Online Desktop

Here's an idea for you guys. Currently the computer is run by software that is installed to personal and business computers. Programs like MS Word, explorer, Outlook, Calculators, etc are all installed onto the computer and often, new programs face compatability issues. I know someone that just created an online version of photoshop. It has all of the basic functions, but the software is online and people can access it from any computer. This is how a lot of websites' content managers work. You can update your site from any computer with internet because all of the necessary files and programs are right in front of you.

What I think that we need to do is develop software that is primarily online. They have done this with a lot of email clients and organizers. Email is accessed from all over the world using servers like Yahoo and Gmail. If we could develop software that was just the same (People could pay a montly service fee for the software or even annually), we would cut back on pirating costs and compatibility would be solved because all users would need is a compatible web browser.

Imagine being able to access Word anywhere you are, or even getting to your work from anywhere. Sure, you can do this now by emailing your work to yourself, but this takes it to the next level by allowing users to store ALL of their work online as opposed to being limited to word files or even worse, TXT files.

I mean, we couldn't pull it off just yet, we would need quite a bit of capital, but it is definitely something that can be done. With more and more of the world getting internet access (and many parts of the world with highspeed connections) this could be the next phase of desktop computing.

Glimmer of Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Ok, so now that Bush is officially going to be President for 4 more years, let's take a look at one of his more intriguing campaign promises. Bush has claimed that in order to help urban development, he's going to push for the creation of what he calls, "Opportunity Zones." This basically entails giving businesses tax breaks in certain inner-city areas, with a few other benefits that might get thrown into the mix. It all fits in with Bush's bigger picture "Ownership Society," where everyone in America owns something in order to stimulate the economy. Ironically, the idea of an Opportunity Zone is the sort of thing I would have expected out of someone far more liberal than Bush. In fact, it's downright Rawlsian. Rawls' conception of social justice requires an equality of opportunity, but not any artificial supports or solutions of the sort that communism proposes. Rawls asserts that the disadvantaged simply need something like affirmative action to give them some momentum and allow themselves to motivate the rest of their own change. Therefore, the idea of an Opportunity Zone, which would give minorities and the socio-economically disadvantaged a little help in pulling themselves up seems like sound (at least philosophically) policy.

As a side note, while my inclinations are to be utterly depressed over Bush's reelection, I'm somewhat optimistic at the chances that Bush may follow in Reagan's footsteps: have an ideologically divisive first term, but concentrate on the good of the country for prosperity in the second. I can foolishly hope that his actions in his first were to guarantee reelection, not to permanently put the country down the road it has been heading. I can hope that bipartisanship will be as important as the concession and acceptance speeches have said they would. What can I say? I'm a pragmatist, and I don't really have any other choice but to hope.