Radio Sweethearts

Happy new president week, y’all.

According to OTM, Obama’s first victory is being allowed to hang on to his Blackberry in office (personally, I’m surprised he’s not an iPhone guy). Obama is the first president to use e-mail, which seems kind of insane.  There’s a reson, though – presidents’ correspondance is kept for historical records, and it’s kind of tough to do that with email.

Brooke asks open government expert Ari Schwartz what the advantages constant email access wil give  President Obama. Schwartz replies “Everyone in government should be able to use modern technology.”  Preach it, Schwartz! I don’t understand how the leader of a country that is so attached to its cell phones and laptops could relate to the people without using their technology. Obama is also naming a Chief Technology Officer, a guy who Brooke charmingly calls “the world’s highest nerd.” Aww!

Though, Obama’s staff won’t be allowed to IM. They’ll have to get up and walk down the hall, just like most Americans who can’t use iChat at work.

Apparently, the White House has some of the same problems as one of Matthew’s jobs when it comes to technology. They can’t properly update their Web site because they don’t have the technology. There are all kinds of red-tape rules preventing the Obama technology team from getting things done. Can the Obama presidency be Web 2.0-ish? I hope so. It’ll be so much easier to use.

In even more internet news, the very ominously named Internet Safety Technical Task Force has released the results of a survey on the safety of kids on the internet. Turns out, they have nothing to fear but other kids, who are turning into total internet bullies.

The survey found that 90% of kids just delete messages from creepy adults. Kids get the whole stranger danger thing, as does the industry. Good news for parents, bad news  for David Hansen, the host of To Catch a Predator.

All of these crazy kids on the interwebs leads to one important question – if you’re a minor who takes nekkid pictires of yourself, does that count as child porn? Bob also asks the important question – “If we had had camera phones in high school, would we have taken naked pictures, too?”  *shudder*  ( OTM is all over this, as is Gawker.

In other news – everything Samuel L. Jackson knows about Rosa Parks is wrong, and Brooke Gladstone can totally tell when you lie to her. Better watch out, Bob, and keep your cell phone out of the hands of minors.

This recap was written by Kerry. Matthew is laying on the floor, scaring the crap out of the dog with the iphone theremin.