to try to get the rockstar tech and design people

幾年前我發起一項計畫

to take a year off

要超級科技人才和明星設計師

and work in the one environment

休假一年

that represents pretty much everything they're supposed to hate;

在另一個環境工作

we have them work in government.

這個環境幾乎代表了他們所痛恨的每一樣東西

The program is called Code for America,

就是我們的政府

and it's a little bit like a Peace Corps for geeks.

這個計畫叫做美國程式碼

We select a few fellows every year

類似和平部隊 不過隊員都是怪咖

and we have them work with city governments.

我們每年選擇幾個人

Instead of sending them off into the Third World,

要他們替市政府工作

we send them into the wilds of City Hall.

他們沒被送去第三世界

And there they make great apps, they work with city staffers.

反而進入了市政廳的險惡叢林

But really what they're doing is they're showing what's possible

他們在那裡做出超讚的應用程式 和市府職員一起工作

with technology today.

但真正重要的是 他們展現出一種可能性

So meet Al.

當今科技的可能性

Al is a fire hydrant in the city of Boston.

這是艾爾

Here it kind of looks like he's looking for a date,

艾爾是波士頓市裡的消防栓之一

but what he's really looking for is for someone to shovel him out when he gets snowed in,

照片裡它看起來有點像想找個伴

because he knows he's not very good at fighting fires

但其實它真正想要的是有人能在它被大雪掩埋時 把它挖出來

when he's covered in four feet of snow.

因為它知道 儘管它有打火英雄的潛力

Now how did he come to be looking for help

當被埋在四呎深的雪中時 也無用武之地

in this very unique manner?

那它現在這個德性

We had a team of fellows in Boston last year

要怎麼尋求幫助？

through the Code for America program.

我們去年在波士頓組了一支團隊

They were there in February, and it snowed a lot in February last year.

是美國程式碼(Code for America)計畫工作的一環

And they noticed that the city never gets

去年二月波士頓大雪紛飛時 這支團隊就在那裡

to digging out these fire hydrants.

他們注意到市政府從未採取行動

But one fellow in particular,

把這些消防栓挖出來

a guy named Erik Michaels-Ober,

其中一位隊員

noticed something else,

名叫艾瑞克‧麥克歐寶

and that's that citizens are shoveling out sidewalks

注意到其他事情

right in front of these things.

就是市民會剷除人行道上的積雪

So he did what any good developer would do,

把消防栓前面的地面清出來

he wrote an app.

所以他就做了一位優秀開發員會做的事

It's a cute little app where you can adopt a fire hydrant.

他寫了一個應用程式

So you agree to dig it out when it snows.

一個很可愛的程式 讓你可以認養某個消防栓

If you do, you get to name it,

表示當它被雪埋起來時 你願意把它挖出來

and he called the first one Al.

如果你願意 就可以替它取名字

And if you don't, someone can steal it from you.

他就把第一個消防栓命名為艾爾

So it's got cute little game dynamics on it.

如果你不願意 別人就可以把它偷走

This is a modest little app.

因此這個程式也帶點遊戲的趣味

It's probably the smallest

它是一個很普通的小應用程式

of the 21 apps that the fellows wrote last year.

可能是這個團隊

But it's doing something

去年寫的21個應用程式中最小的

that no other government technology does.

但是它的功用

It's spreading virally.

卻在其他政府科技中獨樹一格

There's a guy in the I.T. department of the City of Honolulu

它像病毒一樣四處傳播

who saw this app and realized

檀香山市的IT部門有個員工

that he could use it, not for snow,

看到這個應用程式

but to get citizens to adopt tsunami sirens.

發現它大有用處，而不只是用在積雪

It's very important that these tsunami sirens work,

而是讓市民認養海嘯警報器

but people steal the batteries out of them.

這些海嘯警報器非常重要 一定要運作正常

So he's getting citizens to check on them.

但是有人會偷走機器中的電池

And then Seattle decided to use it

因此他讓市民去查看電池

to get citizens to clear out clogged storm drains.

