Whatever your political stripe the broad response of the Tech industry in Canada and the US to the immigration and travel ban proposed by the Trump administration shows 
graphically how broadly based the industry is when it looks for talent.
One of the key things about a linked global environment is that knowledge and skill sets can be obtained from wherever they may be nurtured.
When the big Tech companies start talking about the negative impacts that lessened mobility will create for them it is all about permitting the sharing and cross exchange of knowledge and ideas.
"Why tech is leading corporate America's fight against Trump's immigration order", is one such headline. The article describes how a large number of the world's biggest Tech companies have joined to fight the proposed restrictions.
"Canadian tech industry rallies to oppose Trump’s travel and immigration ban", is how IT World Canada headlines a similar article outlining the Canadian industry response. In this case many companies that people would not normally think of as specifically Tech are also included in the list.
The sense of unfairness that is implicit in the Trump order resonates in many of the comments but it is also a deep understanding that place of origin is not a great determining factor when globally focused companies are seeking the best talent for their employees.
One positive that has come out of this very divisive experience is perhaps a better understanding that the success of our companies relies on people of all nationalities and experiences who may wish to seek to face the challenges our companies offer. This highly diverse work environment is one which many people have not experienced but which has become a norm for younger people in the work force.
Canada becoming a safe haven for Climate Data
In a related but different front we are learning that Canada is becoming a safer haven for climate change data from government records within the US. As we are learning a conscious effort is being made to delete records from websites and files of various departments in the US as they relate to climate change.
As I understand the process when the US government changes in order to clear the systems many websites and record systems get changed to reflect the new administration after an election. This makes sense when you think of the need to ensure the right contact information etc. is made available as personnel changes.
It appears that this time around that many parties are finding that information beyond the norm is potentially being deleted and is disappearing from availability. Large teams of US volunteers working with Canadian university people are seeking to sort out the relevant information and get it transferred to servers and backup sites within Canada so that the records are not actually deleted permanently.
These citizen archivists are busy in sites across the US and Canada working to sort and protect information for future use.
Interestingly, we have long been proponents of encouraging Canadian organizations using cloud services and online backup services to do so using sites within Canada to add to their safety. It appears that this Canadian data focus may be even more critical in light of recent events.
There are real human impacts which are occurring as a result of the turmoil being experienced due to the Trump changes. It doesn't really matter whether you are pro or anti his thrust, the results of the announcements and the proposals show directly just how interconnected our world has become. Decisions taken in one jurisdiction can have impacts worldwide very quickly. Paying attention to other places around the world is more important than ever.
Lee K
