Sir, – It is sad and infuriating to see a "it's a biscuit, no it's a bar" scenario breaking out between the organisers of the Web Summit and the various government bodies they must deal with to run a successful world-class event ("Criticism over Government handling of Web Summit grows", October 15th). We should make no mistake, this is a world-changing event that determines and advances many of the new technologies that are a key part of our future in business and in our daily lives.
It was an opportunity to place this country permanently at the forefront of the most innovative and energised industry on the planet. The impact on our emerging entrepreneurs and our growing technology industry will be significant.
To lose an event that attracted 30,000 of the best and brightest people in the world is quite extraordinary and suggests incompetence and complacency at all levels of Government. I would urge all to plan now to return this event back to Ireland as soon as its contract with Lisbon is fulfilled. – Yours, etc,
DEREK MacHUGH,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – Judging by the churlish and snide exertions from some quarters in response to the departure of the Web Summit to sunnier climes, can I suggest we turn such negative energy into an opportunity and fill the void now left by the event?
By hosting a replacement summit for serial submitters and scanners of freedom of information requests, for the bedroom keyboard ninjas who spend their lives looking up “whois” information on web domain names, and the truly committed chasers of IP address owner on the internet, Ireland can again demonstrate that we still have world-class leaders in the tech-related field.
What a pity such a hashtag-driven rabble cannot match their misplaced glee with any ability to actually design, develop, or build coded solutions that anyone would want to invest in.
Best of luck to the Web Summit in Lisbon. – Yours, etc,
ULTAN Ó BROIN,
Dublin 8.