[ Thanks to LinuxNews.com for this link.
]
“…if the President’s entrance was somewhat ordinary, his
presence was historic. For the first time, a U.S. President was
going to address a major information technology (IT) conference on
matters of social technology policy. The hall held some 2,500
people, almost all of whom endured the half-hour delay to hear the
President speak to the issues near and dear to their hearts–or at
least their palms or fingertips.”
“I am glad to be the first President to address this conference,
but I am quite sure I will not be the last,” Clinton said. The
President’s concern this day: that no citizen willing and able to
board this prosperity train should be left behind due to lack of
resources or opportunity. He called the existing gap between
Internet haves and have-nots “the digital divide.”
“The roundtable was scheduled to run from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
April 19, 2000. In contrast to President Clinton’s large and
enthusiastic audience, the large conference room set up for
C-SPAN’s broadcast and an audience of perhaps 400 was attended only
by about 60-70 people and a handful of cameramen.”