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Potomac Confidential
With Marc Fisher
Post Metro Columnist
Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003; Noon ET
Potomac Confidential fills the midday lull with discussion of the latest news and a rigorous slicing and dicing of the issues that define who we are and where we live.
In his weekly show, Washington Post Metro columnist Marc Fisher veers wildly from serious probing to silly prattle, and is open to topics local, national, personal and more.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Marc Fisher: This is going to be fun. Say anything against the hegemony of the computer savvy and man, you hear an earful. Today's column expressed, shall we say, a bit of frustration over an industry that makes no accommodation to the notion that people might want to use a computer without having to make it our career. We'll get into that, plus much more--the war, Tuesday's column about the ethics of Chief Charles Moose's book-writing career, Sunday's piece about the shuttle explosion, and a column that appears in today's Virginia Extras about the defeat of mandatory seat belt legislation in the Old Dominion.
Your turn starts right now...
Computer literate, USA:
Hey Marc, I just finished reading your column today.
You want some cheese with that whine?
Marc Fisher: Make mine good old Velveeta--that would be the Luddite's cheese of choice, wouldn't it?
Takoma Park, Md.:
Not going to argue with you that many of my fellow techies are clueless. But there are professional IT trainers who can do a good job of teaching new stuff at a level other than techie-info-dump. Too bad the Post won't spend the money to hire them.
Also, it is possible to design software with a decent interface and actual useful functions. But you have to ASK THE USERS instead of just making something and hoping for the best. 'Tis a losing battle.
On the other hand, most Windows "improvements" are nothing but T-R-O-U-B-L-E for no additional benefit.
Marc Fisher: We certainly agree about that. The vast majority of what's done in most offices is not much more complicated than, you'll excuse the expression, typing. Why not save everyone a load of aggravation and buckets of money and make available simple systems that let you cut, paste and a few other basic moves?
Southern Maryland:
I loved your article today --- I feel your pain. Having learned to type on a Remington manual typewriter, I know what you're talking about. Another thing those techies do: they keep changing the title of their department so you can't find them in the company phone book. First they were "computer support," then they were "the help desk," now they are "information technology." Then they give themselves titles like applications analyst, systems administrator, practice specialist, senior systems engineer. What the heck do these people do? If you can't dazzle the end-users with brilliance, baffle them with a useless title.
Marc Fisher: I am going to assume that they work really hard, which is probably a safe assumption given how unreliable computers are even 25 years into their general use. But you're right about the mystifying lingo--that seems to be a very important part of their self-identity.
Glover Park, Washington, D.C.:
Marc, I feel your pain, but if your new system was a Mac or Linux system, many of your complaints would be addressed. Just to be clear, it's mostly Windows PCs that take longer to boot and are more and more difficult to use. Because PCs are more and more powerful, lots of bloated programming is written that takes up a lot of that speed advantage.
Macs, which have always been user friendly, are easier to use than ever.
Marc Fisher: OK, before anyone gets any ideas, I am going to allow ONE of these Mac things--ONE, this one--and that's it, so don't bother typing any more of them. I know, you have a different machine, you like it a lot, the rest of us are idiots. Let's move on.
IT Guy, Washington, D.C.:
Mark, out of curiousity, what on earth is this new computer system for? I work for an IT company, and between our customer relationship management system, internal systems for timekeeping, legal approvals, etc., we don't have anything that requires that much instruction.
As far as the general trauma of it, it really doesn't help that so much of the technology being used stinks. This is one of those areas where Microsoft's domination has caused real problems, since most of corporate America is working on platforms that are broken and insecure out of the box.
Marc Fisher: It's for putting out the newspaper--reading wires, writing stories, slapping on headlines, laying out pages, all that stuff. And each system gets progressively more complicated, slower, and more reviled by those who have to use it.
Tysons Corner, Va.:
Nice column on jazz in D.C., Marc, but did you have to take a swipe at WPFW? Yeah, they play World Music, although I don't know that it's on the increase at the station. But they also play REAL JAZZ during DRIVE TIME, and my understanding is that they had to fight the Pacifica Board to retain that. They've taken more than their share of blows over the infighting at Pacifica. How 'bout a little credit for their perseverance?
Marc Fisher: Have a look at the station's schedule at http://www.wpfw.org/programming.html and you'll see how sharply they've cut back on jazz. Some of those hours have been turned over to the worst sort of talk--pedantic, ill-informed political blather--and much of that time has gone to old school R&B of the sort that's widely available on commercial radio and to other pop musics--some of which sound fine, but detract from the station's longstanding purpose, which was to be a voice for jazz and Pacifica's tradition of anti-establishment public affairs.
