Blog Competition
Want your words to appear in Australia’s first Cyber White Paper. The best and innovative posts on the questions below will appear:
- What a digital social contract would look like?
- What is a digital citizen?
- How can we take advantage of the opportunities that the digital economy offers while maintaining trust and confidence in the online environment?
- How can we educate Australians on cyber risks?
Email your entry to cyberwhitepaper@pmc.gov.au check out the conditions of entry here
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The TECHNO LOOP
The Future
I expect in the future to use the internet like using a motor vehicle, jump in, insert the key and drive on the road to where I want to go, the roads and my car need maintenance, there are compliances, licenses and registration needed, rules to follow, with policing of them but basically every one can make their way with little or no difficulty. Or in doing my banking like using a dial telephone where I would just pick up the handset dial a number and start transacting.
I see dedicated national networks for specific services as such as Formal Email, Finance-banking and super, and Health -Accessing medical records and dedicated high speed video consultation cum conference channel, all at a fixed low cost fee, while other services would be structured due to competitive supply, demand and pricing.
People using this system will be just people, they will not be citizens of any internet, they will use a device that will seamlessly connect them to a service they need without any fuss or bother. There are apps that are simulating this now, I would like them to be a little more substantial, to ensure safety, functionality and longevity, so therefor hard and on a chip would suit me. or just built in with some configuration by the user.
As people are using the networks available this way they will not particularly be aware of it and not specifically participate in the network as a citizen. While other services such as Information and library access, Trade and Retail, Social networking and community chat and forums, Gaming Network and Telecommuting solutions etc would mostly be provided commercially.
The Past.
“Princess and the Pea”
For long as I can remember, computers and software have been incompatible, Microsoft claimed “Windows 2″ and subsequent (GUI) Graphical User Interfaces were IBM compatible, but to get any reasonable compatibility and performance, one had to install more hardware :- a graphic accelerator often known as a windows accelerator card, More memory, a bigger hard drive. Progressively areas of hardware came under some type of incompatibly problem where Monitors, Graphics cards, Printers, Modems, Scanners all sequentially became incompatible with upgrade versions of Windows, the last to fall were Hard Drives. Each time companies had to either sign up to Microsoft’s way, giving/paying money, propriety product information etc to Microsoft that did severely diminish the companies ability to remain viable in the PC and certainly compete against Microsoft, etc.
Microsoft instead of creating a product like APPLE where it made under its own brand hardware and software and bundled together. Sold something under the supposedly capacity to be compatible and allow people to create and use graphical software on top of an operating system, only to slowly squeeze the manufacturers out of business or extort huge sums of money, anticompetitive commitment or propriety information from them (as above).
The case against Microsoft with DOJ & FTC was farcical and covered so very little, the finding of facts included “Barrier to entry” (where barrier existed to create other separate products on the market) and hence inferr a customer barrier to exit (where a consumer would exit Microsoft’s products and migrate their usage to other systems).
Our own Attorney general SHOULD have instigated our own investigation into the allegations raised and judgement passed, for our own government is a seller(internally),a purchaser, a user and law maker, and police in and with these products by this company.
“Not just one Company”
This company is only one of the many that have been delinquent severally and jointly
in similar ways
i.e. IBM sold computers with Microsoft’s operating system on it, IBM had signed a contract with Microsoft accepting responsibility for parts of the operating system, that they would integrate their own software into and for parts of Microsoft’s system installed on IBM computer products. Microsoft failed to transfer full access and control to them in order to permit full responsibility that they had signed for – Long story shortened: the software failed, customers complained to IBM, IBM could not fix it as they did not have the required access to the code, Microsoft repeatedly insisted IBM were responsible and refused to specifically do anything, IBM still sold computers knowing it had faulty software, businesses and private individuals were affected. Microsoft did not seek to prevent IBM from selling the faulty product to its customers, Yet Microsoft still claimed to have a license with the customer upon the consumer starting and running the software for the first time in its faulty state.
“Failure to Supply.”
