It's tough in this election to see the way the Internet gets consigned to status somewhere between dust bunnies and wooden nickels -- and it's not just this election. The sad truth is that, while the Internet creates jobs, stimulates economies, and fills the house with that freshly baked bread smell, the candidates' positions on the Internet -- or any technology issue -- won't make or break the election for them.
It's not an issue that energizes the religious right. Unions can't even muster a yawn over it. Oil companies, PACs, and other fat cats aren't getting behind pro-Internet candidates -- they're not even searching them out.
In endorsing Barack Obama, Vint Cerf made clear he preferred the candidate's position on Net neutrality over John McCain's. While we in the industry may be moderately interested in Cerf's choice and rationale, let's admit to an uncomfortable truth: We're geeks. We are not the real world, we're not "the base," which appears to comprise those with hot buttons that run the gamut from tax breaks to tax hikes, abortion, Joe the Plumber, gay marriage, free trade, job creation, and potential Supreme Court nominees.
What about mandatory use of IPv6 in the private sector?
Thunk!
Get my point?
Recent forays into the murky depths of the Internet-as-policy-point haven't ended particularly well. Freshly convicted Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) got pilloried for his oversimplified characterization of how the Web works; Al Gore's Internet paternity claim in the 2000 election similarly backfired.
During the blessedly concluded primary season, Internet Evolution invited all the presidential contenders to join our ThinkerNet and submit blogs to the site. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) was interested "for about five minutes," reports my colleague Nicole Ferraro. She claims to have been oddly flattered by John Edwards' response, which was to put her on a spam distribution list. Now if someone on our message boards can get through to her that the "I'm Pro-Email and I Vote!" lapel pin is just embarrassing at this point, we'd be good.
Homeland security we can get excited about, at least as an electorate. But change the topic to Internet security or any kind of network security... Hello? This thing on? Where's everybody going? Comaville?
Twitter all you like, candidates. Use Website donations to increase those war chests. Send email blasts to emphasize daily talking points. But spout off about the need for Internet reform, encryption safeguards, or capital punishment for spammers? Forget it. Running as a pro-Internet candidate is like saying you're for water, electricity, cable TV. Utilities. Commodities. And very un-sexy.
I'm pro-Internet and I vote. But it won't matter a damn next Tuesday.
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The Internet/Technology is only substantial as a tool, but not as a platform.
Joe-the-Plumber could care less (or understands less). Most people don't fully understand the Internet. They don't know the difference between a modem and a router or DSL or Cable. Terms like IPV6 are just geek speak. Any attempt to address Internet/Technology would simple turn to static in their ears.
For most voters, the Internet works fine. They can come home from work and launch their browser (which they call the Internet) and check their favorite sites, download and listen to music, and check their emails.
It will be some time yet before technology becomes relevant to the lives of the average citizen, at least in their minds.
Obama uses Video game to reach to those who he can't get his message through via normal media sources; how come his team has not thought about reaching to the internet community? Connecting to people via Blog and online community is free or do not need much effort. Or, are they afraid of us?
You are, of course, correct that internet issues, whether email security or net neutrality or a host of others, won't be on the electorate's mind this Tuesday. But I have to wonder why. If you told Joe the Plumber that a bunch of people (employers, government agencies, service providers, and just people on the street) were reading his regular mail, steaming open the envelopes his and most private correspondence came in, he might be up in arms.
So is it a failure of we the geeks and nerds to explain the issues in terms that Joe the Plumber can understand? When was the last time you sat down and had a serious (and patient) conversation with your friends or family about IPv6?
We do ourselves, and our geeky, nerdy supporters, a disservice when all they can say to the electorate is 'I can see the Internet from my house' We need to give them a language and metaphors that brings the point home even to all those Joes out there.
Who is Tancredo by the way? I tried to Google him/her but nothing substantial turns up!!! May be i have to Cuil him/her to see if anything pops up!!! I'm surprised that you left out Sarah Palin in that your futile VP take. I hope you were not displaying then the so call 'feminist' hate that is now been heap on her!!!
I think we are missing the point here by trying to isolate the internet as a political agenda of its own. There are already existing administrative structures to deals with internet matters and the next president would just have to ensure that these structures are propped up inodre to assimilate the current internet trends. You people in the internet are so much in hurry to elevate internet issues to other traditional political issues likie Healthcare, immigration and even National Security!! Let's take it one stride after the other!!! For the time being let's rally around the various facebook accounts of the candidates.
Okay, so we're going to protect children AND consumers. Not exactly the most inspired leadership in an area like the Internet that's become so crucial to consumers of all ages, not to mention businesses.
I sorta like Obama's CTO idea, especially if it circumvents the West Wing email backup fiasco of the last 5 years.
Just for the record, I didn't have any luck with the potential VP contenders, either. (Although, at the time, I didn't think to give Sarah Palin a ring... But neither did McCain it seems -- wink wink, jab jab. It's a joke.)
Anyway, I think your post is dead-on. This perspective is what's missing from all the blogs and the Tweets obsessing over how great a role the Internet has played in the campaign. I would personally prefer a politician to have some sort of perspective on technology -- like one he can speak to, out loud, and maybe even (not to get too crazy) act upon -- than a politician with a staff who knows how to set up a Facebook account. But that's just me.
It's a shame about the lack of resonses to contribute to thinkerNet, that sounds frustrating. I agree, the internet and technology are topics I have not heard one candidate address but maybe I missed any addresses of these issues.
I got curious and I went to Obama and also McCain's websites and they do have Technology under issues as a page to address what they will do, believe in etc. although I'd have to say they sound like lofty promises. There were a few things that caught my attention though in regards to your concerns like this:
"A key reason the Internet has been such a success is
because it is the most open network in history. It needs to stay that
way. Barack Obama strongly supports the principle of network neutrality
to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet."
"Obama will appoint the nation's first Chief Technology
Officer (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."
"To further protect children online, Obama and Biden support tough
penalties, increased enforcement resources and forensic tools for law
enforcement, and collaboration between law enforcement and the private
sector to identify and prosecute people who abuse the Internet to try
to exploit children.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/technology/
McCain has some positive things to say about what he'd do as well but I can see why Vint Cerf would be weary of McCain's position on net neutrality- "When Regulation Is Warranted, John McCain Acts.
John McCain does not believe in prescriptive regulation like
“net-neutrality,” but rather he believes that an open marketplace with
a variety of consumer choices is the best deterrent against unfair
practices. John McCain has always believed the government’s role must
be rooted in protecting consumers. (sorry i have to disagree) He championed laws that penalized
fraudulent marketing practices, protected kids from harmful Internet
content, secured consumer privacy, and sought to minimize spam."
Hmmm. I wonder if they will follow through on these promises, if we will even hear about them if either gets elected and if advocates in the Senate will keep pushing for net neutrality language in any related bills.
According to Google, "On June 28, the Senate Commerce Committee passed its
own telecom bill, S. 2686. While an amendment to the bill that would
have added meaningful net neutrality safeguards failed 11-11, this tie
vote marks a significant political victory and gives the effort new
momentum. The debate now shifts to the full Senate, where advocates
will be working to get strong net neutrality language is any bill that
the Senate considers."
The ThinkerNet does not reflect the views of TechWeb. The ThinkerNet is an informal means of communication to members and visitors of the Internet Evolution site. Individual authors are chosen by Internet Evolution to blog. Neither Internet Evolution nor TechWeb assume responsibility for comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and ThinkerNet bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
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