The First Hundred Days of the Obama Administration - Page 2

JWBear · 01-22-2009, 09:34 PM

The lawyers fought him on it. He won.

Alex · 01-22-2009, 09:38 PM

It's not a Blackberry (though it does the same thing; I don't remember the brand but it wasn't BlackBerry). It is some other product that is super duper unhackable technology. They were talking about it on some news show this evening. It costs $3,000.

He's going to be kicking himself when it falls out of his pocket on the train and has to beg IT to get him a replacement.

JWBear · 01-22-2009, 09:43 PM

Somehow, I don't see the President of the United States begging IT for anything!

bewitched · 01-22-2009, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWBear

The lawyers fought him on it. He won.

Thanks. Now I'm humming, "I fought the law and the law won."

Alex · 01-22-2009, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWBear

Somehow, I don't see the President of the United States begging IT for anything!

I don't either, in reality. But I enjoy imagining it.

More seriously, while I'm glad he's saying "to hell with it" and keeping some means of unmediated communication with others, I understand the concerns about the advisability of the president easily using such things since everything he commits to pixels is subject to request by others.

An IM perfectly normal conversation between friends can look pretty bad when read into the record at a congressional hearing.

Alex · 01-22-2009, 10:53 PM

Hmmm...maybe he would have to beg IT. Just read this in a Slate article on the history of presidential computers:

Quote:

During his presidency, George W. Bush didn't have a personal log-in to the White House Internet server, nor did he have a personal whitehouse.gov e-mail address. (He gave up his private e-mail account, G94B@aol.com, just before his first inauguration.) When he did go online, there were some things he couldn't access. During Bush's tenure, the White House's IT department blocked sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and most of MySpace. The ability to comment on blogs was blocked, as was certain content that was deemed offensive. According to David Almacy, who served as Bush's director for Internet and e-communications from 2005-07, only two people had access to the iTunes store during that period: Almacy, who had to upload speeches to the site, and the president's personal aide, so that he could download songs for Bush's iPod.

And every news story is saying the new expensive toy is a BlackBerry. I'm pretty sure the image I saw earlier had another name on it but maybe I was wrong. Or the journalists are just using BlackBerry as a generic term.

Ghoulish Delight · 01-22-2009, 11:39 PM

They're using it as a generic term.

Snowflake · 01-22-2009, 11:46 PM

I get the feeling it's going to be a long 100 days

BarTopDancer · 01-22-2009, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

I don't either, in reality. But I enjoy imagining it.

I am too. Goes with the whole "IT exists to make your life miserable" complex so many people have.

alphabassettgrrl · 01-23-2009, 01:12 AM

I think it's great that they found a way that he can keep his Blackberry (or whatever it is).

Making peoples' lives difficult is merely a lucky side effect for IT?

Just kidding! I know IT just has things they have to do.

01-22-2009, 09:34 PM	#11
JWBear Worn Romantic Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Beach California Posts: 8,435	The lawyers fought him on it. He won. __________________ Unrestrained frivolity will lead to the downfall of modern society.
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01-22-2009, 09:38 PM	#12
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	It's not a Blackberry (though it does the same thing; I don't remember the brand but it wasn't BlackBerry). It is some other product that is super duper unhackable technology. They were talking about it on some news show this evening. It costs $3,000. He's going to be kicking himself when it falls out of his pocket on the train and has to beg IT to get him a replacement.
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01-22-2009, 09:43 PM	#13
JWBear Worn Romantic Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Beach California Posts: 8,435	Somehow, I don't see the President of the United States begging IT for anything! __________________ Unrestrained frivolity will lead to the downfall of modern society.
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01-22-2009, 11:39 PM	#17
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	They're using it as a generic term. __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
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01-22-2009, 11:46 PM	#18
Snowflake lost in the fog Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: San Francisco Posts: 7,831	I get the feeling it's going to be a long 100 days __________________ Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. - Oscar Wilde
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01-23-2009, 01:12 AM	#20
alphabassettgrrl Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,978	I think it's great that they found a way that he can keep his Blackberry (or whatever it is). Making peoples' lives difficult is merely a lucky side effect for IT? Just kidding! I know IT just has things they have to do. __________________ Why cycling? Anything [sport] that had to do with a ball, I wasn't very good at. -Lance Armstrong
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