Jason Stamper wrote a great piece this morning about what Obama’s presidency means for the science and technology world. For anyone working in these industries, these are exciting times. As Barack Obama himself says:
“America risks being left behind in the global economy: Revolutionary advances in information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other fields are reshaping the global economy. Without renewed efforts, the United States risks losing leadership in science, technology and innovation.”
And what of his plans to hire a CTO of the U.S.A?
That’s quite a job title and one that is going to actually be filled early next year, if Obama’s election pledges are to be believed.
To quote the man of the moment, he plans to appoint America’s first CTO to “ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies and services for the 21st century. The CTO will ensure the safety of our networks and will lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices.”
Worthy sentiments I’m sure you’ll agree and probably not that much of a surprise. Of the two main presidential candidates, Obama was far more tech-savvy than McCain, even going so far as to use Twitter, the micro-blogging service to reach out to potential voters, whilst McCain was virtually tech-illiterate, confessing to not even using email and barely being online. I’m certainly not going to claim ‘it was tech wot won it’ but the difference between the two men on that issue was stark and only served to highlight Obama’s youth, freshness and enthusiasm.
Obama has said that ‘the Bush Administration has been one of the most secretive, closed administrations in American history’ and the appointment of a CTO will certainly help to address that. Transparency in government and policy is always welcome and Obama plans to use technology ‘to reform government and improve the exchange of information between the federal government and citizens.’
We’ll have to watch this space to see exactly how the CTO and tech-friendly approach works out but the early signs are encouraging and it can only be a good thing for the whole industry to have a US President as savvy and pro-tech as Barack Obama. If you’re interested in hearing what he is up to why not follow him on Twitter? He can be found here @BarackObama
