While we should seek to question, we should never question to sensationalise.

Masterplans are part and parcel of any government’s work. The definition of ‘intelligent island’ changes as technology progresses, so it is not surprising for masterplans to have a time horizon, to be refreshed.

Indeed, Singapore has become more of an ‘intelligent island’ over the past years. Yet, we cannot stop and sit on our laurels. We’re still behind South Korea and Japan on broadband penetration and speeds, and whatever other metrics that matter (to the government at least).

So watch what we say in the future, for fear of becoming another Mr. Brown.

Be warned, not sorry :-)

Bjorn, well said. I see some of our rants made it to your post :-).

I also agree with Kevin on producing passionate engineers, be it hardware or software. However, given the swarms of lower-wage equally-high quality and ‘hungrier’ engineers from India and China, I can imagine few Singaporeans want to pursue this career path, for fear of future career prospects. Not to mention how our govt loves to champion engineering one moment, and life sciences the next! The school-going gang ends up changing gears at the beck and call of our country leaders. I understand our need to constantly reinvent and stay ahead. Our inability to ’stop and smell the roses’ ends up limiting our pool of well-rounded, risk-loving individuals who produce the next Googles and Skypes of tomorrow. Heck, we don’t even have good product/industrial design courses in Singapore!

As a result, our best and brightest geeks and nerds end up either:

1) Get lured by better prospects in other countries
2) Stop nerding/geeking around and study finance/acctg/banking or join MNCs – the ’safe’ route
3) End up in government one way or the other (scholarships, apply for the iron rice bowl) and lose that passion and fire they initially had

The government should just do a CFC and put upfront a large pot of $$$, say S$1B, and ask the pte sector how to use the $ to achieve whatever the objectives they have in mind, instead of trying to do it themselves. Takes all the red tape, claims and grants ($ that startups can’t afford to pay upfront and claim later), yadda yadda out of the equation.

K.I.S.S.

~15 years ago, NCB vision was for Singapore to be an intelligent island in 10 years time.

Just last year (2006), IDA vision is still to be an intelligent island in 10 years time.

Let’s get back to the basic to talk about Software Engineering before we encourage our young graduates and undergraduates to dream about entrepreneurship.

We are producing more and more entrepreneurs wannabe and too few passionate software engineers. It’s passion that drive innovation, not money.

how can any industry be created to cater to a list of standards and best practices drawn by web authorities?

But having said that, SG Entrepreneurs apologize for any misunderstanding that might have occured. We take full responsibility for having interpreted MDA’s IDM project as that of an interactive digital media hub and that of the encouragement of a Web 3.0 industry. (Read: SG Entrepreneurs coined this term! =P )

I love my country and I appreciate the government that I have. But sometimes, some people in this government just like to (for want of a Hokkien phrase that I cannot spell) act smart and really embarrass the country. It’s like Dirty Uncle Sal, …

I guess geeks are the authority in the definition of web 3.0, but not the govt in a country where web 2.0 is struggling hard to define its shape.

or is it just a catchword to attract ppl to attend the talk? lol