digital future in non-digital hands

[Tom Worthington]

At 19:17 17/11/98 +1100, Aseem Prakash wrote:

>... Given that governments and majority of commercial enterprises are run 
>by non-digital CEOs (and staff) that are making decision about the 
>"digital future", how can we be confident that a nation, like Australia, 
>can make a successful transition? ...

The only path to the future runs through the present.

The best we can hope is that decision makers willing to take advice from
people who know about this stuff.

I recall asking my former boss (a Brigadier) to approve the Defence Home
Page in 1995. He said: "I don't understand what this is, or know if I am
authorized to approve it, but go and do it".

This isn't quite as simple as it sounds and I gave a talk on how to do it at
Internet World 98. See: "The Three Eras of Government On-line":
http://www.acs.org.au/president/1998/past/govol.htm#threeeras

A recent example is that the ACS hosted the 1998 Information Industry
Outlook Conference, to provide some e-commerce policy options for
government:
http://www.acs.org.au/president/1998/past/io98/ecomaus.htm#conclusion

My suggestions from the conference:

 * Clear lack of research on Australian information industry 
 * $250,000 from new DCITA would help 
 * Bureau of Communications and IT Economics, would help 
 * Simpler systems for e-commerce are required: less technology, more
assurance of customer trust. 
 * Senator Alston must direct NOIE to implement PKAF, or risk the failure of
e-commerce in Australia 

I understand that state and federal on-line ministers are meeting today.
Perhaps some list members might be able to communicate these items to them.


Tom Worthington	           http://www.acslink.net.au/~tomw   PO Box 13
Immediate Past President                            Belconnen ACT 2617
Australian Computer Society                        tomw@acslink.net.au
----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-commerce Seminar, ANU, Wednesday, 18 November, 4:00pm & 7:30pm:
http://www.acs.org.au/president/1998/past/io98/ecomau.htm