Mid-day tomorrow, I'll depart Asheville on one of those new-fangled flying machines. I'll be heading to Washington, D.C. for the Gov 2.0 conference. Preparing for that is one of the reasons that this space has been relatively quiet lately.
It promises to be a whirlwind few days, with a lot of interesting ideas, people and experiences. Truth be told, I don't know entirely what to expect. But I know it won't be boring. I hope to come out of it with some better ideas of my own, as well as offer some constructive critiques and opinions on the cooperation of government and technologists that this conference seems to be heralding.
Thank you to everyone who answered my call and sent me your thoughts about how government helps and hurts your personal life. The answers ranged from the micro to macro levels, from "it gives my child health care" to worries about the end of the middle class and the collusion between government and corporate power.
I'm thinking about all of that, believe me, as well as plenty of thoughts I haven't space for. I'll do my damndest to bring all of that together and try to do something useful with it.
Keep an eye on this space too. Time permitting, I'll try to put my thoughts and questions up here.
Also, if you're reading this and happen to be attending, don't hesitate to contact me at the e-mail provided here. I'm always interested in good conversation.
Best,
David Forbes