Check out this interesting editorial from the Pierce County Herald:

Pierce County Herald

Published Thursday May 21, 2009

 

Around Pierce County hundreds of people stare at blank computer screens waiting for graphics and videos to load.

 

While affordable high-speed Internet access is taken for granted by those who have it, others know the frustration of depending on dial-up.

 

From school children trying to do homework to adults using the Internet for entertainment to workers hoping to telecommute, the lack of broadband connection is a disadvantage.

 

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration has found that broadband access enhances economic growth and performance. Communities in which mass-market broadband is available experience more rapid growth in employment, the number of businesses overall and the number of businesses in information technology sectors.

 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will provide funding for a variety of projects. County leaders say one that has the most potential for a significant impact on Pierce County is countywide broadband.

 

They say countywide high-speed Internet can improve public safety, economic development and government access.

 

Soon the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will release details about grants that will be available. Once the details are released, it’s expected that local agencies will have just 60 days to apply.

 

The grants will have these goals:

 

• Facilitate telemedicine by helping patients in rural areas confer online with medical specialists in urban areas and share information and test results quickly.
• Improve distance learning programs by allowing students to complete course work from home.
• Offer “smart grids” that deliver electricity from suppliers to consumers using digital technology to save energy, reduce costs and increase reliability.

This could be the opportunity Pierce County needs to help to support and grow its business base.

You can help by going to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s website and filling out a survey to support the need for high-speed Internet. That address is http://psc.wi.gov/recoveryAct/sfBroadband.htm.

Check out this Wired Wisconsin-sponsored event hosted by our partner, MKE Live:

 

MKE Live will give business professionals in Wisconsin another opportunity to “discover” new LinkedIn connections and tips, by offering a face-to-face and social networking event entitled “LinkedIn Live- Milwaukee at Discovery World,” at 500 N. Harbor Dr., Milwaukee.

 

“We’re thrilled to have our upcoming LinkedIn-Milwaukee event at Discovery World,” said Katie Felten, managing partner and president of MKE Live. “It will provide Milwaukee business professionals with a truly unique networking experience, and it’s a great location to kick off summer.”

 

The event will take place Monday, June 1 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. The cost for the event is $10. Space is limited, so networkers are encouraged to pre-register at www.mkelive.com

 

More than 600 people attended LinkedIn-Milwaukee’s May event at the Harley Davidson Museum to learn more about LinkedIn and to make connections.

 

Discovery World will keep its Great Lakes exhibit and Reiman Aquarium open to provide a unique networking experience for attendees. Those who attend will also receive a free “2-for-1” Discovery World ticket coupon.

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• Be sure to check out the Wired Wisconsin-sponsored LinkedIn Live event tonight at 5:30 in Racine! Info: http://tinyurl.com/LinkedIn... #
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• Come to the Wired Wisconsin-sponsored LinkedIn Live event tomorrow in Racine! http://tinyurl.com/LinkedInLive #

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming increasingly popular among working adults.  But do bosses have the right to see how their employees portray themselves on these online applications? According to a recent survey, they certainly think they do.

 

Detailed in the Business Journal of Milwaukee on Monday, a Deloitte LLP survey found that 60 percent of employers think they should be able to monitor what employees post online.  Meanwhile, 53 percent of employees think it’s none of their business, including 63 percent of workers ages 18 to 34. Seventy-four percent, however, recognize social networking sites make it easier to damage companies’ reputations.

 

“With the explosive growth of online social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, rapidly blurring the lines between professional and private lives, these virtual communities have increased the potential of reputational risk for many organizations and their brands,” said Sharon Allen, chairman of the board, Deloitte LLP. “It is important for executives to be mindful of the implications of this connected world and to elevate the discussion about the risks associated with it to the highest levels of leadership.” 

 

While sites like Facebook and Twitter can be useful both personally and professionally, the study is a reminder that online social networking is not as private as many people think.

• Rep. Tom Nelson op-ed: Let’s push for a fully wired Wisconsin: http://tinyurl.com/wiredtom #
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• Check out Wired Wisconsin’s interview with Assembly Majority Leader Tom Nelson.
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• if you interested and or attending #teched check out Wired Wisconsin http://bit.ly/I6HTt #
• RT @gwensol : What’s the greatest impact technology has in your classroom? Answer poll question at http://tinyurl.com/ooytb7 #

in the Park, the Wisconsin State fair, numerous ethnic festivals and Summerfest, the world-famous two-week long music festival celebrated on the Milwaukee lakefront.

