Well like everyone else I'm still trying to wrap my head around what this Internet Revolution means for the Great American Democratic Experiment that started 221 years ago this summer. The Big Issue, o'course, is Campaign Financing - Giant Rivers of Cash from FatCat Donors being displaced by Endless Streamlets of Cash from Millions of Donors (that's us!!). The emerging system has the potential to profoundly subvert the way American Politics has functioned since the invention of the Railroad - say, the 1840s.
So that seems Kinda Big. Closer at hand, because I'm strangely addicted to them, are these ObamaBlogs. It's weird. We all zip along on these Blogs like it's the most natural thing in the world to chat & exchange ideas with thousands of people scattered across the Planet. We have instant access to an astonishing array of information that we constantly share & exchange. We create and re-create a virtual community that swirls around the Sharing of Information that we hope will help lead to an Obama presidency. Needless to say, none of these things have ever existed in the History of the Human Species. We're in uncharted waters here, folks.
What does all this mean? What kind of community are we creating? Where are we going with it? Who knows?
Given the state of things in the world today, and the extraordinary interest the Obama candidacy has sparked internationally, it's likely that the ObamaBlogs are among the most heavily trafficked blogs on the Planet. If so it shows. It's like the Wild West in here, a relentless cavalcade of chatter & cheers & insights & ads & screeds & rants & laments & troublesome trolls & avalanches of information zipping past and then - NEW THREAD! and it starts all over again - nonstop, 24/7, day after day, month after month. Will it continue after Obama's elected? Hope so, but who knows?
The vast bulk of the traffic stays completely invisible, as ObamaFriend Dale Tucker's very interesting experiment of 4/19 showed. For every semi-regular contributor there's at least 100 people out there, watching, listening, paying close attention & never making a peep.
We're smack in the middle of creating something here, ObamaFamily, and we're not even sure what it is. It's cluttered & confusing & constantly changing & we're all part of it, somehow.
But despite all the confusion, some things seem clear. For one, we all agree we're creating a community infused with a certain sensibility based on the broad principles laid out by Barack Obama. These include -- Integrity in Government. Truthfulness. Honesty. Deepened Democracy. Bridged Social & Class & Racial & Political Divisions. Environmental Sanity. Peace & Cooperation Abroad, to the extent possible in today's global environment. And, we all mostly agree that Barack Obama is an Honest & Smart & Inspiring Leader with sound principles that focus strongly on the Public Good. These seem the vortices around which these Blogs swirl. Basic principles upon which we all agree. So that part's easy. Mostly.
Second, we DO stuff. Lots of what goes on here is organizing events, expanding phone calling, gathering donations. We do real, concrete, boots-on-the-ground stuff here. That's a large part of what these ObamaBlogs are all about. Action. Integrating Web-Action and Street-Action. It's a huge part of what makes Obama's campaign so powerful – the integration of Web & Street.
Third, a certain spirit infuses these Blogs, a shared sensibility that's focused on notions of the PUBLIC good. A set of principles & values that focuses on the Collective well-being, while at the same time protecting & defending Individual rights & privileges. Collective in the sense of, hey -- We're All In This Together. The Spirit infusing these Blogs is a Fight-the-Good-Fight spirit. It is a Truth-Justice-Peace spirit. It saturates everything. There's even a Consensus Policy on Troublesome Trolls. Lace is the point-person on that.
So sure the Blogs are raucous and crowded and we're elbow-to-elbow jostling each other around, and people get shoved out of the way in the race to be FIRST! on the NEW THREAD! but we're also courteous & kind & watch out for each other & do favors & go stand in corners and have great conversations about all kinds of stuff.
There are so many aspects to this Internet Wild West – and I got to thinking how the American Revolution originated in the Correspondence Societies that emerged in the wake of the Seven Years' War & especially from the early 1770s – Patriots who "Corresponded" with each other in the major cities & towns up & down the Atlantic Seaboard, in opposition to British rule. In other words, Networking & Correspondence were at the core of the American Revolution. Exchanging Letters & Ideas leading to sharpened Public Debate and the organizing of actions, boycotts, meetings, and the like. So here we are, in 2008, Networking & Corresponding & creating new kinds of Correspondence Societies, new kinds of Communities. Of course so are all the Hate Groups, as Jim in Arizona pointed out the other day. Somebody should write a thesis on all this stuff.
So I throw these musings out as a kind of Provocation, an Initial Blurt-Out in what I hope might become a wider conversation.
