Davey Winder
Saturday, 13 September 2008 06:05
IT Policy -
Government Tech Policy
Page 1 of 2
One uses Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to spread his message and raises millions of dollars in funding online. The other has never felt the need to email and describes himself as computer illiterate. One of these men will be the next President of the United States of America...
At the end of last year, Presidential hopeful John McCain was
interviewed by TechCrunch and in response to some seemingly innocent
“Are you a Mac or PC guy” questioning responded with an admission to
being computer illiterate.
In January, McCain told Yahoo News that he had
to rely on his wife for assistance when it comes to all things
computer. And then in a New York Times article in July, while claiming
to be learning how to get online at long last, McCain dropped the
bombshell that he had “never felt the particular need to email.”
Now I admit that being able to code in C is not a prerequisite to lead
a superpower. I will even go as far as conceding that being a geek is
not a Presidential requirement either.
However, I would like to think that the man who is going to be sitting
in the big chair would have some idea as to the importance of computer
technology in this Internet age. Would be comfortable with the concept
of email communication in the 21st century.
Barack Obama can certainly claim to be comfortable with technology and
with the Internet. He has proven that in his campaign so far, what with
the Facebook friends, the
following on Twitter, the YouTube videos, the
incredibly successful
Internet fund raising sweep.
Now Obama has decided to use McCain's apparent unease with technology
as an example of just how out of touch he is with the America, and
indeed the world, of today.
So what does the advert say about McCain, what do the Republicans say
about the advert and why does it matter if the next President can send
emails or not? More on page 2...
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