To BlackBerry or Not to BlackBerry
Am I the only one who is watching the whole thing with Barack Obama and his BlackBerry and is really intrigued to see how it all turns out? I am intrigued for a number of reasons:
1. I just assumed that government officials used blackberries or Trios or other wireless devices just like everyone else in the world so I was surprised to hear that is not the case. I understand the security issue but doesn’t this lack of connectivity potentially slow down a vital decision-maker’s ability to react in a timely manner and stay on top of things quickly and easily?
3. Are the networks that the rest of us use on a daily basis really that easily hacked? It is a really scary thought that most of us are sending our most private information across these networks all the time but the powers-that-be are concerned about security issues for the President. I do understand that Obama is definitely more of a target for hackers than someone like me, my wife or my parents, but doesn’t the same fundamental issue exist?
3. Technological advances have helped all of us work smarter and faster. Is the government significantly behind the public in their use of technology because of security concerns or other reasons that have yet to be released? If they are, that worries me because I am sure there are other sectors out there that are ahead of most of us when it comes to technology and will use it to exploit any weaknesses we may have.
I don’t know why I am so fascinated by this conversation but I am and can’t wait to see how it all plays out. Anyone else watching this like I am?
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Comments
Hi Scott,
Lots of people in government (include high-level officials) have BlacyBerrys. I believe the issue with the Office of the President isn't security but confidentiality. The president's correspondence, including e-mail, belongs to the public record -- even if much of a president's records end up hidden away for years in the name of national security or executive privilege.
I suspect with a BlackBerry it's just too easy to jot off a quick note to a friend or a comment about a policy recommendation, and have that extracted out of context or passed around virally. Hence, the technology wall around the presidency.
The challenge for the incoming president, like his predecessors, will be to find other ways to keep grounded and in contact with his friends and other ordinary citizens while thriving within the White House bubble.
Best,
Daria
Posted by: Daria Steigman | November 28, 2008 2:42 PM
The Blackberry thing is interesting. Certainly as a younger generation comes into power, they're going to expect to take their tech tools with them. I read one commentator who said that "the most powerful man on the planet needed to stand up to the bureaucrats and show them who's boss, etc." On one hand, I agreed with him that sometimes you have to demand more than your IT department wants to give you. On the other hand, it sounded kind of the like the insane rant of a bad manager.
Posted by: Kim Sterling | December 5, 2008 5:24 PM