Long Island 2.0: Part Three

If we accept the premise that information on Long Island (and the world) will become more and more accessible no matter what types of restrictions are placed upon it, then we must decide how best to "harness" this information for productive purposes.

We can, of course, continue to expose only that information which is advantageous to our point of view or to promote our cause or organization, but that only serves gain short term victories for one issue or another and ultimately to perpetuate the status quo. This is the essence of public policy by "chasing one's tail." It all sounds good in a press release but never really amounts to much.We need a long term strategic approach to problem solving and a commitment to engaging in collaborative efforts. Organizations and individuals must relinquish a portion of their self interest and autonomy for the greater good.

This was the basic premise of the Community Congress in Oyster Bay 2000, and it remains the thrust of the Virtual Community Congress as part of Long Island 2.0.

It is somewhat ironic that the perceived decline in influence of political parties is coinciding with the decline in circulation and influence of traditional media. The thing that traditional media rails against most is the same thing that is contributing to their demise. That is "loss of control." Traditional media fights against the political "machines" which suppress public debate while at the same time they themselves engage in vicious turf wars to be the "primary" source of news and information (influence) in a particular region. Those days may be over as the world of information becomes more "democratic."

Over the next number of posts, we'll explore additional methods for enhancing the sharing of information in a productive manner for the benefit of all Long Islanders. Naive as it may sound, I believe we live in an age where this is now possible and more than that, essential for the promotion of Long Island as an autonomous region within and cooperating with the larger world.We need to create a mechanism for "perpetual process" so that all decisions are made based upon the most current and accurate information available. Even decisions completed must be kept in the "analysis loop" in order to maintain their current viability.

Long Islanders must, as they say "hang together" or "swing alone."