8:24 A.M. -- Don't want to get up. Don't want to go anywhere. Don't want to see anyone and much less talk to anyone. Too bad, but My day has already scheduled that and more. So, just get there and get it over with.
10:16 A.M. -- Leave for eGovernment Forum. Should have been there at 9:00 A.M. Microsoft event, lunch included. Decided to go to bolster e-goverment newsletter coming out next month.
10:21 A.M. -- Flipping through AM stations because some noise is better than silence. Suddenly hear voices from the past. The Mills Brothers. The Mills Brothers! Means nothing to most of you, but to Me it's a birthday gift in February when My birthday's in November. Ride the warm feelings 'til 11 AM.
11:14 A.M. -- Got to the Ritz Carlton in time to hear Ms. Marie Johnson, former Head of the eBusiness Division for the Australian Government. Now Executive Director (Worldwide) of Microsoft's eGovernment Intiatives. Speaks well, from experience, very organized, straight-from-the-shoulder talker. Met her later to get her angle on practical ways to get governments to align policies and technologies. Could contribute to the upcoming e-government newsletter.
12:58 P.M. -- Skipped the free lunch for a BLT at Denny's. No one to talk to at Denny's.
3:44 P.M. -- Ileana Fas, Director of the Office of Managment and Budget (P.R.) and Jorge Silva, Secretary of the Economic Development Department, spoke glowingly of technology-based initiatives within the government and aimed at citizens. Much vision, much enthusiasm, a noticeable gap: how will We get Our people to use these services? Asking around, The Jenius was told by several people in the respective departments that not even the government's employees are eager to sign up for service access (divided into two levels: basic and "Level 3", which allows the person to actually make online transactions). "Build it...and they will ignore the whole flaming thing."
5:23 P.M. -- Sitting in a cafeteria trying to figure out how My personal and professional lives will come together again. No clear answer.
8:18 P.M. -- Finished a presentation of My "Building Effective Teams" conference to a group of Master's degree students at Universidad del Este. Enthusiastic response surprises Me for the whole thing felt "off". Again to My surprise, everyone there took My business card; the first time that's ever happened. (Note to Self: Get more business cards.)
10:51 P.M. -- Drove home listening to The Mills Brothers. Took the scenic route.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
1 comment:
You know I worked right there where they hold all of Puerto Rico's eGovernment effort for more than a year. At any time I could have told any of the guys working there to set up my eGoverment account. I mean, I could actually bypass the morass of bureaocratic process that you would have to go through in order to get an account (like having to go in person to your local treasury department and present IDs and sign stuff up). I can actually still call some of those people and get my account up and running in two minutes.
But I don't. I won't!...
Three things:
1. The eGovernment portal does not work well with my browser (you know, Firefox).
2. I don't trust the (technical/digital) security there. not that the people there aren't capable. But they are reactive. Ask (I did! part of the job) for a complete listing of hardware, software, services, and data and you will get an incomplete answer if not an outright blank stare from most.
3. I don't trust the government with my information. Period.
Even if the above didn't apply there isn't (to my knowledge) any established means to settle damages in the even of an information leak. And i'm not talking money but accountability, responsibility.
(yes, yes. people are always raggin' on me because I'm always looking for ways to fire government employees, but there's plenty of reasons to have a sensible revolving door on public service...)
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