Now that both presidential candidates have gone on record with campaign positions on access to government information, we were struck by the similarity in their stated technology positions. The biggest difference that we could see is in their positions on transparency - Obama's statements appear more sunshine-friendly. Below is a summary of relevant points. Complete policies are at
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/cbcd3a48-4b0e-4864-8be1-d0456
1c132ea.htm
<http://mail.lib.ua.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.johnmccain.
com/Informing/Issues/cbcd3a48-4b0e-4864-8be1-d04561c132ea.htm> and
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/cb15a056-ac87-485d-a64d-82989
bdc948c.htm

(McCain) and http://www.barackobama.com/issues/technology/
<http://mail.lib.ua.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.barackobama
.com/issues/technology/> and http://www.barackobama.com/issues/ethics/
(Obama).
Valerie Glenn & Amy West
Universal Service
-McCain: federal support for locally built broadband access (whether public, private or mixed) as well as incentives for private companies'
extension into rural areas, auction wireless spectrum for private company expansion of broadband access to rural areas
-Obama: encourage Universal Service reform, public/private partnerships, "unleash" wireless spectrum for private company expansion of broadband access to rural areas (possibly meaning to auction spectrum)
Network Neutrality
Network Neutrality is the unprioritized transmission of content across the Internet. Because many content providers are also service providers, there exists a potential conflict over whose content gets priority in transmission. The major players in this debate are gigantic companies with massive revenue streams, e.g. Google and Comcast.
Currently, network neutrality is in place. Content/Service providers would like to be able to charge content-only providers fees to guarantee equivalent transmission of content. Content-only providers would like FCC regulations prohibiting such fees. Questions for universal service and government information: if network neutrality ended, how likely would it be that content/service providers would provide equivalent transmission to _non_-commercial content? Further, how likely is it that content-only providers would advocate for equivalent transmission of non-commercial content when they themselves have to pay for similar treatment?
-McCain: "John McCain does not believe in prescriptive regulation like "net-neutrality," but rather he believes that an open marketplace with a variety of consumer choices is the best deterrent against unfair practices."
-Obama: "Barack Obama strongly supports the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet."
Government Information Online
-McCain: more information online; more business conducted electronically, more use of rich media, creation of Office of Electronic Government
-Obama: enforce universally accessible data formats, more business conducted electronically, more use of rich media, more use of participatory software to encourage citizen participation, creation of a Chief Technology Officer."
Sunshine
-McCain: greater transparency re: lobbyists, campaign funds, earmarks
-Obama: greater transparency re: lobbyists, campaign funds, earmarks, contractors; five-day public comment period (on the White House web
site) before signing any non-emergency bill; more timely release of Presidential records