Series 2558: Constituent Correspondence, 2000-2003
36419
From: John Allred <allred@allrednet.com> To: Governor Musgrove Created: 8/8/2000 7:10 AM Subject: Comments to the Governor Message: Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by John Allred (allred@allrednet.com) on Tuesday, August 8, 2000 at 07:10:10 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue: New economic opportunities for the state Street_Address: 539E Seneca Ave City: Jackson State: MS Zip_Code: 39216 Phone: 601-362-9472 Message: Mr. Governor, As a member of the web design community in Mississippi for the past five years, I have encountered some very frustrating trends. Despite all our talk about being in the forefront of the technology revolution, we lag far behind the rest of the country in our use of new technologies. State government had the opportunity to move us forward several years ago, but failed to seize it and use it for the state's advantage. I have been a member of several online groups of designers which regularly focus on the trends in our industry. A couple of things are becoming very clear to me. Over the next few years, the WWW will begin to focus more on information and less on flash and polish and technical tricks. Perhaps more importantly, the web will begin to understand the need to make that information accessible to everyone, particularly those with disabilities. I hope you will use the influence of your office to champion these issues. State government has the opportunity to move the entire state forward in the web arena. But it will require bold stands and outspokeness on these issues. Web technologies are always changing. Companies come and go, depending on how well they guage the trends and adapt to them. Larger state agencies have the resources to adopt newer technologies and invest in software and hardward products that may or may not be around in a few years. Smaller agencies, however, have difficulty, due to lack of resources, yet they have just as much need to make their information available to Mississippi's citizens and to the world. One of the most liberating and empowering software applications around today is Allaire's Cold Fusion, together with their other newer offerings, Spectra and JRun. Information Technology Services (ITS) will be hosting a presentation by Allaire representatives who will present an executive level overview of their products on September 5. I trust that someone from your office has been invited and that they will attend this meeting. If not, I encourage you to contact Craig Orgeron, with ITS, and express your interest in attending. This suite of software could empower all of the smaller state agencies to publish their valuable information and to foster interaction with citizens, because of the power they offer and their ease of use. The state is considering policies relating to E-Commerce and Portal technologies, but consideration is apparently being limited to the largest corporations. Incorporating Allaire's products in the mix could have some very salutary effects. With the State of Mississippi as a visible user of Cold Fusion and Spectra, private industry will be encouraged to increase their use of it. There are tens of thousands of Cold Fusion programmers around the country, mostly on the East and West coasts, but almost none in Mississippi. These programmer jobs pay from $60,000 to more than $100,000. I can't think of a better class of jobs for the state to be creating. Thank you for providing this contact form, and good luck with your initiative. Our state is long overdue to join in the technology revolution. Regards, John Allred submit: submit --------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\Comments to the Governor 11\Mime.822
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