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If I Had My Way |
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Saturday, January 23, 2010 previous post <> Empower the people... The following is a copy of a memo I sent to my Senators with a request to forward to President Barack Obama. ---------------------o0o----------------------- To: Barach Obama - President - United States of America Cc: Amy Klobuchar - Senator - Minnesota Cc: Al Franken - Senator - Minnesota From: Doug Skoglund - skoglund@pdmsb.com Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010 01:00 pm CST Subject: Empower the people... Mr. President, I saw your interview on Nightline, last night -- pretty bad, but you don't need me to see that. We really need to acknowledge that we have a dis-functional government. Passing good, functional legislation is impossible in such a situation. We are tilting on the edge of financial disaster -- and we lack the infrastructure to carry on any kind of cooperative discourse. If you hope to accomplish anything during the rest of your term the voters must provide a functional government which simply means that the people need to get involved -- you know, Of the people, By the people, and For the people. The absolute best that you can hope for right now, is to empower the people so that they can elect competent representatives in November 2010 -- not all that much time. We must provide the infrastructure to get the ball rolling -- and here are the necessary steps. The first step must be yours -- you have to show the people that you are interested in doing "the right thing", constitutionally speaking. You have a number of tasks that you can accomplish by executive order and some that require involvement from your Attorney General. Please refer to the writings of Glenn Greenwald for more precise information. Now, in order to empower the people we need to free the Personal Computer/Internet combo from the hands of vested interests and make them true servants of the people. This, of course, means convincing Microsoft to willingly (or otherwise) discontinue it's monopoly restriction of trade in computer software. I would hope that a little jaw-boning with Mr. Ballmer might be adequate if a few incentives are included (see below). We need separate program modules as well as Software Development Kits for a Disc Operating System, Windows Middleware, ScrapBook Middleware (see my http://pdmsb.com), and other software. We need a new compiler that will produce a stand-alone run-time module such that applications can be run from disc with installation being a simple copy and un-installation being a simple erase. The ScrapBook Middleware includes Database as well as Discussion Seminar software -- in short, having control of one's personal database is the first step in empowerment. Outside sources will stop trying to present answers, an impossible task and will begin providing a database entry, thus allowing the user to tailor his/her computer experience according to her/his personal needs. Upgrading the web type comment system to a Discussion Seminar makes the user input of primary importance as opposed to the secondary importance of a web comment. The Seminar systems will be managed to improve educational value and will be measured to yield polling data. Finally, we need a publishing protocol and some sort of archival storage. The present web system is rather lax in defining published v. non-published material plus the content is stored in temporary web sites that can change from day to day. We are talking about some kind of library -- possibly government owned or at least controlled. Obviously, this archival storage will reduce the need for search and could be used to incentivize Mr. Ballmer. BTW, this infrastructure would also provide an excellent solution for the newspapers -- using a subscription model, furnish the necessary software plus publish a digital edition, using the Seminar system to build a social network. Businesses could use the Seminars for Customer Support -- far better than those telephone instructions. And, most of all -- you, Mr. President would have direct access to all the voters -- you could blog, just like everybody else. Doug Skoglund - skoglund@pdmsb.com PS: Folks, I assure you that this is a very, very serious proposal, based on considerable experience in industry and computing. Fear and prejudice are the enemies -- enemies that can be handled with discussion and trial runs. I urge you to check my websites, download my software and contact me directly. I can help with demos and/or questions. Please understand that the development of the Personal Computer was step one and the introduction of the Internet was step two in a long process of empowering the people. The above steps will complete the process and give us the infrastructure necessary to prove (or disprove) the theories of our founding fathers. Do you really believe in a government Of the people, By the people and For the people?? PPS to Senators Klobuchar and Franken: I am counting on both of you to forward copies of this memo, with your blessings, of course, to any and all concerned individuals in the administration (including the President, naturally). Should you have any reservations or suggestions -- please contact me directly -- Thank you.
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