In the normal course I might not read an article with a headline like that, but the teaser made it ever so much more "attractive".
Facebook is a social experiment, an expression of a particular kind of neoconservative libertarianism. On Facebook, you can be free to be who you want to be as long as you don't mind being bombarded by adverts for the world's biggest brands.
Neoconservative liberalism? Who has this guy been reading? Paul? Mise? Rand?
But suddenly it did start getting interesting. Not for the politics, which might surprise as they fringe, rather than form, the main thread of the article.
The author tracks from the origins of Facebook, to the three people who consitute the Board of Directors of the holding company.
Mark Zuckerberg - "media cover star".
Peter Thiel - "Silicon Valley venture capitalist and futurist philosopher..."
Jim Breyer - partner in Accel Partners, board member of Wal-Mart and Marvel Entertainment and former Chair of NVCA (National Venture Capital Association). So what? Little that is wrong there.
The most recent round of funding Facebook comes from Greylock Venture Capital, who contributed some USD27.5 million - some investment. One of the senior partners in Greylock is Hpward Cox, another former Chair of NVCA. So what? Little that is wrong there either.
Howard Cox is also on the Board of In-Q-Tel.
Say what?
Our Aim
In-Q-Tel identifies and partners with companies developing cutting-edge technologies to help deliver these solutions to the Central Intelligence Agency and the broader U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) to further their missions.
Launched by the CIA in 1999 as a private, independent, not-for-profit organization, IQT was created to bridge the gap between the technology needs of the Intelligence Community and new advances in commercial technology. With limited insight into fast-moving private sector innovation, the IC needed a way to find emerging companies, and, more importantly, to work with them. IQT, as a private company with deep ties to the commercial world, is able to attract and build relationships with technology entrepreneurs outside the reach of the IC. In fact, more than 75 percent of the companies that IQT works with had never done business with the government before partnering with IQT.
Similar to a corporate strategic fund like those found at Intel Corporation, Motorola and Disney, IQT operates for the strategic – rather than financial – benefits to its customers in the IC. IQT targets its technology engagements based on a deep understanding of the challenges of our Intelligence customers to deliver solutions that will provide strategic advantage to the mission of intelligence.
To best serve its customers, In-Q-Tel plays multiple roles:
A technology accelerator, fostering development and introduction of technologies needed by the Intelligence Community
A capabilities builder, helping nascent commercial technologies mature into commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products the government can buy
An idea lab and forum for innovation, providing the Intelligence Community with insight and access to both new technologies and leading innovators and thinkers
A strategic investment firm, investing in companies and helping build businesses into reliable providers for the Intelligence Community
Life sure is stranger than fiction...
Hello, Big Brother!
1 comment:
I found that one of my kids started a Facebook page for me but I don't even know what my password is so it's a blank page as far as I know. If anyone wants to know about me all they have do do is read my blog.
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