If Lessig doesn't want the job then Obama should give it to Rod Beckstrom and then have Bruce Schneier replace Beckstrom as head of the National Cyber Security Center. Giving someone the position just because they're famous for inventing a piece of technology is a terrible idea. Schneier would be a much better pick for NCSC because not only is his expertise in security, but he is really good at selling his ideas and motivating average users to get behind best practices. Beckstrom on the other hand is highly intelligent, competent, and intellectually curious, but he isn't really a security expert. He would however be an excellent candidate for national CTO.
Bruce Schneier would be a fantastic choice. He should be offered whatever high level position he thinks he could do the most good with, and be given the freedom to do things right. Can you imagine how much more sane things would be?
All the other bureaucratic positions made out of thin air have worked out so well for the American people so far that I just can't wait to have my life more regulated in new and interesting ways. How exciting! I'm always so happy when we finally give power to a single individual to let us know the best way to spend other people's money. Life is so complicated with people arguing over better ways to do things with their products and services and all that rubbish. I'm genuinely looking forward to VictoryOS and the new VictoryBook laptop that the Ministry of Technology has in store for us. They will likely be leagues ahead of all the other horribly sub-par technologies we're forced to put up with today.
Personally, I think our new Chief Tyranny Officer should be someone who has the following qualities:
- extensive experience forcing other people to do their bidding
- no regard for civil liberties
- a deeply flawed understanding of technology
- passionate interest in maintaining and extending her power
- desire to get filthy rich by propping up companies and providing subsidies to suffering industries
Well I guess we can just put about every name of Congress and the Senate in a hat. In fact let me just reflect that it is truly amazing to think that we live in a time when almost all our representatives share such patriotic qualities. 2009 is going to be great!
Vint Cerf seems far too academic. I doubt he'd be able to bulldoze the bureaucracy the way Gates could. Most of the other obvious choices would have the same problem. I think you'd have to be a bit ruthless to make any real progress. Eric Schmidt could probably do it, but not as well as Gates.
I agree with all of this, but I don't think Gates will accept the job. He's very committed to his foundation, which is a much bigger opportunity for large-scale benefit to billions of people than CTO of the USA.
If you can spare her, Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington.
She was a VP (if my memory's correct) and in charge of developer relations at Real when I remember talking to her about ten years ago. And she's been a US senator for a while now, which probably gives her a more direct understanding of "how a bill becomes a law" than most.
I'd vote for myself if I could, I'd love to do it! However, looking past the Nanoscopic chance of that happening, I would have to say Bill Gates. Gates, while aging, is a powerful and loud person when it comes to the use of technology in a modern society. He understands not only the needs but the potential for technology in our world. Unfortunately, Microsoft being the mammoth it is, you haven't seen him much able to maneuver it over the past few years.
It should be someone who is largely retired, like a Cinnenatus kind of person, so, for example, not Steve Balmer. He is awesome as ceo of microsoft, and the world would be poorer for it, were he to go elsewhere, in my opinion. This job is not even that technical - just trying to increase access to broadband, and advising on "green tech" issues. More a job for a marketing type than a super-technical type.