Microsoft has never sold a fully working product, Graphical User Interface, Operating system or Office suite. all have had known faults at the time of sale, more found immediately after release and sale and many more found there after, yet products still sold and not recalled. Fixes caused more problems. many things were not obvious to customers until they installed certain configuration of software and hardware at great expense to themselves – without prior warning of the compatibility.
Warranty is supposed t be suspended whilst it is made workable but while people receive updates the product never is fully workable, On Microsoft web site it regularly on the same web page claims it is a service pack, a fix pack, a security update, and update, an and upgrade. It is impossible to know what is happening on your system what the pack would change for better or worse and it is continually removing functionality and function as well s fixing faults.
Acknowledgement of known faults could previously be seen by reading the service pack notes of SP!, SP2 SP3 …… in NT3.51 3.52 etc – where it seemed the law in America is different and by saying it was a previously known Fault Microsoft got out of some legal obligatory responsibility.
“Scare tactics”
Microsoft products used to state that any legal action had to be Taken against them in in some state in the U.S. and people did not have the capacity tor money to do so.
“Intangible assets”
Microsoft’s market share represents and intangible asset, gained using anti-competitive and corrupt means, any income derived from such asset is also deemed product of the anti-competitive and corrupt practices. (product of crime)
“Intangible tactics”
When the punitive decision to divide Microsoft’s Office suite division from the Operating system as pronounced, and even though Microsoft had created a new NT division for Windows XP etc, because from Windows 2000 there had been growing problems with the Old design of NT and new products, Bill Gates stood at a podium and threatened doomsday on America if it was to be forced to divide up. From the external perspective of the threat, Microsoft is intimate with government and military systems and plans, intimate with the most popular operating system in the world, was providing funding to many Universities and institutions to dominate scientific opinion and garnet support, there were early statments that the President would pardon Microsoft but in the end the administration of George Bush just backed down and did not continue to carry out the decision.
The Australian Government and more recent past.
Did Government see the possibilities for our country ?
State and Federal Governments do plan and look ahead,
What happened ? Where was their action ?
My governmental telecommunication & computing timeline
1. I remember Pigs Mutton and Gravy, The PMG. That became the Australia Post & Telecom.
2. The Government cash cowed Telecom and it went down hill.
3. The Government changed Telecom into Telstra without dividing it
4. Macquarie stated it could not be separated – Even I could do it 3+ ways.
5. We had a farce with tendering for Cable – Austar – insincere tender.
6. Government divided Telstra into three tranches.[1) Useless,2) More Useless,3) Totally Useles].
7. Mean while Ziggy and the board make Telstra more difficult to split up despite the Government being the major shareholder with 66% of the company and every citizen a shareholder of Australia(Gov).
8. A Few laws were legislated about porn and hackers as an after thought.
9. Review of IP laws – outcome unknown.
10. The U.S. Free trade agrement cause us to changed propriety laws slightly for parity reasons.
11. NBN – we need it – 3G -I’m using it now is really poor in high density areas without roasting us with microwaves – using (Optus) Femtocells and the like.
12. Having to Buy back Telstra and compensate them for splitting it. costing more than we made.
All without the Government having any idea of what the thelcommunication and computing Plan for Australia was – [NONE].
“Who’s on first base”
Remember the IBM Advertising about employees who were afraid to Buy IBM and afraid NOT to Buy IBM. Many of people depicted in adds have since been employed as staff in Government or business IT departments as advisors, security specialists, consultants etc. They have shaped this world based on the past they grew up with. if we want a health one, we may need to start afresh.
John Howard stated that he liked the way Bill Gates did Business. Bill Gates and American citizen was able to address the Australian Parliament where as I an Australian Citizen could not. Why because he is rich from the exploits of Microsoft in which he was simultaneously Chief Software Engineer and CEO of Microsoft, Directly controlling the software and the companies behaviour. [PRIMARY SUSPECT NO 1].
“Proper perspective”
Recently Steve Jobs passed away, everybody praised him as a man of vision and of great achievements. He stated that his biggest and most important achievement as being his Family and his Family Relationship. Not computing, not billions of dollars, but his people, his family, the extensions of himself and the intimate contact and relationship with other fleshy beings.
