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The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

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A chief technology officer

Technology enthusiasts rejoiced this past campaign season as Barack Obama pledged to appoint the first-ever national chief technology officer. The chief technology officer would effectively serve as the surgeon general of the technology sector, working with all branches to ensure technology is worked into its every layer. If Obama holds true to his pledge, the move has large potential to bring much-needed innovation to AmericaâÄôs governmental sectors. Unsurprisingly, throughout the Bush administrationâÄôs tenure, scandals ran high over technology issues. Down to its last second, his administration fought hard to keep e-mails and other information hidden from the public eye. Also controversial was his inability to adapt to the open standards that America demanded. Put nicely, the Bush administration looked at technology as a threat and avoided it accordingly. A chief technology officer can bring a needed change to this countryâÄôs technology infrastructure and should stress a couple of key ideals when he or she takes office. Foremost among those issues should be using information technology as a tool to shine a light on government. Millions of dollars of tax money flows through Washington every day, but taxpayers have little idea where it goes. As Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said on CNN , it is most important that our government adapts to these open source standards and coexists with them smoothly. When websites such as Google and Wikipedia make information accessible to their users with ease, there is absolutely no reason our government should not be the same way. Whoever gets appointed as the nationâÄôs technology officer should be bipartisan and should work to harness the InternetâÄôs vast potential to democratize opaque governmental bureaucracies.

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