接著西雅圖決定用這個程式

And Chicago just rolled it out

讓市民清理堵塞的排水孔

to get people to sign up to shovel sidewalks when it snows.

然後芝加哥才剛採用這個程式

So we now know of nine cities

讓市民登記在下雪時把人行道清出來

that are planning to use this.

因此我們已知有九個城市

And this has spread just frictionlessly,

正計畫要利用這個應用程式

organically, naturally.

它暢行無阻地四處傳播

If you know anything about government technology,

自然而然 充滿生氣

you know that this isn't how it normally goes.

如果你對政府科技有一點概念

Procuring software usually takes a couple of years.

就會知道它通常不是這麼運作的

We had a team that worked on a project in Boston last year

開發軟體通常要花一兩年

that took three people about two and a half months.

我們有個團隊去年在波士頓進行一項計畫

It was a way that parents could figure out

團隊共三人 花了兩個半月的時間

which were the right public schools for their kids.

這個計畫是讓家長能找出

We were told afterward that if that had gone through normal channels,

哪一所公立學校適合他們的小孩

it would have taken at least two years

我們後來得知 如果是依照正常的管道

and it would have cost about two million dollars.

可能會需要至少兩年

And that's nothing.

花費大約200萬美金

There is one project in the California court system right now

這還不算什麼

that so far cost taxpayers

加州法庭系統裡有一項計畫

two billion dollars,

到目前為止已經讓納稅人

and it doesn't work.

付了20億元

And there are projects like this

但是它一點用也沒有

at every level of government.

這種計畫

So an app that takes a couple of days to write

充斥在各階層的政府

and then spreads virally,

因此只要花幾天就可以寫出來的應用程式

that's sort of a shot across the bow

像病毒一樣四散

to the institution of government.

對政府機構而言

It suggests how government could work better --

就像平地一聲雷

not more like a private company,

它建議政府怎樣才能更有效地運作

as many people think it should.

不是像許多人認為的

And not even like a tech company,

要更像私人企業

but more like the Internet itself.

或甚至是科技公司

And that means permissionless,

而是要更像網路本身

it means open, it means generative.

意思是說不需要經過誰的批准

And that's important.

一個開放 具有生產力的環境

But what's more important about this app

這一點很重要

is that it represents how a new generation

但更重要的是 這個應用程式

is tackling the problem of government --

代表了新的世代

not as the problem of an ossified institution,

如何探究政府問題的解決方式

but as a problem of collective action.

解決問題不再只靠僵化的體制

And that's great news,

而是集體行動

because, it turns out, we're very good at collective action

這真是大好消息

with digital technology.

因為我們發現 我們其實善於集體行動

Now there's a very large community of people

有了數位科技就更容易

that are building the tools that we need

現今有一大群人

to do things together effectively.

在製造我們需要的工具

It's not just Code for America fellows,

讓合作可以更有效

there are hundreds of people all over the country

不只是美國程式碼(Code for America)的成員

that are standing and writing civic apps

全國各地有上百人

every day in their own communities.

不斷地撰寫市民用的應用程式

They haven't given up on government.

每天都對自己的社區做出貢獻

They are frustrated as hell with it,

他們沒有放棄政府

but they're not complaining about it,

雖然他們對於政府非常失望

they're fixing it.

但並沒有抱怨連連

And these folks know something

而是設法改正它

that we've lost sight of.

這些人知道的某些事情

And that's that when you strip away all your feelings

是我們看不到的

about politics and the line at the DMV

你得要擺脫所有關於政治

and all those other things

和在監理處大排長龍時的情緒

that we're really mad about,

以及所有其他

government is, at its core,

讓人火冒三丈的事情

in the words of Tim O'Reilly,

那時你就會看到 政府的核心

"What we do together that we can't do alone."

就像提姆‧奧萊理所說的

Now a lot of people have given up on government.

