Reboot Alberta

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Social Media: Changing the Game of Politics

Had a great time doing a podcast at the request of the Alberta Liberals on social media and how it is changing politics.  Here is the link to the podcast.  Give it  listen and let me know what you think about how social media can - and is - changing politics. 

My sense is the impact is already dramatic.  Just look at the Obama campaign.  Also, we have just seen the tip of the iceberg  The conventional old-school political ships-of-state command-and-control types will either hit the iceberg or they will sink even before they get there.  If they sink beforehand it will be cause of they have not repaired their communications and political culture fast enough to adapt to the new world disorder on the Internet.

I have done a major piece for The Edmontonian on the reluctance of government and business to embrace social media.  It will be in the February edition coming out soon. 

9 comments:

  1. Have you read No Size Fits All ? Its probably the best book looking at the impact of social media on a variety of issues and opportunities..

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  2. Anonymous12:05 pm

    Was this pro bono?

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  3. Anonymous1:31 pm

    Remember CB radios?

    I've got email and Skype and websites. Facebook and Twitter are at best barely relevant dressed up iterations of the former of use primarily to shrill marketers selling to gullible and unfocused naivites but mostly distracting noise and a waste of time. An exception made to parents looking in on the activities of the young 'uns depravatorial conduct in which case it is an excellent Big Parent security tool. Long live digital detritus.

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  4. Yes it was pro bono Anon @ 12:05 - same as when I did a workshop at the Wildrose Alliance Leadership convention on social media

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  5. Ken,

    I agree with you that social media has the potential to be a game-changer in the world of politics. We are, in a larger sense, in the middle (or at least the beginning) of another communications revolution. The unbiquity of cell phones will rapidly give way to a similar ubiquity of smartphones - which will open social media to a massive percentage of the population wherever they are during their day.

    Those political organizations that are the first to make an effective move into this area will reap important benefits. The Anti-prorogation Facebook group, whose 210,000+ members yeilded 60+ events coast to coast on saturday gave us a taste for what is possible. Now imagine if a single organization had been there to structure and organize that mass of people instead of a collection of random volunteers who were meeting for the first time via that Facebook group?

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  6. I would have to agree that SM is a game changer but it will come with both its good and bad points that have yet to be determined. For me I am suprised just how vitriolic SM can be, just look around at some of the SM youth sites. The last thing we need in politics is more vitriol in politics.

    There is an interesting EBook that you can read on the "Art of Community, building a new age of participation" that would be good to read as it goes well with this topic.

    http://bit.ly/aochID

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  7. Thxs for the comment and the link - I will look at it over the weekend.

    I agree SM can be a rough and tumble world - but so is professional politics. We need more civility in politics for sure. Civility and respect for other points of view was one of the defining feature of Reboot 1.0

    I hope it stays in Reboot 2.0 with the open invitation approach. I think fair-minded progresives will self-police and not allow others to be rude.

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  8. Anonymous7:25 pm

    Social media is nothing more than left wing drivel. The only freedom fighting blog is briandell.blogspot.com. The rest are boarderline marxist.

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  9. Anonymous10:43 am

    I think blogs are good but the passing Facebook and Twitter fads do not allow for proper focus on serious discussion IMO. I will admit they are good for teenager gossip talk and ignored grandparents who want to see what is happening to the grandteens.

    The collapse of the entire Anthropogenic Global Warming conspiracy of lies and frauds was due to the hard work of scientists working and collaborating outside of the mainstream media and posting sound technical information on very comprehensive blogs with a global network base.

    The mainstream media has fallen into "Facebook and Twitter" mode as they are incapable of applying any sort of focus, reason or accuracy into their reporting. I will admit this is due in part to budget costs as a result of people getting free or more comprehensive or personally relevant news elsewhere and to a natural gullibility and idealism inherent in young and naive MSM reporters these days (as compared with the old cynical, crusty Scotch drinking, cigar chomping gruff stereotype!)

    But to get informed and expert information, the best networks to consult these days are reputable blogs.

    I would hate to see governments get hoodwinked by the passing Twitter fad. Government policy in 140 characters is idiotic.

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