Is there a projector in Congress? Like a DVI-cable-for-PowerPoint-style projector? Do they do things like that in Congress? - Bret Taylor

Bret: they didn't let me use my laptop in the Senate Chambers. They have signs that say to leave your electronic devices outside. The rules in Congress are asinine. - Robert Scoble

It is kind of amazing that they drafting important legislation like TARP, and to get it to pass, someone has to spend time pasting pictures and construction paper on poster board to make it happen. "The Senator says it needs more glitter, and he perfers Comic Sans for the title." - Bret Taylor

On the other hand, they do use Wordpress in the Speaker of the House's office: http://www.flickr.com/photos... - Robert Scoble

And Congressman John Culbertson uses Qik and Twitter: http://www.flickr.com/photos... - Robert Scoble

I think there's some benefit to keeping PowerPoint out of government hearings. They're bad enough already. - Jim Norris

Jim: There are a lot of benefits though. They are electronic and contain indexable text, and since congressional hearing are (or after some number of years become) part of the public record, PPT or equivalent would mean you could publicly archive presentations much more effectively than videos of poster board. - Bret Taylor

I love talking with Katie Jacobs Stanton about her experience going from Google (arguably one of the most connected, high tech places on earth) to the White House (arguably, well ... not). They're changing things over there, though. The question is, how can we get more people like us -- career technologists and inventors -- to spend more time over there. - DeWitt Clinton

Perhaps it has to do more with not wanting to sit in a dark room and also letting the TV cameras see what is being presented? - John Cooper

No electronic devices does seem crazy. Instead of sleeping, the representatives and senators could be googling all sorts of stuff to see if what their colleagues are saying is actually true. - Robert Felty

Robert: I think that rule was just for the press, though. Congresscritters carry a Blackberry or two and John Culberson was trying to Tweet and Qik from the House floor. - Robert Scoble

It might have something to do with security (or the theatre of security). Working in DC now, I have to register my laptop to enter federal buildings and sign it out when I leave. Mostly theatre - they know I have a laptop when I get there because they scan my bag, but they don't check if I have the same laptop, or a laptop at all when I leave. - Sarah Miller

Tweet I saw the other day from @webb: "in DC, we need people who can translate geek into wonk." missed speaker name #tsp09 - Laura Norvig

Wait, there's a job translating geek to wonk? I've missed my calling!!! - FFing Enigma (aka Tina)

Isn't it amazing how backward our leaders are, not that I endorse a crackberry using Prez. - Jason Nunnelley

PowerPoint is a bad way to communicate and a horrible way to deliberate. Courtrooms tend to use poster boards and other low tech presentation techniques as well (though they will show videos and the like as necessary). It's somewhat more work for the presenter, but I don't think it's really all that awful, and it forces people to pay attention to content rather than whizzy tricks. - ⓞnor

It explains a lot. Everyone in DC is high on Sharpie ink. - Steve C

@FFing: By the time you get from thinkin' Geek to walkin' Wonk to actin' Hack the signal loss approacheth five 9's, no matter the presentation media. - michael silverton

Fills you with confidence, don't it. :( - Robert Hafer

It's as if our method of government -- as opposed to system -- is still operated by Pony Express, so that we can communicate with and aggregate the Will of the People in every covered wagon on every homestead settlement. Granted, there are a handful of moderns who have reluctantly adopted the automobile and who haltingly realize that "As goes GM, so goes the nation." I once heard Senator Conan say that, "In the year 2000, we'll have Digital Direct Democracy," but what of the Tyranny of the Majority? ;-) - michael silverton

I think part of the issue is that the House and Senate chambers weren't built with the use of projectors and screens in mind. Just looking at pictures of the rooms, I can't really figure out a good place to put a projector without having to kick Senators/Reps out of their seats to clear a spot for the projector and a path for the projection. And with the presiding officers sitting smack in the middle of the front of the room, it's probably easier to make several copies of a poster board presentation to position around the room than it is to set up multiple projectors and screens so that everyone in the room can see. - Brian Chang

Yeah. we would like to reduce the number of UK MP's and would happily replace them with projectors (or maybe just lamps). - pazzer1

Most hearing rooms don't work well for A/V. During the August recess, we used to watch a movie every Friday afternoon in the main hearing room. It never worked well. The windows are big, the lighting is a zoo (they have several sets of lights for TV, etc) and the members' seats are on a stairs that folks were tripping over. We ended up aiming the movie on the side wall as it was the only one big enough without paintings or other things. Poster boards are just the easiest way to do it. - Andrew Leyden

Someone probably told the Congressional aide, "just make sure you don't buy the Monster cable", and he bailed on the projector idea altogether :) - Ana