government will allow citizens to generate new sources of political power...
I am now leaning towards Obama in my choice for President...

Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos:

The geek in me loves this Obama proposal.

We'll have more on Obama's bold proposal soon...