Category Archives: Technology

According to the Mayan calendar, our World is set to end in 2012. And according to the behavior exhibited by our elected public officials, 2012 is also set to be the end of the World Wide Web as we know it. While the end of the World is highly unlikely to take place, a cataclysmic destruction of the internet is very much a reality – unless a greater number of people are willing to take the time and effort to understand and defend the internet. Many of the services and benefits of the internet that we take for granted are at risk of being stripped away, something that I am extremely fearful of for both our generation and the generation to follow. The World Wide Web sits at a critical juncture at this moment, and our actions (or inaction) will likely set the precedence for the future of the internet; which is why it is important for you, and everyone else you know, to understand that it is no longer acceptable to not know how the internet works!

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The theme for laptops in 2012: Ultrabooks

2012 is here and before we get too far into the year, I wanted to make some predictions/trends within the technology industry to look out for over the next twelve months.

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I originally wrote this piece for an internship application.  Since it uses a similar voice to the other posts I’ve uploaded, I figured I’d share this as well:

In many regards, the United States is recognized as a global leader which other nations envy.  We blaze the trail and set the example for our peers to follow.  In one area, however, the United States is playing catch up and, if the status quo is maintained, we will soon find that we will have fallen too far behind to have any hope of catching up.  If we continue to leave the adaption rate of cutting-edge broadband penetration to the private sector, the United States may find itself in the backseat during this process of global digitalization and interconnectivity.

The rise of the internet over the past few years has affected the lives of people in a rate and fashion never before witnessed in the history of humanity.  It’s never been easier to complete transactions, remain connected and obtain information.  No matter your perspective, it’s undeniable that the internet has fundamentally changed the history of humanity, and has set us on a course to innovation previously deemed impossible.

Other nations are aware of the significance of the internet as well, and are quickly adapting to this technology.  The U.K. is promising broadband in every home by 2012, France and Germany are laying optical fiber cables, Finland is making broadband access a legal right and South Korea bundles broadband into their rent and utilities fees.  The internet has leveled the playing field and is transforming the educational process, as information on nearly every subject can be found in a couple clicks – allowing other counties and their citizens to quickly gain knowledge on topics previously inaccessible.

Here at home, we’ve done a less-than-stellar job maintaining our technological advantage.  Less than half of the lower income families have broadband access.  We currently rank 15th globally in internet speed and our broadband speed is actually on the decline.  Despite this, internet service providers have had the audacity to request to lower the standards of defining broadband and have squandered the financial incentives given by the government to develop universal, high-speed broadband.  This has to end.

The only way to close this technology gap is to increase regulation on broadband providers and to increase government involvement.  As a natural monopoly of sorts, it’s imperative that the public be given oversight in this manner.  Broadband should be treated the same way water, electricity, sewage, garbage disposal, telephone lines and all other utilities – under the influence and assistance of the government.

While the Recovery Act and the creation of the Chief Information/Technology Officer positions are steps in the right direction in deploying next-generation broadband, it’s time for the government to take ownership of this initiative.  We’ve built and maintained the railways and roads of previous generations, and through the transparency and accountability of the public, it’s time for the United States to prioritize and produce the information superhighway of the next generation.

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