Technology Gets a Seat at the Table

In New Mexico, a bill supported by the governor has passed the state senate to create a cabinent office that will handle the state's technology concerns. The Department of Information Technology will "consolidate the technology needs of all state agencies within one department", according to Sen. Linda Lopez (in the Farmington Daily Times).

Several states already have such offices (Connecticut, Nevada, and Michigan, for example). Hopefully, it will not be long before we see a president who cares about these issues and can bring them to the national state as well. It seems clear that Governor Richardson is committed to that goal.

Embracing technology is just a show of sensibile, modern policy in a world that absolutely depends upon it. Science - modernity itself, really - belongs at the table in discussions about the regulations that will govern some of the most important aspects of our lives. Remember that technology policy is not just about the technology itself (though having people who understand what they are talking about would certainly help), but rather encompasses some of the enduring conversations: security, freedom, privacy, etc.

Maybe, if we had a national technology advisor working with our elected officials, we could finally draft policy that is not decades behind - and could stop talking about the internet as a series of tubes