Blackberry One: Obama Reunited With His Crackberry

WASHINGTON — He won the fight to keep it. Now, Barack Obama is putting his beloved BlackBerry to work. Upon returning to the White House on Thursday morning after a trip to his younger daughter's school for a class presentation, the president walked along the West Wing Colonnade toward the Oval Office while looking down at the electronic communicating device he held in both hands.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said last week that a compromise had been reached to allow the president to use the BlackBerry to keep in touch with senior staff and some personal friends. He did not say with whom the compromise had been struck.

Gibbs said Obama will limit its use, and that security has been enhanced to protect his communications.

Previous presidents chose not to use e-mail because it can be subpoenaed by Congress and the courts, and may be subject to public records laws.

Gibbs said the presumption from the White House counsel's office is that the e-mails will be subject to the Presidential Records Act, which requires the National Archives to preserve presidential records. But he also said some exemptions in the law allow for "strictly personal communications." He did not say how that classification would be determined, but made clear that the device could be used for both business and personal exchanges.

Obama's BlackBerry has been a constant companion, and he had noted publicly that he was negotiating to find a way to keep it despite security concerns and records-keeping issues.

Gibbs said that Obama believes using the device will help him escape the "bubble" that surrounds the president.

Comments

[TLaw]

Oh my not everything is racial. So I a ssume from reading some of these comments you Americans believe that only Coloureds are on crack ? LOL

You guys are barmy!! Just BARMY! oh my......

[kshawNCvoter]

"Coloureds­"?????????­???? what in the hale? have you just climbed out of a time machine? Colureds? really?

[mommadona]

See?

It wasn't rocket science....

; )

[justmeinAz]

The number of people posting here who have apparently never heard the term "crackberry" before is simply astonishing. I knew about half the country lived under a rock for most of their lives, but I didn't think they blogged here.
For the uninitiated, the term crackberry has been around for years and years, is mostly used by blackberry users themselves, and has no derogatory or racial overtones implied. It just means that once you start using one of these devices, they're a little addictive. Like video games or web surfing. All those with righteous indignation, please exit stage left now - you're on the wrong stage.

[JMBrodie]

Dude, I'm old. There is stuff that is new to me. You are growing up with this. I had to educate my elders back in the day. Do you really think that Ward and June said words like "groovy" and right on?"

So stop using this as an excuse to hate on those who simply don't know. You guys are supposed to be smarter than us.

Educate a brother.

[Takae]

In fairness, technology and other aspects of an average everyday life tend to develop or change so rapidly that many are doing their best to catch up. And some don't bother. :P

My grandmother is still using a VHS player and she wouldn't even touch a computer (which she refers as "that TV-like thing") with a short stick. On the other hand, her twin sister is a huge fan of the Internet and she recently bought a Kindle e-reader to read books.

[treeworshipper]

FYI to general populace, we are also calling Facebook, CRACKbook. Probably because we call the black(crack)berries that...

[kshawNCvoter]

wutever......i am and was fully aware of the term. i still don't want the word "crack" associated with my president. that is all.

[mam]

Cue Tchaikovsky's "Romeo & Juliet" Overture - ♫ Da DAA da da da da-da-DAAAA ♫...
I'm very happy for them.

[appacom]

Would it be called a crackberry if Obama were white? I don't think so, and I'm getting real sick and tired of the President and First Lady being called by their first names in headlines, and on cable news. So much for post-racial America.

[SpoxLogic]

Thank you. You wrote pretty much exactly what I had in mind. I strongly doubt they'd use such a racist headline if Pres Obama was white. By using the term "Crackberry" - they are saying he's an addict to the device. And we all know Black people just love their crack, don't we?

Sick bastards.

Who do we complain to about the choice of words?

[eden4barack08]

http://crackberry.com/crackberry-nation-loves-lindsay-lohan-her-bold

[eden4barack08]

Yes it would! And it has been called "crackberry" long before we even knew of Obama's love of it. Relax, this isn't about him, there's a nation addicted to their "crackberries" out there.

http://crackberry.com/

[MissElaineous]

*All* of my friends call it a Crackberry because it is addictive. Has nothing to do with race.

I say this is a bit of manufactured outrage.

[JMBrodie]

Thanks for the knowledge. Rage not manufactured if you don't know the culture. I'm an old guy and I never heard the term. Am learning from you young ones. Sometimes a person's sensitivity to something is based on past treatments and history. Instead of slapping them down when there is a concern, just educate, man.

Thanks for the 411

[cmarmonhalm]

Honestly appacom...I'll agree with you on the first names of the President and First Lady but where have you been? Everyone I know calls their BlackBerry a CrackBerry. Let's not get crazy with the righteous indignation.

[LeBeau59741]

"Crackberry" is a VERY common term for this astonishingly addictive device.

Were you offended by the fact that George & Laura Bush and Bill and Hillary Clinton got "First-named" half to death?

Or by the pseudo-clever, celebrity- inspired "Billary" tag that was popular for a time during President Clinton's first term?

How about Rudy, Arnie, Nancy and Newt?

I agree that it's less than proper or respectful but please don't invent a racist angle where none exists.

[mam]

Agreed, for the most part. However, I don't recall anyone ever calling either 41 or 43 by "George," or 42 by "Bill"; their wives by first name, yes. Though, of course, there was "Dubya" and "Bubba" used by the wags. I have found it a bit disconcerting that pundits like Chris Matthews repeatedly call Obama "Barack"; perhaps because they haven't yet come up with some pseudo-clever nickname yet. (Maybe they could just employ George W. Bush's all-purpose "Stretch," which he seemed to apply to everyone taller than him.)

