Near-final DRAFT, 7 a.m. Friday!!!!!! Wordsmithing changes only!
Note: the specific areas are based on the discussions at dinner on Wednesday.
Dear presidential candidates:
We would like to ask your help seizing the unparalleled opportunity the 2008 election provides to spark a nationwide discussion on the relationships between information and communication technologies (IT) and traditional policy areas such as innovation, education, health care, and social welfare.
The attendees of the 18th annual Association for Computing Machinery Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference and our allies have initiated "Dear Potus 08", a series of web-based, interactive and open letters to the next President. These letters will cover topics that touch everybody in our nation, and in the process both engage and educate the public as well as industry and policymakers.
The topics we'll be discussing include
- How government can reduce identity theft by leading consumer protection initiatives, including education, best practices, and -- where appropriate -- regulation
- Creating a safer Internet for children and adults -- addressing such issues as cyberbullying, phishing, hacking, and cyberterrorism -- while also preserving freedom of speech and privacy
- The role of copyright, patents, and other forms of intellectual property in fostering innovation and creativity in a remix, mashup, and peer-to-peer-based culture
- How effectively to use new technologies to reduce health care costs and improve outcomes and service without compromising patient privacy or increasing the risks of medical identity theft
- Provide access to technology and knowledge for all Americans, bridging the digital divide and taking into account accessibility, interoperability, education, and training
- Comprehensive U.S. privacy legislation based on fair information principles that applies to governmental and private data collection, and how this should be harmonized internationally
The highly participative open letter format, along with accompanying discussions in online and offline forums, allows citizens to engage in the political process in a more participative way, paving the ground and refining methods for ongoing two-way communications with government in the new administration. At the same time, it will help people develop a shared national vocabulary while gaining a deeper understanding of the complexities and challenges of these issues.
If you think this is a valuable goal and interesting approach, you can assist us by highlighting the importance of these issues, and your positions, as you're campaigning. Just as importantly, please challenge the media -- "old" and "new" -- to cover the issues with the depth they deserve and the attention currently paid to "gaffes" and the horse race aspects of the campaigns.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. We look forward to hearing what you and the technology policy experts in your campaign think of it.
Signed (in whole or in part),
...
(and include current URL)