Barack Obama is going to appoint the nation's first CTO. What are the top priorities?
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68 votes
Reform Immigration
Smart people should be able to stay in the US. It should be quicker to get permanent residency and citizenship for talented people. The bar should not be low, but the process should be efficient.
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64 votes
Jumpstart Grade School Education
The crisis that the US primary and secondary schools are facing is no secret. Somehow we need to connect students with great teachers who are not only knowledgeable but also inspirational.
We need to have middle and highschool material available for free online. MIT is doing this now but only fo... More
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62 votes
Set the Goal of a Full Fiber America
We don't just need broadband everywhere and Internet for everyone, we need to acknowledge and embrace that the endgame for all this is a fiber optic cable to every building in the country. We don't need competition between the characteristics of broadband pipes; we need competition between servic... More
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60 votes
Require independent review by technical experts
Over the last 8 years, many governmental projects have failed to take into account basic principles of systems and software engineering, design, computer security, and privacy. The REAL ID proposal, for example, stored personal data in unencrypted form, relied on databases which didn't yet exist... More
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58 votes
Promote computer and Internet literacy
The value of the Internet is directly related to the number of people who are comfortable using and contributing to it.
Computer and Internet literacy is more than understanding how to use a mouse and a web browser. It also means understanding online social interactions, effectively finding inf... More
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53 votes
Space mining of helium 3 for fusion power
Space mining would provide be a new industry space if it were profitable. One application for space mining would be helium 3 mining for fusion power and thus reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
The moon and gas giants are know to have helium 3 deposits and in combination with building a space el... More
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49 votes
Protect the internet by *requiring* ISPs to stop botnets
There are millions of malware infested PCs in the world, and many of them sit on US ISP networks. These bots do all kinds of damage to the internet. They are responsible for most spam (outbound port 25) and they are capable of inflicting crippling denial-of-service attacks, sometimes even on enti... More
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45 votes
Appoint Lawrence Lessig as Copyright Czar
Get our IP laws out of the dark ages and into the 21st Century!
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43 votes
standardize on Ruby on Rails for custom web app development
There's a reason that Ruby on Rails dominates the world of custom web application development: it's a best-of-breed technology with massive uptake by some of the brightest, most enthusiastic open-source people behind it.
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43 votes
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42 votes
Create electronic form processing
We must be able to submit any government form online and be able to track its progress through the review system. This will improve processing times and reduce costs as all the information will be already electronic with no data entry required. Also, citizens will be able to oversee the process a... More
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42 votes
Promote secure operating systems on goverment computers
Use Linux, BSD, Solaris, MAC, anything but the unsecure Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, 2008 Server...) O.S. that is the foundation for botnets and other criminal hacking activity. Anything of mission-critical importance or of a super confidential nature does absolutely not belong on a Microsoft Wi... More
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41 votes
invest in electric and hydrogen powered vehicles, saving GM.
Electric cars would require funding, but the concept is proven plausible. Creating the beast would require brilliant engineers, creating jobs; manufacturing the beast would require thousands of hands, creating jobs; the end result will be a shift away from oil, prolonging American self-dependance.
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41 votes
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39 votes
Standardize the Public Education System on F/OSS
Linux, OpenOffice, AbiWord, and a wealth of other, specialized educational software all exist for free. Switch now and gain more than just dollars...
1. Save Cash.
Public school districts pay Microsoft for Windows, Office and various groupware-related licenses, all with public money. Stop paying... More -
36 votes
Make whitehouse.gov a place to connect the people with Obama
Much like barackobama.com and change.gov are places to connect with the campaign and the transition team, the CTO could make it a top priority to create a site that allows the executive branch to have a conversation with the country and constituents:
1. Allow commenting on high-profile issues, c... More
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33 votes
ensure that ugc on whitehouse.gov uses creative commons
information and content that is created by the government is generally made available in the public domain for people to legally share and build upon. along with the works that are published online by the government, there should be a web platform for citizens to publish their own ideas and mater... More
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33 votes
"Technologies for Participatory Democracy" initiative
America's heritage and ideals are solidly associated with participation in democracy. This is found in our strong community associations, in our formal political systems, and in our collaborative research communities.
We need supports for carrying this tradition into the future with innovatio... More
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32 votes
Abolish the H-1B visa and bolster national I.T. academics
Discontinue the H-1B visa program immediately and instead bolster national I.T. academic programs to help fill our own I.T. jobs with our own citizens.
