Daily Cup of Tech

So, one of the big “news” items I ran across today is that the keynote speaker for InfoSec World Conference & Expo 2007 will be William Shatner. He will be making a presentation entitled A Trek from Science Fiction to Science Fact. From the website:

Going boldly where no man has gone before, William Shatner, as Captain Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise, took us on an adventure of space and technology that three decades later continues to celebrate technical achievement and innovation. During an age when the height of technology was a transistor radio, Star Trek¨ envisioned communication devices working without wires. While “Beam Me Up Scotty” still seems a command out of reach, don’t be so sure. Star Trek¨, a work of fiction, had an uncanny ability to predict future trends of technology and inspire a generation of researchers to aim for more. In this highly anticipated keynote, Hollywood icon William Shatner will share his experiences of 40 years of Star Trek¨. He will tell stories and anecdotes from the early days of the television series and the blockbuster movies. He will explore the ongoing and unexpected fascination this franchise holds, and the still-powerful message of acceptance and hope. Mr. Shatner will discuss the evolution of technology on the series, and the impact it has had on popular and scientific opinion of what is possible. Technology without wires-can warp travel be far behind?

Now, is it just me or is this a bit of a stretch? What does William Shatner know about security technology? I know that this is really just a publicity stunt and the talk that he will give is mainly from the book I’m Working on That: A Trek From Science Fiction to Science Fact he “co-wrote” with Chip Walter. Walter who has actually written some interesting books but the only reason that Shatner is giving this keynote address is because you know who Shatner is but not Walter.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I used to be a huge trekkie and watched the shows religiously. But I understand that they are just shows. Just because Shatner’s character worked with some cool technology in the show doesn’t mean that he is the best person to be talking about technology in real life. It would be like asking Neil Patrick Harris to present the keynote at the American Medical Association’s National Advocacy Conference because he played a doctor on Doogie Howser, M.D.! Definitely not a good idea!

I think it all comes down to one thing. Would you take computer advice from someone who said this:

or tried to sell you this:

As a serious computer professional, I think that I would rather see a keynote from someone like Kevin Mitnik, Linus Torvalds or Jim Christy. But, this is just my opinion. Tell me what you think in the comments.

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