New Pew Report on “Govt Online” Shows Big Citizen Participation But Little Govt Engagement (techPresident)
The Pew Research Center just released a new study looking at how Americans access public information and interact with government using the internet, the results may surprise you.
The Self-Appointed Twitter Scolds (The New York Times)
Twitter police – they do exist (and enforce Twetiquette).
Microsoft’s Move Towards We-Gov Continues (techPresident)
In an effort close the significant gap in how state and local governments and their citizens connect online in a “one-stop shop manner,” Microsoft recently launched a state-by-state directory of the social media accounts of public officials and agencies.
Why China Might be a Big Part of Facebook’s Future (eMarketer)
With its huge social networking market, there is a likelihood that the next big story about China is going to be Facebook.
A few Thursday evenings ago, NBC aired a rerun of last year’s highly anticipated The Office episode that featured Pam and Jim getting married. When I watched the episode again two weeks ago, I could not help thinking about a crucial lesson to be learned for any organization planning their next advocacy campaign.
If you watched Pam and Jim’s wedding, you will recall that the writers heavily borrowed the memorable wedding routine from the extraordinarily popular YouTube video JK Wedding Dance. It’s the one where the wedding party dances down the aisle to Chris Brown’s song, Forever. The video became so popular (now over 44 million views on YouTube) that the entire group was invited to recreate the routine on The Today Show.
In case you missed the Politics Online Conference last week, Microsoft announced the launch of Townhall, a new online community platform. The Townhall platform allows political campaigns to quickly launch a sophisticated ongoing community discussion with supporters and volunteers. The platform not only allows a campaign to manage the community, but also gather instant and ongoing feedback from voters through polls, surveys and other kinds of data feedback mechanisms.
Of course, Microsoft is not new to the world of political campaigns. Its Windows operating system and Office products have been the staple technologies of political campaigns for decades. Campaigns of all stripes would also be well advised to explore how Microsoft Tag and Windows Live Messenger can be used to communicate and collaborate with voters.
Last week at the Politics Online Conference, I sat on a panel where the question of e-mail versus social media was posed. Is social media replacing e-mail? Are members who join through social media more or less valuable than members collected via e-mail?
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Next Wave of Activist Lobbying: ‘Hijack’ Congress Members’ Facebook Profiles (Hillicon Valley)
Is “profile hijacking,” where advocacy campaigns take over lawmakers’ Facebook profiles and bombard them with Tweets about their cause, the next wave of citizen lobbying?
Mayor Donates Kidney To Facebook Friend (NPR)
One Connecticut mayor takes constituent services to a whole new level.
Undercover Persuasion by Tech Industry Lobbyists
(The Washington Post)
As K Street insiders harness the power of social networking on websites such as Twitter and Facebook, one journalist questions whether these lobbyists and public relations professionals are properly disclosing their true motives.
Women in New Media: At the Top or in the Trenches?
(Politics Daily)
Do women out-perform men in the realm of new media?
The online grassroots community has wisely begun a discussion of ethics lately. A February forum at George Washington University was a solid kick-off to the dialogue. An ethical examination would be a healthy exercise when one considers the strategies, tactics and motives surrounding the upcoming Supreme Court nomination battle to fill the seat of retiring Justice John Paul Stevens.
The recent opening on the Supreme Court, and the anticipated grassroots battle over the nominee, raise an ethical question for grassroots organizers. Groups on both the left and right see a Supreme Court nomination battle as an opportunity to rally troops, raise funds and bolster their causes. However, many political observers have suggested that President Obama will probably nominate a non-controversial candidate, seeking to avoid a bloody and partisan nomination fight so close to the 2010 mid-term elections.
How Social Media Can Effect Real Social and Governmental Change
(Mashable)
Craigslist founder Craig Newmark shares his thoughts on how meaningful social and governmental change is being implemented today through social networks.
Facebook: The Entire Web Will Be Social (Gigaom)
At the launch of its f8 conference in San Francisco today, Facebook announced its master plan to make the rest of the web social.
Mike Allen, the Man the White House Wakes Up To
(New York Times)
Do you know who Mike Allen is? Labeled as “the man the White House wakes up to,” Allen sends a mass e-mail newsletter to some of America’s most influential people sometime before 8:30 a.m., seven days a week.
One Million Clicks for U.S.’s Official Link Shortener
(TechPresident)
Why does the U.S. need its own social-media friendly URL shortener?
Here’s Why “Top Influencer Lists” Are Useless
Social Media – Should It be the Driver or Passenger in your Grassroots Influence Strategy?
Google and Facebook Emphasize the New and the Now, For Better or Worse
K Street Café is a blog where experts from a variety of backgrounds share ways organizations are using current and emerging strategies to help shape public policies.
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