是「合眾人之力完成個人力有未逮之事」

And if you're one of those people,

現今有許多人已經對政府不抱希望

I would ask that you reconsider,

如果你是其中之一

because things are changing.

我要請你再好好考慮

Politics is not changing;

因為如今時代正在改變

government is changing.

政治沒有改變

And because government

但政府正在改頭換面

ultimately derives its power from us --

因為政府

remember "We the people?" --

得其權利於人民

how we think about it

記得「民治」的民就是我們嗎？

is going to effect how that change happens.

我們對政府的觀感

Now I didn't know very much about government when I started this program.

將影響改變發生的方式

And like a lot of people,

我剛發起計畫時 對政府所知不多

I thought government was basically about getting people elected to office.

和許多人一樣

Well after two years, I've come to the conclusion

我以為政府基本上就是選出官員擔任公職

that, especially local government,

兩年後 我得到結論

is about opossums.

政府 尤其是地方政府

This is the call center for the services and information line.

就是在管負鼠(註：一種約家貓大小的有袋動物)

It's generally where you will get

這是服務資訊專線的客服中心

if you call 311 in your city.

基本上就是

If you should ever have the chance

你打311會接到的地方

to staff your city's call center,

如果你有機會

as our fellow Scott Silverman did as part of the program --

在你住的城市的客服中心工作

in fact, they all do that --

就像我們的史考特‧斯維曼參與計畫時所做的一樣

you will find that people call government

其實他們都有去客服中心

with a very wide range of issues,

就會發現 大家打電話給政府

including having an opossum stuck in your house.

原因千奇百怪

So Scott gets this call.

包括有負鼠在屋裡時也打

He types "Opossum" into this official knowledge base.

所以史考特接到這通電話

He doesn't really come up with anything. He starts with animal control.

在官方知識庫裡輸入「負鼠」

And finally, he says, "Look, can you just open all the doors to your house

不過沒有查到什麼 接著他打給動物管理中心

and play music really loud

最後他說：「聽著 你去把屋裡的門通通打開

and see if the thing leaves?"

把音樂開大聲一點

So that worked. So booya for Scott.

看看牠會不會離開？」

But that wasn't the end of the opossums.

這招成功了 有你的 史考特

Boston doesn't just have a call center.

但負鼠的故事還沒完

It has an app, a Web and mobile app,

波士頓不只有客服中心

called Citizens Connect.

還有應用程式 網路和行動應用程式

Now we didn't write this app.

叫做「市民逗陣來」

This is the work of the very smart people

這個程式不是我們寫的

at the Office of New Urban Mechanics in Boston.

這是聰明人的傑作

So one day -- this is an actual report -- this came in:

波士頓新都市技術部的人寫的

"Opossum in my trashcan. Can't tell if it's dead.

跟各位分享一則真實報導 某天有一則訊息：

How do I get this removed?"

「我家垃圾桶裡有負鼠 不知道是死的還活的

But what happens with Citizens Connect is different.

要怎麼把牠弄出去？」

So Scott was speaking person-to-person.

有了"市民逗陣來" 一切大不相同

But on Citizens Connect everything is public,

史考特的例子 是一對一交談

so everybody can see this.

但"市民逗陣來"上所有的資訊都是公開的

And in this case, a neighbor saw it.

因此每個人都看得見

And the next report we got said,

剛剛那則訊息 有個鄰居看到了

"I walked over to this location,

然後我們看到的下一則訊息

found the trashcan behind the house.

「我走到那個地方

Opossum? Check. Living? Yep.

在屋子後面找到垃圾桶

Turned trashcan on its side. Walked home.

有沒有負鼠？有 活的嗎？是的

Goodnight sweet opossum."

把垃圾桶放倒 走回家

(Laughter)

晚安 小負鼠」

Pretty simple.

(笑聲)

So this is great. This is the digital meeting the physical.

很簡單

And it's also a great example

真了不起 這是數位與真實世界的交會

of government getting in on the crowd-sourcing game.

也是絕佳的例子

But it's also a great example of government as a platform.

