[1st-mile-nm] Mea Culpa and Comment

[peter]

First, a mea culpa: last night I mixed up some off-line with on-line 
comment.

I think it's important to realize that to succeed this list needs to 
focus on positive direction, engaging a full spectrum of people 
including, but not limited to, technical and non-political and even 
non-normal and non-other things. Our common focus is, and always should 
be, "Improving the quality of life with technology" by promoting REAL 
connectivity for the first mile.

Many thanks to all who contacted me off-line and I truly did not realize 
what a hot button many of these issues are for many of you. Thanks for 
the praise, but in this case I will decline credit.

The postings did however raise an interesting point: We are dealing with 
highly intelligent networks and the systems connected to them, but it 
seems that simple issues like "How will this improve people's economic 
level and quality of life" are not visible, and the most widely read 
sources of information that we have locally are the New Mexican and the 
Journal, with their "if it bleeds, it leads" approach, which is scary. 
It is also apparent that the plans, designs and even operational systems 
infrastructure is incapable of answering these simple questions or even 
transparently showing them for open comment and true evaluation for 
logic or purpose.

Its readily apparent that, even at our level, there is no clear source 
of reliable information as to status and objectives of some large 
initiatives that will affect the quality of life of New Mexicans for 
years to come. The coincidence that a large number of these projects 
seem to fail and are poorly planned, and that most are contracted with 
out-of-state vendors who are paid a lot of money to fail when we have 
such hugely talented in-state companies is also worth looking at.

Here is my challenge to the political and governing bodies of Lamdarail, 
Sandoval Broadband, The Rio Rancho Intel Supercomputer and other state 
and government funded technology initiatives (of which I know many 
members are on this list): Show us clearly within 30 - 60 days -- by 
means of current, active web mash up technologies that display graphical 
easily-understandable dynamic models:

1. Exactly how was your project designed and funded?

2. Who did the economic feasibility analysis and when and where was it done?

3. What are its short- and long-term goals in terms of economic well 
being and improvement?

4. How did you calculate the economic benefits and how will they be 
monitored and evaluated?

Last point: No massive position text papers, no PR Video, voice fluff, 
no pdfs, no sql reports, just a simple concise API mashup model that 
operates in real time and is web posted for all to see and understand 
and evaluate. Simply " Use your technology to DEMONSTRATE your technology "

Yes, I have been to all the websites for the projects mentioned and this 
information is not contained anywhere within them. And, no, I do not buy 
the "Homeland Security! We cannot show you!" argument: all of these 
projects are publicly funded and subject to FOIA, and I am not 
suggesting that engineering specs be posted for public access, but that 
the social, political, tax/private funding and economic motivations and, 
above all, the social ROI should be open to scrutiny by any member of 
the public.

( : ( : pete
-- 

Peter Baston

*IDEAS*

/www.ideapete.com/ <http://www.ideapete.com/>


 

 

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