10 contenders (and one real long shot) for Obama's CTO
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Slide 12 of 12
Long shot: Jerry Yang
We had to rub our eyes when we saw this name on the list of contenders for Obama's national CTO. There's no logical reason that the Yahoo CEO and co-founder should be on the list, considering Yahoo's abysmal performance under his watch. Indeed, the source of the rumor appears to be a blog poll. The results of the poll are telling.
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Comments
he should pick Al Gore... He invented the internet...
Why isn't Steve Jobs in this list?
Yeah, they made that joke on slide 11, idiot.
Because he is busy.
If Jerry Yang is a "laughable long shot", then why the hell is Steve Ballmer on this list? Yahoo is going through a slump, so that makes Yang an unqualified idiot?
And what about Lessig? And Felten? So what if they don't have "experience running a large organization"? Will they be running the country, or running the White House technology initiatives? Are we looking to fill this position with a stuffed shirt technocrat or somebody with brains and deep knowledge, who actually has something to contribute?
This list is a joke.
I hope it's Bill Joy - he would be an awesome CTO. Plus, he was on Clinton's technology advisory team.
Continuing to repost that lie is stupid. Declan McCullah made that up. Here is the debunking of the lie that Al Gore invented the internet: http://sethf.com/gore/
When you say that, you sound as mean and spiteful as McCullah.
BTW, the president (whomever he/she may be) is forbidden to send emails. Too risky they say.
I like this guy: http://www.gregorbailar.com/about.html#bio
Lots of finance and stock market experience, disaster-readiness, highly-regarded, and makes a mean martini, to boot. Much better than someone who's been running a great big search engine or a giant online bookstore.
A CTO needs to have experience in running very large systems, to understand what needs to be done to keep the lights on and to know what hype the vendors will tell you and see through it. I think that disqualifies everyone from the vendor side, they're good at generating hype not cutting through it!
Now see, I'd argue the reverse. Who better to cut through vendor BS than someone with experience dishing it out?
Why wouldn't someone like Gideon Gartner or George Colony be on the list?
Good grief - do people actually still believe the Al Gore/Internet myth or was he/she trying to funny?
That was debunked YEARS ago.
I think whoever becomes the CTO must not only understand US issues but also have a clear understanding of global ICT challenges and what role the US may play to reduce the digital divide. While I am inclined to have an academic person in this seat but I would like to see a blend of practical experience in running organizations as an important factor to consider. I do not want GOVT. appointee to be named for this position. I think that will more or less kill innovation.
Zia
IITM
Dhaka
luckytoaccess@gmail.com
Jobs shouldn't make the list as he's been in a state of narrowcast focus for so long. He is also temperamental, impulsive and I don't believe is a consistently good strategic thinker. His eternally damning blunder, though, was to forget (or never learn) the Beta vs. VHS lesson learned so painfully by Sony. Apple "coulda been a contender," but now they are still a side show; of religious interest to a relatively small segment of the world's computer users, eclipsed by a second-rate company who made the right decision to license their OS to thousands of box manufacturers. So, unfortunately, Microsoft ruled the world for a very long time only to be eclipsed recently by Google. Apple is still an extremely minor company on the world stage. This is frustrating for me who got into the industry because the Apple II was just so cool I couldn't resist getting involved. But I have no illusion that Jobs is the guy for the nation's CTO job.
Wasn't Jerry Yang on 'American Idol'. I thought he had a big following.
Gates, Ballmer, and Yang shouldn't even be in contention.
What about Susan Crawford or Art Brodsky or Harold Feld? They all have huge experience on the policy side, though I think AT&T and Verizon execs would have a cow if any of those three were brought up.
I disagree about the CTO having to have Private Sector Experience. I think Government and Policy experience is much more valuable in this situation. Especially given how the Private Sector has screwed everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) up, from top to bottom.
Hear! Hear!
I was wondering the same thing...
This list IS a joke.
Why it has to be someone we know.. famous Techies.
When HP, IBM or EMC hire CEOs from outside, they don't look for "tech celebs".
You need a person who could
: work with the govt.
: understands people as well as technology.
: windows, unix, open standard - all these issues for IT world are NON-issues for govt.
1.5 cents (due to recession).
Al,
Al Pal,
They are not discussing about a CEO but a CTO and that's where lies the rub.
A CTO has a different role in not just policy making or working with the government but also to take some initiatives (moderate or extreme) to get the ball rolling. His/Her priorities are different than the CEO. CEOs are only interested in stock points going up and jitter when the market wobbles.
I nominate Senator Ted "Series of tubes" Stevens.
He'd be awesome.
what about Charles Phillips of Oracle?
Sonal Shah please. She has the right mix of Govt, Private and Google (the third category !)
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