Comments

• • Douglas Burton@douglasbu1

  

  Douglas Burton September 25, 2008 - 6:30pm

  Terry: The internet can certainly be a double edged sword; people seem to forget everything they ever posted is cached web page. However, going back to Howard Dean campaign for the Democratic nomination in 2003, the internet is reshaping politics.  Obama seems to be getting it right, ‘adapting to a world in which the concept of community has grown to include MySpace and Facebook. No campaign has been more aggressive in tapping into social networks and leveraging the financial power of hundreds of thousands of small donors. Nor has any other campaign found such innovative ways to extend its reach by using the Internet--more than $10 million of Obama's second-quarter contributions were made online, and 90% of them were in increments of $100 or less’. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1640402,00.html  And the important breakthrough is not the fundraising success but the grassroots volunteer organization. ‘From controlling the canvassing operations to corralling e-mail lists, organizing meetings and overseeing national phone drives, Obama's web network is the most ambitious, and apparently successful, internet campaign effort in any presidential race in the web's short history.’  Obama’s web presence includes great tools like, ‘online precinct-captain training tool, a web application that manages volunteer canvassers and tracks their efforts. Once precinct captains returned from their "block walks," they entered the results of their expeditions back into the database, logging which households had Obama boosters, who's caucusing, and who's willing to volunteer.  Most prominent in Obama's suite of sites is the social networking tool my.BarackObama.com. Since its launch a little more than a year ago, more than 500,000 accounts have been created and 30,000 supporter-created campaign events listed at the site. http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2008/03/obama_tools  So yes, if you’re dumb enough to post pictures of you seriously getting your fetish freak on for a Friday night (fueled by 30 joints), things can go horribly wrong.  But it you get it right… wells it’s a brave new world out there (and while maybe history isn’t dead, there is no real internet history – yet)

• • Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers@joha1

  

  Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers September 25, 2008 - 7:36pm

  Hi Terry and Douglas,

  I agree that one really has to learn fast about what is "viewable in history online" and what is not -- not only if you are in politics.  However I am totally impressed with how the internet and the Web 2.0 in particular is changing history by the outreach of Obama's campaigners and also their resulting financial leverage. I'm sure more will come of this -- for both good strategies and unfortunately for hurtful and embarrassing recorded-moments that can destroy people's reputations even when they have many positive known attributes.
  

  Jo Ann 

• • Frank Toner@frankto

  

  Frank Toner September 26, 2008 - 1:54am

  Hi guys; in a world where we are all on the grid, didn't their parents teach them manners, courtesy and civility in their public actions? We exist in surveillance societies, and we ought to respect every public arena. Perhaps, as someone once said, stupidity has no boundaries, and in our networked world, for some, this aptly applies. We have so many wonderful communicative technology tools at our disposal, but, in turn, we have to respect all shared spaces. For many, some lessons are tough, and historical stains can be the hardest to erase. ciao Frank

• • Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers@joha1

  

  Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers September 26, 2008 - 11:03am

  Hi Frank,

  I'm sure that there are rebellious times in many young people -- and that perhaps one of the lessons that needs to be learned when very young and in public school -- is what you are saying. I think that emotional and social intelligence is not the same as IQ and some of the clients that I have seen have very poor judgment about "what matters to them" until it catches up with consequences that do matter. Jo Ann 

• • Frank Toner@frankto

  

  Frank Toner September 26, 2008 - 4:17pm

  Hi Jo Ann; you are absolutely right, we are a forgiving culture, and we believe in second chances for most, particularly for many youthful learners. In both real and virtual spaces, these are public areas, and everyone needs to be circumspect with their pronouncements and actions. This is only one example of countless mistakes that people continue to make using these technologies. The consequences can be horrendous for one's life, family and career. As you've ably pointed out, poor judgement has negative consequences, and it is not related to IQ. With the myriad problems in our society, broken families, marriage breakdown, et-cetera, as educators I believe that we lead by example whether it's in public school, or post- secondary education, and in all social interactions respect for others and the self should be emphasized. ciao frank

• • Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers@joha1

  

  Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers September 29, 2008 - 2:09pm

  Hi Frank and everyone,

  I think that there needs to be more information for  teachers and parents -- areas to watch for -- and guidelines about social issues on the need communication online highways. Perhaps a good book is waiting to happen or has already been written that I have yet to discover.  Jo Ann