Re: Ready to get your federal computer license?

[Michael Airhart <mairhart () cisco com>]

(speaking only for myself and no one else)...

You make a good point Chris..

Regardless of any politician or bureaucrat's motive for taking an 
action, many (most?) are ill prepared to speak or even ponder the 
topic of "the Internet" (and the fancy series of tubes.. )  [much 
less make laws about it]

I was in a local city council meeting recently while one of the 
council members was chiding a very polite Time Warner Cable "Gov't 
affairs" spokesperson on something the council person had obviously 
no clue about..  I was embarrassed for him and proud the TWC rep was 
able to remain professional..

Making our expertise available to politcos that want to learn sure 
seems like a good idea, but I suspect we have to be very careful not 
to run afoul of our employers rules and desires on such topics.



> I believe that this is exactly the kind of thing that the US ISOC
> Chapters should be (and are to varying degrees) involved in --
> providing legitimate technical information and expert analysis of
> local, state and federal policies which impact the Internet, to those
> making the policies.  The global ISOC already does this for ICANN and
> other international organizations, it seems fitting that the chapters
> do more of this here inside the USA.
>
> I encourage everyone with even a fleeting interest in tech-policy to
> seek out their local ISOC chapter
> (http://www.isoc.org/isoc/chapters/list.php?region=worldwide&status=A)
> and let them know that you care.  I can tell you as the founding chair
> of the Colorado chapter that my largest hurdle today is getting active
> members to participate - I have funding, etc, just no help...  (I
> invite everyone to contact me directly with suggestions and ideas in
> this vein - I have some vehicles in place to start making this happen
> quickly with a bit of help)
>
> </soapbox>
> ~Chris