 

As the state begins the season of celebrations, a less flattering tradition also comes to mind: Wisconsin residents are big drinkers.  Last fall, in the impressive five-part series “Wasted in Wisconsin” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examined the state’s drinking culture.  Wisconsin, the Journal Sentinel noted, is first in the country in binge drinking, drinkers in the population and driving under the influence. The paper also discovered that Wisconsin drinkers often underestimate how intoxicated they really are. 

 

Like many other issues, technology may play a role in solving Wisconsin’s drinking problem.  Symmetry, a company that specializes in assisting employees with substance abuse issues, has been using a tool called the “intoxiclock” to help educate audiences on alcohol impairment and blood alcohol content.  A large touch screen allows users to input information including gender, weight, time spent drinking and number of drinks consumed.  The intoxiclock then counts down the metabolizing of the alcohol in real time, giving audiences a memorable reminder of just how impaired they become when drinking.

 

The “intoxiclock” may not solve Wisconsin’s drinking issue by itself.  However, it does serve as a reminder of how innovative technology can be applied to our state’s most pressing issues.

Rep. Tom Nelson’s Opinion Editorial in the Capitol Times:

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t agree that the Internet has revolutionized our daily lives. We can communicate faster and cheaper than ever before, get up-to-date news with the click of a mouse, and do our banking and shopping without ever leaving the couch. Whether you’re permanently attached to your Blackberry, or still haven’t quite figured out e-mail, our world is now wired, and it’s likely to stay that way.

For businesses, the proliferation of the Internet is somewhat of a double-edged sword. On the plus side, it helps reduce costs, connects customers with the specialized goods and services they want, and generally makes business transactions easier and more efficient. On the other hand, it’s nearly impossible to run a business without high-speed Internet. It doesn’t matter if your business is big or small, run out of a corporate office park or your home office — the Internet is critical for success.

Unfortunately, lack of high-speed connectivity is a serious problem that persists in communities all across Wisconsin. Because of the high cost of developing broadband infrastructure, Internet providers wait until they have a critical mass of customers before investing in an area. Urban areas reap the benefits of high-speed Internet, while small towns and rural communities are left to rely on outdated services like dial-up. It’s almost as if entrepreneurs who live in the wrong ZIP codes are doomed to fail, which is bad for business and bad for Wisconsin.

Thanks to the leadership of Wisconsin Congressman Dave Obey, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $7 billion in loans and grants for the purpose of improving our nation’s broadband infrastructure. The funds will be made available to state and local governments, as well as private companies, to help make the necessary investments in broadband infrastructure. Wisconsinites should take note, however, that we are competing for funding with every other state in the nation. We must be able to make the case that Wisconsin citizens and Wisconsin businesses want and need high-speed Internet.

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has launched a survey to help identify broadband needs in Wisconsin, so our state will be well-positioned to compete for federal funding. I urge all Wisconsin residents to visit http://psc.wi.gov, where you can share your experiences with Wisconsin’s broadband infrastructure and express your ideas about how it can be improved. If you can’t access the survey online, you can call the PSC to get a hard copy at 888-816-3831, or my office at 888-534-0005.

A fully wired Wisconsin won’t happen overnight. But the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides an incredible opportunity to help build Wisconsin’s broadband infrastructure. By acting now, we can ensure that no matter where they live, Wisconsinites have access to the technology that makes our world run.

Rep. Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna, is the Assembly majority leader.

• RT @ WiStateJournal : On Campus: UW-Madison to get $5 million to study new nuclear energy technology http://tinyurl.com/ofyfsd #
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• Dear WI, Please take a moment to check out and join Wired Wisconsin-a tech issue nonprof not just for techies http://tinyurl.com/dn63cm #

Watch our interview with Wisconsin Assembly Majority Leader Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna.

• WI Medical Journal Study finds that implementing e-medical records increases Doc productivity http://tinyurl.com/c6l8z6 #
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• New broadband technologies can connect even the most remote places. Rural WI just needs to get access to them. http://tinyurl.com/dbxera #