There's a Cluster of Questions Here, ObamaFamily, and you are invited to comment on any or all of them: - What are YOU doing here? What do the ObamaBlogs mean to YOU?- Are you addicted to blogging here? Why? What do you find especially compelling about these Blogs?- What do you see as the "Animating Spirit" of these Blogs? What Blog-Community values are most important to you?- What kind of a Community are we creating here? What binds us together, and what has the potential to divide & fragment us?- What kinds of changes or modifications would you like to see in the structure of the site?- Where do YOU think the site is headed, or should head - in the short term, medium term, and long term?- What do YOU think we're doing here?- Any other questions or topics that the foregoing sub-questions elide or ignore.IN SHORT, FRIENDS -- WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?Your job is to SEIZE any of these questions & make them your own!
There's a Cluster of Questions Here, ObamaFamily, and you are invited to comment on any or all of them:
- What are YOU doing here? What do the ObamaBlogs mean to YOU?
- Are you addicted to blogging here? Why? What do you find especially compelling about these Blogs?
- What do you see as the "Animating Spirit" of these Blogs? What Blog-Community values are most important to you?
- What kind of a Community are we creating here? What binds us together, and what has the potential to divide & fragment us?
- What kinds of changes or modifications would you like to see in the structure of the site?
- Where do YOU think the site is headed, or should head - in the short term, medium term, and long term?
- What do YOU think we're doing here?
- Any other questions or topics that the foregoing sub-questions elide or ignore.
IN SHORT, FRIENDS -- WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?
Your job is to SEIZE any of these questions & make them your own!
Please click on READ MORE to see the dialogue generated thus far. I will be adding people's comments to the "READ MORE" section as time passes, copying-and-pasting from the "Comments" section. I'm hoping that the compilation that results from these efforts, which may run into hundreds or even thousands of comments, might be of some small help to this Web community in the wider process of its own Self-Creation.Thank you for participating & for being part of this Community!
Please click on READ MORE to see the dialogue generated thus far. I will be adding people's comments to the "READ MORE" section as time passes, copying-and-pasting from the "Comments" section.
I'm hoping that the compilation that results from these efforts, which may run into hundreds or even thousands of comments, might be of some small help to this Web community in the wider process of its own Self-Creation.
Thank you for participating & for being part of this Community!
Dialogue generated by the foregoing post starting Fri April 18.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 18-19
NURSE "HUSSEIN"- You are so right. It is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced, child birth aside. I LOVE YOUR POST.
Colene from New York you're right! i am completeley addicted and my husband can't understand why when i say things like 'i'm witnessing history!'
Marie from New Mexico I confess I have been lurking and reading since January. I recently created a profile because I read about trolls. I became involved in the Obama campaign in January when a delightful yet insistent young man finally convinced me that doing volunteer work really WAS something I wanted to do. (NOT!) I mean, I'm an old white lady who just doesn't get involved in politics. I canvassed. I was a poll watcher. I donated, I started reading blogs here. I don't know what all of this Internet Revolution means but I think it has the potential to be wonderful.
marthlois Marie - jump in....you'll probably become addicted like the rest of us. But we do this for a common cause, we have a most wonderful candidate & you'll find lots of info to pass along to your friends. And you can join in, as you wish, sending postcards or making phone calls. Or just by donating your time, opinions, calling attention to articles, etc. It's well worth your time:) Welcome
Dale (Man-in-the-Kitchen) in Idaho Good evening Michael. Thanks for becoming my friend today. I see farther down the thread that people are saying that the slow-down on the blog was because of a hacker. But, I noticed the slow down after I put up the experiment on 3 threads. I wondered if the experiment had anything to do with it, and at one point wondered if I had done something bad (posting it 3 times). I guess what I'm wondering is if a large number of people tried to go log in all at once. I hope the experiment wasn't part of the slow down problem. Does anyone know for sure that we had a hacker? Just wondering. I guess I would feel better if we did have one. lol I forgot to mention that this is a great post. I enjoy reading your musings and perspectives on these open threads and elsewhere. Thank you.
Obama Grandmama My new problem is I seem to be addicted to this blog. I like being able to find out how the campaign is coming along. I check in first thing in the morning and before I go to bed. If there is something scary, exciting, or important going on with the campaign I seem to think I need to be checking in here. That alone is a little scary. I have never wanted something as much as for Barack Obama to win this election. Therefore I am doing whatever I can. It may be good if I am not on the blog most of the time, but I think it would be good to keep it going after he is elected as a source of community and a way to stay active with all the things we will need to help with.Just watched Barack speak at the capitol in PA on CNN and his stump speech is really improving. Hard to believe it could be better than the one I heard in Eugene, Oregon. Maybe Barack's role of being a community organizer is his most important experience he brings to the office of the president. I feel like I am getting to know all of you regulars even if I really do not have anyone much answering my posts. I think I should be on the last one instead of in the middle somewhere to have answers. Oh well, I'll get it yet!
