Obama, The First Cybergenic President of America
Reuven Cohen
seems fairly fitting.
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In a New York times article back in August, Paul Saffo, a Silicon
Valley futurist said that if elected, President Elect Barack Obama
would become "the first cybergenic president," just as John F. Kennedy
was considered the first telegenic president. (cybergenic meaning
internet friendly, telegenic meaning attractive to television viewers)
In my opinion what Obama being elected now means is that for the first
time in the history of the American presidency we actually have a
leader who understands the context of what the Internet enables not
only as a mass communication medium but as a global channel for
change.
It's also interesting to look at historical parallels to see the
opportunities that embracing new technologies can do for American
leaders. Whether it's President Kennedy's simple ability engage 1960s
television viewers or how Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win
the Civil War (a book by Tom Wheeler).
Wheeler's book gives a particularly insightful look at how President
Lincoln's use of the telegraph trickled down to most parts of his
government while also enabling a competitive advantage to his closest
advisors and generals. In the book Tom Wheeler gives an example of how
General Grant used the telegraph to operate what he called the
"General-In-Chief" while traveling with the armies, rather than
managing at a distance from Washington D.C. Grant now had the
technological advantage to quickly improvise, based upon changing
battlefield conditions. I find Wheeler analogy for General Grant
perfect for today's president, "His decision to operate from the field
would not have been possible but for the army's central nervous system
running over telegraph wires." Replace the telegraph with the Internet
or a blackberry and you can quickly see the importance of how a
president knowledgeable in the use of information technology can
become a critical tool.
In the 21st century as it was in the 19th century, efficient
information management is still a key aspect of how effective you can
be in your duties as a Chief Executive, be it of a company or a
country. I would argue that it's more important now then it has ever
been.
At the end of the day, Obama's use of Internet may may give him a
unique opportunity to make significant changes, not only to how
American's interact with the government but to how they interact with
those who run it.
Congratulations to every American!
(Original Post >
http://www.elasticvapor.com/2008/11/obama-first-cybergenic-president-of.html)
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Reuven Cohen
Founder & Chief Technologist, Enomaly Inc.
blog > www.elasticvapor.com
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Open Source Cloud Computing > www.enomaly.com