Snow!!!:
Are the weather people going to be wrong again (and again and again)? If they say it's going to be 2-4 for Washington, D.C., I expect less than an inch. How about you?
Marc Fisher: It's generally best to go with about one-quarter of the amount that's been forecast. Or buy stock in Wonder Bread and Charmin and talk up the storm big time.
Washington, D.C.:
Hey Marc,
I didn't get the reason why the D.C. police are lighting their siren lights? Do you know? Thanks.
Marc Fisher: Chief Ramsey saw cops in Israel doing this on his recent visit and concluded that having patrol cars ride around with their colorful lights flashing would increase public awareness of those patrols. So now we have the foolish spectacle of innocent motorists pulling over to the side and blocking traffic because they're trying to do the right thing and yield to an emergency vehicle. But there's no emergency--except that we have a gimmick-happy police department that ought to be paying attention to training officers to be more aggressive about doing their jobs, rather than looking for ways to snow the public.
Washington, D.C.:
Were counting on you NOT to join the chorus in the media who will want a special memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for the Columbia shuttle disaster. Everyone at Arlington gets the same very modest tombstone, and its a great honor. No need to have a special marker that says youre better than everyone else.
Marc Fisher: I think I'm with you, though you have to admit that the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the JFK site are both moving and popular spots for visitors. But yes, it's generally best to reserve the very small amount of remaining space at Arlington for those whom the cemetery is meant to honor--the rank and file who fought for their country.
From a distance:
Marc,
So off we go looking for a baseball stadium. And while I desperately want one in my dear hometown, I do have to ask if anyone realizes that RFK does have two summer tenants right now (DC United and the Washington Freedom) who ought to have a say in the proceedings but currently have none?
Marc Fisher: Not to rile up my friends in the soccer world again, but surely you jest. To reserve a stadium that was built for baseball on behalf of a couple of teams that draw pathetically small crowds for a sport that will never make it as a commercial venture in this country is just silly. If we land a baseball franchise, those soccer teams can go play on those nice new youth fields in Gaithersburg and all 29 of their fans will be happy.
Washington, D.C.:
Do you believe making D.C.'s primary the "First-in-the-Nation" will prove an effective way of highlighting our lack of representation to the country/world? Meanwhile, petition for the primary.
Marc Fisher: I certainly hope so. It's a publicity stunt, of course, and will be meaningless in the scope of any presidential campaign, but it could be a highly effective stunt, and the District needs to use any means possible to spread the word about the grave injustice that has been done to half a million Americans. As I see it, moving our primary date to the front of the line is win-win. If we get away with it, we get a great opportunity to tell the city's story to the nation. If the parties or Congress stomp on us, we win the publicity anyway.
Rockville, Md.:
You stated that "it is unseemly for a public official to profit from his position while in office." The Jan. 9 edition of the Post states "Justice Clarence Thomas will get a seven-figure advance for his memoirs." Do you believe a Supreme Court Justice who serves for life should be an exception to this restriction?
Marc Fisher: Several readers have raised that question, and it's a good one. Somehow, Supreme Court justices, who ought be the public officials most keenly aware of ethics problems, have carved out a nifty business for themselves in writing books while still on the bench. Of course, they serve for life, so they must figure they need to take advantage of their fame now, while they're still kicking. I have no problem with them writing legal texts or works of history, as several have done. It's the sort of pop memoir that O'Connor and now Thomas are doing that's much more troublesome--it's purely a play for bucks, and that doesn't seem right, does it?
Washington, D.C.:
Marc--I applaud your column about Chief Charles Moose's book deal. I agree that Chief Moose should not write the book while he is still police chief. Moreover, isn't there any concern that information that should remain private until the trial of the snipers may be disclosed in Chief Moose's book. I recall Commonwealth Attorney Robert Horan condemning leaks a few months ago. I would guess that this book deal will go through. Doug Duncan wants to run for governor, and he will need a large number of votes from African Americans. So, Mr. Duncan will support Chief Moose, who is probably one of the most famous African Americans in Maryland.
Marc Fisher: Do you really think race is behind Duncan's support of Moose's book? I find that hard to believe. I think it's more likely that the county exec sees that Moose is a very popular figure and wants to be seen as not doing anything to stand in the way of a popular chief. Of course, the betting in the Montgomery police department is that Moose is not long for this job, that he is seeking to find a better position elsewhere, in which case it's hard to imagine why Duncan would go out on a limb for him.
