A Wasted Drive: Why I Left The 2nd CD Convention
I did not leave the district convention simply because there was no internet available. I sat down and started a little pseudo liveblogging during the first major speech (Blouin).
I left because after that speech I tried to track down WHY there was no internet at a 21st century congressional district convention, and Iowa Democratic Party Staff and the local arrangements folks acted like my expectation was unreasonable. The local guy said "no one ASKED, so we didn't think it was that important." The state party staffer told me I was biased against non-metro counties hosting the convention.
The convention was at Mt. Pleasant High School, built in 1999 and presumably wired like any decent sized school in the state. I shouldn't have to ask "will there be internet?" any more than I would have to ask "will there be a telephone?" or "will there be an electrical outlet?" Maybe it's the Iowa City in me but the only wifi issue I've ever had at an Iowa City school district site - weekday, weekend, or evening - is that their network has MySpace blocked as "not kid-safe." WiFi at that convention should have required one phone call to the school district, one router, and a few minutes of one geek's time.
So I decided that rather than write it up and post it on an eight hour delay, I'd rather have a human being day. At least when I tanked up in Mt. Pleasant it was a dime cheaper than here in Iowa City.
Supposedly there will be internet - wired only - at the state convention, so be sure to throw an ethernet cable in your bag and prepare to be anchored to one spot.
1 comment:
Hi John,
I enjoy your blog. I check in two or three times a week. You do great work. It definitely reflects your personality.
You may remember me when were TEAM staffers for the Iowa Democrat Party in 1992. I am pleased you have a blog.
Nonetheless, your comments about the Second District Convention lacking wifi is puzzling.
Why insult the rural areas? Urban areas are not that developed in wifi. You could have encountered this problem in a city. Would you have reacted this way in a city as you did in Mount Pleasant?
Why not quitely bringforth the issue to the Democrat Party? Nothing could have been done at the time when you discovered the problem. Could anything be accomplished by complaining at that very moment?
You are right to be frustrated. But wifi, as I understand, has been commericially available and developed since the school's constuction in 1999.
It is a legitimate issue to raise. I am glad that you are. There has to be a demand and educate the benefit of wifi before there will be widespread development.
I hope wifi will soon exist everywhere. Your emphasis should be on how the Democrat Party is to lead Iowa in high-tech development rather than ranting about rural folks and the state party. I would love to read your ideas of how this can happen.
Thanks for the blog. It is fun, informative and thought-provoking.
Bill Kerns
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