[LeBeau59741]

Cool- I am happy about this... I know it seems like something of a "Non-story" but I see in it Obama's desire to stay in touch directly as much as possible, his willingness to have his electronic communications subject to disclosure and his determination to bring what's right and useful of contemporary technology to bear in an arena that has resisted new methods for too long.

Besides- I know how naked I feel without my phone, so I can only imagine his withdrawl symptoms*grin*

[SabrinaFair]

Enough about this story already. The only reason this is an issue is because past Presidents haven't been particularly electronically savvy.

[JMBrodie]

Well, that's the story. None of the others were so Obama is breaking new ground with this. What I like is that young folks will want to emulate this. They are starting to see Barack as belonging to them, talking their language, doing what they do. Very affirming.

[curiousasheck]

I doubt Captain Chesley Sullenberger was freaking out because he couldn't find his Blackberry after engine two went out .

[SunshineDaydream]

and your point is?

[SabrinaFair]

Whaaa?

[Cynth]

Of course, Obama isn't flying an actual plane. Nevertheless, using your metaphore, the captain still needs situational awareness and timely sources of both internal and external information to lead effectively and safely. A captiain needs to know what is happening outside the cockpit and the plane to make sound decisions. For Obama or any executive, a Blackberry is not so crazy or useless in an environment in which information moves quickly and communication with people beyond people in your immediate environment can help you gain broader awareness of what is happening beyond the office. Afterall, he is leading a country, not simply an branch of government,the White House, or the Oval Office.

[Blurp]

Why is he using a Canadian product? He should be using an iPhone.

[SabrinaFair]

iPhones are not secure. President Obama loves Apple products from what I've heard -- he owns a MacBook and his daughters own an iMac. If he could use an iPhone he would. But they have been proven to be very easily hacked when it comes to e-mail.

But the iPhone is not security-friendly and there would be no way for them to enhance it's security protocols.

[Dystopic]

where is your proof. I can break into your blackberry in 20 seconds, and wipe it if I wanted.

Any device created, used, or administered by humans is insecure.

[HoustonGal]

Also, while the iPhone may work internationally, it's a huge AND expensive pain. It doesn't work well with business accounts - I understand it now has an Enterprise feature but I'm not giving my Blackberry up just yet. Nobody in the United States has a comparable product to the Blackberry.

[Dystopic]

I use my iPhone to access my Exchange servers, works as well as Blackberry in that regard. Plus my iPhone only crashes once a week, my old blackberry crashed daily.

I used the BB for 5 years, I loved it. The iPhone is just as good, even better in some ways. Enterprise access is not an issue anymore.

I paid less for my iPhone that I did for my BB. Plan is the same $$

[Nikola Tesla]

NOT true anymore. Please try to keep up and quit spreading lies.

[angelicious]

aren't iphones made in china? talk about security risk ...

[Dystopic]

as are blackberries, and RAZRs ....

[flyteeskee]

President Obama is doing it real big! I'm so happy he is so progressive.

[leatherbunny]

Another example of what President Obama can and will do with determination. We are lucky to have him as our President.

[walk0nwalls]

This is a learned ability because I've really still have yet to figure out how to even text properly.

[mimspoot]

Oh at first, it took me forever to get the hang of texting. It would take me ten minutes to return a text. Now I can whiz through the keys. Except the keys on my Samsung "blackjack" are way too small so I make alot of spelling errors.

[curiousasheck]

I see kids all the time stumbling down the street staring at their blackberry or cell phone oblivious to all the other people nearby.

Pretty funny

[mimspoot]

I remember when I was a teenager in the 80's and would spend hours on the telephone with my girlfriends. When I got in trouble by my parents I would get grounded and that meant "no telephone" HA HA. Nowadays its not the home phone teenagers use, its the cell phone to text message and blackberries although I am not so sure teens use blackberrys. They seem too expensive for a teen. Mostly its texting on their cell phones.

Gotta love it!

[curiousasheck]

I saw one girl almost get hit by a car walking across an intersection while punching a number into her cell phone. She was totally lost in space.

Glad I didn't have to get out and help scrape her up off the street.

I wanted to roll down the window and yell GET SOME HELP!! Please before you get killed.

I doubt she would have even heard me.

[reliant1]

i had a princess phone, the center of my universe...

[walk0nwalls]

I am just waiting for the video of somebody running into a pole while texting

I AM DYING FOR IT I SWEAR

[mimspoot]

I think I am going to see if I can upgrade from my Samsung "blackjack" to a blackberry or Trio. The QWERTY keys on my phone are too small. Anyone got any good recommendations?

[SunshineDaydream]

i have the pink curve and love it! i picked it bc i like the feel and fit of the keyboard of the curve over the pearl.

[Dystopic]

Blackberries love to crash. My wife just got a LG Lotus, a flipphone with a QWERTY keyboard, and is very well laid out as fas as OS... they are available in color OTHER than the fem purple. Supports POP/IMAP email, Gmail. etc...

Sprint is offering the LG Lotus for $99 and you get a BB Pearl (SUCKS) for free... then the $30 data plan for the BB...

You will not be happ with the trio... and the Blackberry is not what it is cracked up to be.

[BoydReed]

I've got a BlackBerry Pearl, and it's perfect for me. I can pull my personal e-mail on it, the keys are decent size, and it's not so big that it feels lumpy in my pocket.

If you need MS Exchange functionality, though, step up and get a BlackBerry Curve or Storm. I tried out the Storm at the local Verizon mall outlet a few weeks ago. I *love* the touch screen. And the Curve has a full QWERTY keyboard, which is nice.

[Jocalo]

What, are you smoking crack!? "Crackberry" is common slang among all BB users. As is the use of the word crack to indicate addictiveness, "Wow, this crab-dip is like crack!" I have not seen any indication whatsoever that these references have anything to do with race. The word is just very expressive.