My mail, for what it's worth, is running very heavily against the book deal.
Montgomery County, Md.:
Hey, Marc. How many letters and calls have you gotten that say you're only against Moose's book because he's black? It's ridiculous, but it's out there!
Marc Fisher: You're the first, but well, takes all kinds.
Derwood, Md.:
Marc --
Are you willing to place any bets on whether or not the Purple Line gets killed soon?
I find it amazing that this is the only new transportation project in the metropolitian area that could be up and running by 2008, yet Doug "Move Montgomery" Duncan is trying to kill it because two holes on a golf course would have to be relocated. There is also a claim that there would be a noise problem, but this is on the same alignment that loud freight trains used to rumble over. In comparision, even at 50 mph, Metro trains running on the surface are surprisingly quiet -- just a quick "whoosh" as they go by. (I live next door to an above ground segment of the Red Line.)
All I can think is that, if the Purple Line can't be built due to opposition, then the ICC will certainly get shot down by NIMBY opposition since the ICC would run through actual backyards!
Marc Fisher: Politicians, like developers, live in mortal fear of NIMBYs, and the inner-county route for the Purple Line promises to be a doozy of a NIMBY battle, with Chevy Chase zillionaires, country club members and other such lawyer-heavy populations directly affected by the route.
My bet is that neither the ICC nor the Purple Line makes significant progress in the next decade. Which is especially unfortunate in the case of the Purple Line, which could have a terrific effect on how the region develops, turning away from sprawl as the only solution to growth.
Re: Police Lights:
Having been skeptical at first I actually like the police lights on. They are clearly not on in emergency mode and dramatically increase the visibility of police at night.
Marc Fisher: They are certainly visible, but I still see lots of cars pulling over, and that's not good. Plus, officers say it makes it harder to get through traffic when there is a real emergency, and that is extremely dangerous.
Arlington, Va.:
So ... am I now not supposed to pull over when I see a D.C. police car with flashing lights coming up behind me because it might be just cruising and not en route to a crime scene? Or am I supposed to?
Marc Fisher: You're supposed to be able to discern between running flashing lights and full-scale emergency lights. Good luck.
Mt. Pleasant, Washington, D.C.:
You use "we" when talking about the primary. Do you live in the District?
Marc Fisher: Yes, I do. Have since 1986, with the exception of a few years overseas for the Post.
Centreville, Va.:
The Post needs to clarify one Virginia General Assembly story. The General Assembly didn't kill a bill to give us a two-term governor; they killed a bill to give us a REFERENDUM to let the PEOPLE decide if they wanted a two-term governor. Virginia is absolutely the least democratic of the 50 states. The General Assembly's concern over balance of power is not just jealousy of a potentially strong governor but of a populace capable of making its own decisions. Whatever happened to the concept of the consent of the governed?
Isn't it time to demand a new Virginia constitution?
Marc Fisher: That too would need to get through the General Assembly, so forget it.
The sad thing about the rejection of the two-term limit for Virginia governors is that it had really extraordinary support from members of both parties, from former governors, from business leaders and from grassroots groups across the ideological spectrum. Despite decades of evidence that the one-term limit cripples any governor's ability to get anything done, the legislature clings to the one-term limit as a way to boost their own careers and power.
Washington, D.C.:
At the Air & Space Museum the issue of the Langley theater name change keeps coming up. As an article in the Post last week showed, I'm one of those that think the name should have stayed as Samuel Langley HAD been a secretary of the Smithsonian and early aviation experimenter.
Both the brothers Allan and Malcolm Lockheed (a.k.a. Loughead) and Glenn Martin were early American aviation pioneers though their names are involved in big name conglomerates today. But don't you think the name change could have been worse? For instance the theater could have been called Burger King theater or McDonald's Theatre. Non aviation related names.
Marc Fisher: The Smithsonian seems unable to right itself now that it has embraced the idea of selling the nation's heritage to the highest bidder. The professionals at the institution are aghast at the excesses of the marketing mentality that has overtaken our great museums. There seems to be no limit to the crassness of this new path.
Laurel, Md.:
Marc,
When discussing one of our favorites issues, traffic, I pointed out that two-earner couples are one of the reasons it's so bad -- if she works in Bowie and he in Reston there's just no way not to contribute to it.