說明政府如何善用群眾這項資源

And I don't mean necessarily

這也是政府發揮平台功能的良好示範

a technological definition of platform here.

我說的不完全是

I'm just talking about a platform for people

技術定義上的平台

to help themselves and to help others.

我說的只是給人們的舞台

So one citizen helped another citizen,

讓大家可以自助也助人

but government played a key role here.

因此 市民甲幫助市民乙

It connected those two people.

政府也在其中扮演關鍵角色

And it could have connected them with government services if they'd been needed,

連接起這兩個人

but a neighbor is a far better and cheaper alternative

政府也可以在人們有需要時 引導他們求助於官方服務

to government services.

但是跟鄰居相比 鄰居又快又便宜

When one neighbor helps another,

是更好的替代方案

we strengthen our communities.

左鄰右舍互相幫助

We call animal control, it just costs a lot of money.

可以強化社區

Now one of the important things we need to think about government

打電話給動物中心--只會多人民的納稅錢

is that it's not the same thing as politics.

不過 談到政府時 有件事情要銘記在心

And most people get that,

就是政府和政治是兩回事

but they think that one is the input to the other.

大部分人都了解這一點

That our input to the system of government

但他們認為一個是雞 一個是蛋

is voting.

我們對政府體系的參與

Now how many times have we elected a political leader --

就是投票

and sometimes we spend a lot of energy

我們是不是都參與過好多次選舉

getting a new political leader elected --

有時候花了好大一番功夫

and then we sit back and we expect government

選出一個新的官員

to reflect our values and meet our needs,

然後我們就坐在那

and then not that much changes?

期望政府反映我們的價值 達成我們的需求

That's because government is like a vast ocean

結果改變的卻不多？

and politics is the six-inch layer on top.

因為政府就像個巨大的海洋

And what's under that

政治只是表層六英吋的水

is what we call bureaucracy.

在表層之下

And we say that word with such contempt.

是我們所謂的官僚制度

But it's that contempt

我們用這個詞時 總帶著輕蔑

that keeps this thing that we own

但就是這種輕蔑

and we pay for

讓這個為我們所有

as something that's working against us, this other thing,

我們繳稅供養的東西

and then we're disempowering ourselves.

一直跟我們作對 變成另一種東西

People seem to think politics is sexy.

是我們讓自己變得無力

If we want this institution to work for us,

人們似乎覺得政治很性感

we're going to have to make bureaucracy sexy.

如果我們要讓政府為民服務

Because that's where the real work of government happens.

就得把官僚制度變得性感

We have to engage with the machinery of government.

因為它是政府實際工作進行的地方

So that's OccupytheSEC movement has done.

我們必須參與政府機器的運作

Have you seen these guys?

這就是佔領華爾街運動所做的

It's a group of concerned citizens

有看到這些人嗎？

that have written a very detailed

他們是一群憂慮的市民

325-page report

寫了一份非常詳細

that's a response to the SEC's request for comment

長達325頁的報告

on the Financial Reform Bill.

回應證券交易委員會所提出

That's not being politically active,

對金融改革法案所做的回應

that's being bureaucratically active.

這並不是積極參予政治

Now for those of us who've given up on government,

而是積極參予官僚制度

it's time that we asked ourselves

那些已經放棄政府的人

about the world that we want to leave for our children.

現在該問問自己

You have to see the enormous challenges

想留給後代子孫怎樣的世界

that they're going to face.

你必須看到那些巨大的

Do we really think we're going to get where we need to go

後代必須面對的挑戰

without fixing the one institution

難道我們真的認為可以達成自己的期待

that can act on behalf of all of us?

即使不改善這個唯一的機構

We can't do without government,

這個能夠代表眾人行動的機構？

but we do need it

沒有政府 無事可成

to be more effective.

但政府

The good news is that technology is making it possible

必須更有效率

to fundamentally reframe

幸好 科技正開啟新的可能性

the function of government

徹底重整

in a way that can actually scale

政府的功能