I propose Mike @Arrington for the position of CTO of Ireland

If the government wants to help innovation in this country they should get busy with infrastructure. Lay fiber to every home and business in the U.S. Actually start building some of these high speed train networks to make travel easier. Get computers into the hands of every child in the country as soon as they are physically able to press buttons. Heck, put a woman on the moon. I dont know if that last one will do much, but at least theyll be busy not screwing up Silicon Valley while theyre at it.

Wonderful piece by Mike. The paragraph above is the most important and applies 100x in Ireland.

I know Mike is moving to Seattle but I'm sure we could get him to holiday in Cork and be Ireland's part-time CTO?

In contrast with the Valley, given the dire state of venture funding in Ireland, some State intervention has been required.

I'm pleased to see that some of the activities by Enterprise Ireland in the funding space over the past 2 years are starting to work. Kernel Capital is finally executing well on its seed fund now that a minimum deal flow has been mandated. I hope to see the same from Enterprise Equity. I also believe a new non-seed-fund has just closed.

Des Doyle gave a great opening talk at a session in Enterprise Ireland last week. He was scathing about Irish banks and how they have de-skilled over the past ten years. If senior people in State Bodies are taking off the gloves and calling it like it is, then there is hope for us yet.

So Minister Eamonn Ryan, stop playing with little dinky electric milk floats and put your efforts where it can have a material effect on the lives of more than just South Dublin middle-class commuters in their Priuses.

The Minister, along with Batt O'Keeffe and the Taoiseach should put a call into Mike. Then follow that with a call to Irishman Tim O'Reilly so he can explain what Government 2.0 is.