Because of a thread on Lloyd Grove's chat about what dating in Washington is like, I looked up some Web sites where single men and women in their "really wanting to get married" years (roughly 30-44, depending on sex) thought dating was like in their own cities. Some cities have few men and hence are bad for women (Atlanta and Philadelphia). Part of the reason is that many of their best prospects have moved to San Jose or Denver, where they in turn can't find any women. I'm coming to the opinion that this is more than just a "whine to advice columnist" issue and is actually a national problem that needs to become a political priority.
People under 45 come from a generation in which men and women have equal career expectations -- both will move to where jobs are. But since some industries are dominated by one sex or the other, some geographic areas wind up with a severe gender imbalance. Also, within metro areas, it's common that single men live in the suburbs and women in the city because that's where their jobs are; so they don't find each other.
This makes me wonder: do people who do urban planning and business-attraction try to make achieving a balance of male and female employment a planning issue on par with providing roads, schools and shopping? Or do they just work on being an IT (male-dominated) OR biotech (female-dominated) capital; but not attract a balance of both? If they don't, we're going to become a generation that never marries because men and women just don't live near each other.
Marc Fisher: Interesting perspective that I haven't heard before. Does this resonate with folks? Is geographic distance such a barrier to mating?
Washington, D.C.:
Why is Conrad Johnson who drove a ride-on bus less of a hero than seven people who got to ride in a $2 billion dollar space vehicle?
Marc Fisher: I don't quite get the automatic labelling of those who die in tragic accidents as heros. I would think that people are heros for what they do in life, not for the particulars of their accidental deaths.
To many people, any astronaut is a hero--it takes enormous bravery, learning and preparation to get to be an astronaut in the first place. Those who died last Saturday should be mourned for their accomplishments in life, not for final moments that were utterly out of their control.
Waldorf, Md.:
Today's column is a brilliant observation. I've got the attitude that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. We're all running along nicely, and then our IT department switches the word processing software, resulting in hours of training and more burdensome procedures to get the same results. Very frustrating! Is this the ultimate "revenge of the nerds?"
Marc Fisher: There seems to be a deep belief in the computer world that any product that isn't spanking new is unacceptable. I have a 12 year old 'puter at home that works perfectly well and satisfies many of our needs. The only excuse we ever get for the constant replacement of systems is that they "cannot be supported," whatever that means.
Rock-and-roll-ville, Md.:
Regarding today's column: I am dismayed and disappointed that someone whose core business is gathering and disseminating information would disrepect the foundational technologies that have enabled the Washington Post to retain a leadership position in the information age. If the new upgrades you receive are unacceptable, the information consumers (notice I don't dis' you by saying "end-user") and the IT providers are clearly suffering from the ills of larger communication and process failures.
I would also like to know what kind of machine you turned on 20 years ago. Can you honestly say you have lost productivity in the past 20 years? The information age is young and ripe for improvements. If you follow the lifecycle of the previous era called the industrial age, you will notice that quality problems and unreliability plagued manufactured goods throughout most of the 20th century. The quality revolution did not begin until the late 60's, and the Japanese dominated it for nearly a decade before the U.S. caught up. Today's information age is no different; it is still in its formative stages but the productivity gains of personal and enterprise computing are what keep many private and public sector organizations running. Just ask Smith Corona or any any service industry that has flourished because of information technology.
Marc Fisher: Yes, I can honestly say that the machines we use now are much, much slower than those we had a decade or more ago. In fact, one of our fine National reporters yesterday demonstrated for me how this spanking new system took 13 minutes of "Please be patient" messages and other such silliness before it would permit him to do his job. In 1983, it was possible to switch on a Radio Shack Trash-80 and be writing something in a matter of seconds.
Washington, D.C.:
Only a moron can't distinguish between two small alternating lights and the full-bore display (including sound!) when the police car is heading to an emergency (or the donut shop).
Marc Fisher: And your point is that we are a moron-free metropolis?
Arlington, Va.:
It's no wonder that in political cartoons about Virginia, the commonwealth is always portrayed as looking like Elizabeth the First. I love my state, I really do, but I fear its government. I guess Mark Warner is a classic example of why business types fail in government situations, even if they have solid ideas. Until you get rid of these good ol' boys from below Northern Virginia, nothing is ever going to change.
Marc Fisher: The governor has been taking defeat after defeat this session, as our Richmond bureau chief, Robert Melton, points out in a fine Virginia Notebook in today's paper. Does that mean that his much ballyhooed business acumen is of no use in the politics of persuasion? Hard to believe, since he accumulated so many fans in both parties during his years in the private sector. Yet it's certainly true that the General Assembly seems to walk all over this governor. It does seem that he has not yet figured out how to use all the tools available to a gov to win people over.
