Any modern society worthy of the title must have progress. But sometimes the government gets in the way. Or rather, sometimes it doesn’t. CNET bemoans a recent example:
The Food and Drug Administration set a deadline of December 1, 2006, for U.S. pharmaceutical companies to comply with regulations regarding paper trails, known as “pedigrees,” for their drugs…. [But] Judge Joanna Seybert agreed [with critics] and on December 11 granted an injunction against the implementation of the requirements. While the decision does not directly weigh on technology standards, the injunction, along with other state cases that challenge it, could subdue the rush for companies to comply and stall their adoption of RFID technology, Liard said.
That’s right; without regulation and a government mandate, RFID adoption will be stymied. Horrors.
This mentality is far from abnormal among scientists and technologists (consider the debates over stem cells and NASA funding). The march of progress is onwards and upwards, by hook or by crook. And if it’s the government’s hook, so be it–full speed ahead!
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.
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