“Downside answers”
People are being pushed on line, they cannot get paper bills without expense, companies are not allowing using cash, every thing is go to out ‘.com’ but when you get there it is so minimal it is worthless
Q)What a digital social contract would look like?
A) It looks like a chain around an Elephants leg, the Elephant could break it but the reaction it gets from the handlers makes it a miscreant, an outlaw,a renegade so it is isolated and punished severely, or killed as a threat.
Without the internet people will become extremely isolated and fail, but with the internet people will become so isolated they will die without others knowing their problem.
If the internet is to provide something it we should already be doing it NOW.
I.E. Telephone improved communication, we had mail and telegram before that, we ever had telephoto – a fax like system sending news photos overseas using run length encoding (RLE). The telephone did not make us able to communicate. just made it more convenient at a cost.
Q) What is a digital citizen?
A) Some poor citizen that has been deserted by their government long ago,
and is now a victim of greedy business and thieves of all ilk.
Who deserved to have those elected to govern, to plan and implement a good system, that provided the backbone for Australia for the next 100 years.
Q) How can we take advantage of the opportunities that the digital economy offers while maintaining trust and confidence in the online environment?
A) Make it truly Trust worthy. Make it as safe as copper wire – dial telephone of old.
As refusal to face up the the essential problems because people feel that it is not positive or that it will undermine innovative motivation and/or just ground them out.
Build the good foundations and keep rebuilding each layer until it is right.
Do not go onto another version – have one version – our way of life.
Opportunities will follow a good system, people will discover what they can do with over it and start to exploit its opportunities.
Q)How can we educate Australians on cyber risks?
A)First Do something about removing Failings, Errors, Frauds, Exploitation, abuses, from the system, the citizen will be using.
As they are NOT RISKS if they are forced to use them, as the Digital Citizen cannot go elsewhere or choose not to, if many businesses go exclusively on the internet.
Plan the plans of framework, legislate it into existence, then provide common access like roads and water as a perpetual resource.
“No Fun”
Nobody wants to know, they want the adrenaline rush with out the climb to the top. The convenience without the inconvenience. Somebody has to do the hard yards or it’s all a waste of money and a great contribution to the ills befalling us on this little planet.
“The Techno Loop”
:Top
Anti-competitive behaviour and corrupt behaviour disabling the best outcomes,
Computer programmers creating change for the sake of change,
New technologies that every one flees to, to break the boredom, who then demand and push for yet more change without any real productivity improvement or fundamental benefit to the country or people.
It all starts with the Government, a good level headedness with a clear picture of what foundations to build, and not tempted to run away with the thrill of the novelty, or sit back and only fix things when it collapses or is politically expedient.
Goto Top
:End
Disclaimer & Claimer
All statements expressed here are my general opinion and derived from my observations of unfolding events and the media. I make them believing them to be factual and in context. The explicit facts would need further discovery to become anything more than general opinion.
Australia needs an Identity Infrastructure, with 2-factor protection.
I need to be able to choose which company manages my digital identity, or manage it myself if I have the tools and capacity. I also need my identity protected against viruses and Trojans, so I need something protecting me that is physically in my wallet or beside my PC, that viruses cannot steal.
When other people need my information (Governments, Banks, Insurance, Business, Web-sites, etc), those places should contact my Identity Provider to get it (by my prior consent), and none of those places should store any of my data at all. Any time they need it again, they should come and get the latest up-to-date version from my Identity-Provider. This will allow everyone to know who has their data, to audit and see how it’s being used, and to revoke access when desired.
It will shift the problem of millions of companies each having to individually protect my data, and will put my data in the hands of Identity Providers, who I can choose and move between, all in one place where I can keep it current. The improved protection, handling, features, and reporting of usage by those providers will ensure that the best becomes the most successful. The availability of large numbers of providers will ensure that no single break-in at a company or government site will compromise entire databases of victims. Reporting on usage will detect, deter, and stamp-out inappropriate use of my ID.
I own and operate an Identity Registrar which does all of this. I’ve been trading for nearly 6 years.
Lets get moving and protect ourselves.