"National Heroes":
Why is my grandfather who came from an Irish immigrant family and worked hard and sent 10 kids to college and post-college any less of a hero than these seven astronauts? I mean, it's sad, I don't get why everyone is so maudlin. People die every day. Everyone is special to someone.
Marc Fisher: Well, come on. I agree that the instant hero business has gone too far, but there is merit in using the accomplishments of people such as astronauts and Nobel laureates to inspire others. No need to go from one extreme to the other.
Ballston, Va.:
For all those conspiracy-theory freaks out there, why can't they turn their attention to the "planned obsolescence" of both computer hardware and software. I 'love' being told no one at the company can help me trouble-shoot a 2-year old printer because that technology is "no longer supported." It's not as if I was trying to shove a 45 rpm into a CD drive!
Marc Fisher: Good point. If it's possible to maintain 40-year-old stereo systems and 60-year-old radios--as is done every day in this country--then certainly five-year-old computers are no challenge.
Silver Spring, Md.:
This blurb from the "Sacramento Bee" concerns California's budget crisis, but maybe Maryland Governor Ehrlich should read it, too (he should consult President Bush for advice, since the Federal government can afford a big war, incrased spending on NASA and tax cuts at the same time):
Casino tribes' budget fix is no sure thing.
Despite the Davis administration's rosy projections of a $1.5 billion budget bailout from California's Indian casinos, tribal representatives and industry analysts say the odds of getting anything close to that amount are slim and none -- and don't bet on slim.
Marc Fisher: At some point, even the gambling market will be saturated--though we are nowhere near that point yet, and all the studies I've seen show that this region could support lots more gambling facilities quite easily. The question is whether we think that's the right thing to do.
Seatbelts/Teen Pregnancy:
Sorry - I was reading a different rant. Setting aside the seatbelt argument, do you really (as implied at the end of the column) think that parents should NOT be notified if their kids are seeking abortion or contemplating suicide? You have to have your parent's permission to get your ears pierced, but a major surgical procedure is too "private?" And do you really want to stumble upon the fact of your kid's suicide when you might have been able to get him/her some help HAD YOU KNOWN ABOUT IT? Sorry -- I'm squarely on the side of the legislature on this one.
Marc Fisher: Depends. I trust my kids' doc to tell me if my kids are in any sort of trouble that I don't know about. I also would hope that if some teen comes along and tells a doc that she's suicidal because her parent has been abusing her, that that doc would be smart enough NOT to inform that parent but to intervene in a more appropriate fashion.
As many doctors testified to the lawmakers, there are medical codes of ethics that handle these situations well. Sometimes, the legislators need to shut up and deal with real problems.
Northern Virginia:
To the idea that the Commonwealth is portrayed as looking like Elizabeth the First, nonsense.
Elizabeth was an intelligent, competent, ruler. The current VA government is nowhere near as skilled or as successful as she was.
Marc Fisher: Let's hear it for Elizabeth I.
Largo, Md.:
What ever happened to the three women at USA Today who were fired for touching the sculpture?
Marc Fisher: Fraid I lost track of them--I know they were out of work for some time, but I vaguely recall reading about at least one of them finding a new path in life. Anyone know?
Arlington, Va.:
Marc, here's a question that's only tangtentially related to today's computer-related grousing. I've noticed that Dick Gephardt is the only Democratic presidential candidate without a campaign website. Shouldn't he embarrassed? And why isn't the media picking up on this? It seems almost inexcusable in this day and age.
Marc Fisher: I think the bloom is off campaign websites--I saw considerably fewer of them this past election cycle than I had in the previous couple of cycles. Candidates tell me it's too risky to put too much useful info on the sites--like daily schedules--because opponents use the info to show up and hassle or otherwise attack.
Washington, D.C.:
Good lord, people here slam on their brakes because a bird flies by. Or it rains. Or they see a green car. Or pretty much anything (other than a pedestrian). What does anyone expect to happen with flashing lights?
Marc Fisher: Tonight, we get to see the combined effect of snow and flashing light patrols. Isn't life wonderful?
We're out of time. I would make some wisecrack about how slow the system is today, but at this point, that would require me having some kind of death wish.
Thanks for coming along, folks. Get out there and buy salt, bread, toilet paper and new computers.
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