Showcase Societal Benefits; Not Beanbags

First off, many apologies dear Google-in-DC watchers.  While gallivanting about on different continents, I missed posting on quite the substantial Google policy story by Bloomberg.  The money quote:

``Their success or failure in Washington certainly could have a long-term impact on their stock,'' said Blair Levin, a Washington-based media and telecommunications policy analyst with Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

Beyond the helpful few paragraphs on Google's spectrum strategy and a mention of Johanna Shelton's hire (she was former senior counsel for telecom and the Internet to the powerful Rep. John Dingell), something in the Bloomberg piece that might normally be viewed as quite banal caught my eye.  It's that Google plans to move into a new DC location this fall and use it as a "showcase".  From the story:

The only evidence of Google's freewheeling culture on display during a recent visit to its temporary Pennsylvania Avenue digs was an office with a green bean-bag chair and a bookcase with Pop Tarts, soft drinks and bananas.

Google's personality may emerge more fully by October, the company's target date to move into a permanent location. The office will be a showcase for Google, which plans to hire at least three more staff lobbyists by year-end, spokesman Adam Kovacevich said.

``We're trying to bring a little bit of Google to Washington,'' Kovacevich said.

This must be great news for Adam -- who pointedly noted the differences between the Google DC lunch menu and the one at Google HQ here recently.

But, without any information on what Google really plans to do with their "showcase", let me take this opportunity to riff a bit and suggest why I hope it extends beyond more beanbags, sushi and miniature swimming pools.

What DC really needs is a place where members of Congress, media and other influential wags can stop talking over each about new technologies, their promises and pitfalls and actually use them.  Even more valuable would be demonstrations in how these technologies benefit schools, farms, factories, hospitals and small businesses many miles, congressional districts and states away from magic kingdoms like the Googleplex.

Google could probably do a pretty damn fine version of this on it's own and probably should in it's own shop.

But, what would be really cool and effective is if Google teamed with its industry friends, frienemies and competitors to develop what we'll call at Technology Impact Center in DC.  Here's what Google, Cisco, Microsoft, Yahoo!, eBay, Genentech, Apple, Dell, HP, Oracle, Sun, Nokia, NewsCorp, AT&T, Facebook and others could create....

--Interactive demo center for new products and (non-confidential) products currently in development in R&D labs. Focus paid to showing how products benefit big sectors of society  (education, health care, manufacturing, etc.)
--Regular how-to tech classes offered to congressional and Administration staffers
--Educational center for local schools with video links to schools in US and select international sites
--21st Century conference center for industry events, product launches, press conferences and live video links.  No longer should tech companies be forced to showcase their brands in spaces developed to host circa 1970s cattlemen associations.
--And, you could also have a public section that would fit in perfectly in a town full of tourists and museums

And, if the TIC becomes a central innovation resource center, you could envision that it creates an ecosystem directly around it that is filled by industry non-profits, think tanks, and DC corporate offices for tech firms. 

The TIC will practically pay for itself -- so easy to say when you are spending other people's money.

Comments

[Cynthia Brumfield]

Sean, sorry I missed this post earlier. You are on target with the idea that the tech businesses have failed to mount a successful DC-based educational initiative.

You and I have discussed this before and are on the same page about this, but I'm convinced that whomever jumpstarts a cross-industry educational program on Internet and tech policy will have a thriving business on his or her hands.

Cynthia B.

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