#ChangeAgents in Exponential Times

views of @fcc_cio

The Role of Public Service

#ChangeAgents in Exponential Times

#ChangeAgents = Leaders who “illuminate the way” manage friction of stepping outside the status quo

This is our home 3.7 billion miles away

This is our home 3.7 billion miles away

a “Pale Blue Dot”

the sunlight reflected from Earth took 5½ hours to reach Voyager I in 1990

when Voyager I launched in 1977 4.2 billion humans lived on Earth

when Voyager I launched in 1977 4.2 billion humans lived on Earth

global GDP = 7.2 trillion USD

the Apple II went on sale that year running at 1 MHz w/ 4 KB of RAM

Voyager I traveled 3.7 billion miles by 1990 5.3 billion humans lived on Earth

Voyager I traveled 3.7 billion miles by 1990 5.3 billion humans lived on Earth

global GDP = 22 trillion USD

Windows 3.0 was released and CERN launched the first web server at info.cern.ch

by 2013 >850 million web servers online 7.1 billion humans lived on Earth

by 2013 >850 million web servers online 7.1 billion humans lived on Earth

global GDP = 75 trillion USD

7 billion global networked devices 4 billion TB of digital content globally

by 2022, 75-300 billion networked devices 8 billion humans will live on Earth

by 2022, 75-300 billion networked devices 8 billion humans will live on Earth

global GDP = ?? trillion USD

7 billion humans online, more than 85% of the world 96 TB of digital content > all human eyes see/year

Public Service #ChangeAgents are needed now more than ever

Public Service #ChangeAgents are needed now more than ever

in Exponential Times

our Public Institutions must adapt à we need new Expertise & Experiments

both Expertise & Experiments have the root “ex peria” = out of danger

both Expertise & Experiments have the root “ex peria” = out of danger

the U.S. representative democracy was

born from an Experiment in self-rule “out of danger” came Experience

Dr. Benjamin Franklin in 1787 after the signing of the Constitution:

… now at length I have the happiness to know

that it is a rising and not a setting Sun.

George, Martha, & Abigail Adams ages: 43, 44, 32

1776’s #ChangeAgents Included:

Thomas, James Monroe, & Sybil Ludington ages: 32, 30, 14

1776’s #ChangeAgents Included:

Abigail Adams to John Adams in 1775:

… How difficult the task to quench the fire and the pride of private ambition, and to sacrifice ourselves

and all our hopes and expectations to the public weal.

#PublicService Always Has Challenges

Abraham Lincoln in 1863:

[W]e take increased devotion to that cause… that government of the people, by the people, for the

people, shall not perish from the earth.

#PublicService Always Has Challenges

the public

private sector public sector

academia non-profits

We The People, Building Bridges

The Importance of YOU

support &

legitimacy public

value organizational

capacity

The Importance of YOU

… But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels,

no government would be necessary.

– The Federalists No. 51, 1788

We The People Must Adapt #PublicService

Remember: Dilbert is funny because it is universal

We The People Must Adapt #PublicService

mobility + APIs à allow institutions to open data for greater public interactions,

discussions and citizen-led remixing

The Importance of #ChangeAgents

public can volunteer smartphones as sensors à collect data to inform policy

or lend computing cycles for hard problems

The Importance of #ChangeAgents

machines that learn alongside knowledge workers à how can we use machine

recommendations to better aid us all?

The Importance of #ChangeAgents

makers movement à institutions must encourage & empower “intrapreneurs” to

pioneer civic & social innovation

The Importance of #ChangeAgents

Carl Sagan in 1994: Look again at that dot.

That's here. That's home.

That's us. On it everyone you love,

everyone you know –

That's us. On it everyone you love,

everyone you know –

Everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.

To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal

more kindly with one another –

To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal

more kindly with one another –

And to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.

Thank You for Being #ChangeAgents

in our Exponential Times