Twitter here, Flicker There

Politics is becoming more technological. McCain and Obama have anti-other videos on Youtube. The internet will not only change the way of politics, but democracy itself. People can create wikis blog and comment on the campaign. Candidates can use social networking sites to generate money, volunteers, and supporters. The article states that Obama understands how to use the internet to his advantage, and McCain is slightly tech-illiterate. However, the Republican party is taking steps to up their game. Voters are being separated into two groups divided by technology. One group is called the Millenials, people born between 1976 and 1996. This group is more technologically connected while the other group is older and relies more on more convention types of media such as tv. Do you think that use and knowledge of the internet is just as important in office as it is on the campaign trail?

Obama’s Txt

Obama is using mass texting in his campaign. What is happening is that the Obama campaign is involving everyone with a mobile device in a process to build database of phone numbers to get out vote. A person sends txt to get out that they are an Obama supporter and thereby get info back-such as when they received a txt about Obama’s choice of running mate.Techpresident believes mobile technology is the best way to reach young supporters who are in touch with today’s technology. He relates it to pebbles falling on quite lake…starts with one  ring and gets wider and wider. Would you want to receive a text from the Obama campaign?

How much is Youtube worth to Obama and McCain?

Both candidates have videos on Youtube, created by others and their campaigns. Obama’s number of hours viewed of his videos is significantly high than McCains. And the fact that these are free video’s, no money spent on tv time, means that both candidates are saving a lot of money. The article also points out the difference between tv campaign ads and internet ones. Tv is more of a push, meaning you are forced to watch it. Internet is pull, because you choose to watch it. Do you feel that the candidates are cheating when it comes to internet techniques-being able to make free videos and bringing in ridiculous amounts of money?

Twitter

“From voter caging to misleading fliers to faulty machinery to the long waits exacerbated by poorly trained poll workers, it’s often a lack of knowing that jams up the process.” Twitter can help change all that by correcting the information imbalance of the elections. 1. Empowering self organized volunteers 2. Sharing patterns 3. Serving as mobile legal aid 4. Smart routing around resource gaps. 5. And guiding the watch dogs. Do you think twitter will be successful in its endevours of the election?

The Daily Me

Technology is making it easier to filter out what media we want to view. With the aid of the internet, you can mix and match your media-movies, music, news, sports, shopping, and socializing. Everyone has the freedom to view what they want and avoid what they don’t want to see. Its almost a complete personalization of communications. But this raises some questions. “How will the increasing power of private control affect democracy? How will the Internet, the new forms of television, and the explosion of communications options alter the capacity of citizens to govern themselves? What are the social preconditions for a well-functioning system of democratic deliberation, or for individual freedom itself?” First, people should be exposed to materials that they would not have chosen in advance. Unplanned, unanticipated encounters are central to democracy itself. Second, many or most citizens should have a range of common experiences. Without shared experiences, a heterogeneous society will have a much more difficult time in addressing social problems. While the idea of digital divide and a utopian communicative dream isn’t so perfect and could cause more problems then one would think. How do you feel about this article and what it has to say about democracy and media?

Web of Activism

This article talks about viral marketing. The author compares it to word of mouth saying that internet marketing is much faster and more effective. But then the article talks about how these online sites can be problematic when it comes to politics. The internet can be a great tool in politics if one knows how to use it. But because the internet is more of a pull media, meaning you have to seek out what you want to see rather than have it shoved in front of you, it may not work out right in politics. They can’t always expect people to seek out there campaign ads, videos, and support sites, and putting them up on sites like youtube, facebook, and blogs might not be effective. Do you think that online politics is a good or bad move?