Liz in California Michael and you other great Obama site hope addicts---I swore I would just take a peek at the site before I went to bed, and I definitely would NOT read comments, well maybe I'd skim a few comments but I definitely would NOT post----but anyway, always great to see what hardboiled Michael is writing and it makes me want to bring up something so near and dear to this and important to movements like ours: NET NEUTRALITY. This is up for votes in congress right now. What is at stake? Big internet providers like AT&T want to be able ultimately control WHAT WEBSITES WE HAVE ACCESS to. Imagine: this is a way to control the exchange of information and speedy internet donations that have made a movement like this possible. Oy vey. A new bill has been introduced in U.S. House that would stop Comcast, Verizon and AT&T from controlling what you do, and where you go online. To send an email to congress: Link I feel this is a huge political control issue. Many feel it is also a big consumer and fair competition issue. To learn more: Link http://www.openinternetcoaliti on.com
Carol M. Very interesting, Liz. Thanks for sharing. See, this is why I love the blogs. How did I not know about this before? I tell you what, I am becoming a walking encyclopedia from hanging out in here! OBAMA '08!
maggie in MA I've been thinking the exact thing HBHistorian, seeing as it's Patriots' Day! We're like a virtual "Green Dragon Tavern" - the boston pub where Paul Revere and other patriots met and exchanged ideas and encouragement. the Revolution depended on such places.
Carol M. Hi Michael, I'd have to say it is also an integrating spirit. To me, it is simply Obama's organizing of the Internet (national and world) community. I know that I am addicted and like others spend more time here than I ever plan. Still, it feels good to be among supporters even if I don't say a word. Thanks for opening this dialogue! OBAMA '08!
Cosmic Scanner Yeh, I'm addicted, too. And to think, I don't a a direct stake, since I am Filipino living in Canada. Every time we gather for dinner, my family's first question is: How is Obama today?
Matthew I really liked this post. One of the things I do in the real world is to study and document historical changes. It came about as a consequence of being a historical person for a short while (technically, I still am, but the "historical" person I was is thought to be dead - too long a story for here)...The net and the technologies that both spawned it, and which it is spawning are also things in which I am deeply immersed. It is not just politics but the whole of existence that is about to change as a result of virtual technologies (which is what the new/web is: a virtual tech). Take money for instance... Paypal (Ebay, Google, etc) have many more billions in revenue than can actually be accounted for as much of it is virtual. It doesn't really exist in any bank, or in cash in anyone's wallet... t is just a stream of numbers in a series of net-nodes and servers somewhere (and often many somewheres that change constantly). This change from real to virtual currency has already begun to undermine the currencies of countries who resist it (The USA for instance). Obama seems to be at least marginally aware of this from reading his Blueprint for change in the need to provide new infrastructure for the net/web (This is one of the reasons behind some of the experts he cited - if I had the Blueprint for change in front of me I would cite them here as well). Now, about this guy who posted a link that says that Hamas wants Obama to win... Now, why is that a bad thing? I find that no more relevant to my choice than who the pope wants to win, or the Israeli Prime Minister... Matthew Bailey
Michaele Good message. The first thing I do every morning when I get up is to log on to the blog and express my fist thoughts of the day. I get up quite early so my first cup of coffee is at the computer at as early as 4:00 a.m. during the week. What we are doing here is taking back our country from the big money interests and lobbyists. We are claiming the power that was once reserved for political machines. We are breaking through the clutter of the new media. We are organizing a movement tp change the world.
Suzanne Hey Michael! We are the people! Waking up, stirred up, and, as you say creating "something" here. We don't need to define it, just keep it alive and make space for it to become what it wants to become, hopefully a world-wide movement toward change and sustainability. It seems to me that when one great leader shows up on the planet, many others do as well in other countries at the same time. Let's hope that all over the globe, people are waking up and saying "enough is enough" and realizing that YES THEY CAN heal the planet and find a new political and economic paradigm THAT WORKS. Obama is just an instance of something much greater that is being born all across the planet:The idea that we can change things for the better and THE TIME IS NOW. OBAMA '08!!
Catherine of Riverdale, IL Michael you are so right. It means that we are a force that media has never reckoned with before. It means the we can get people like Hannity off the air...or better yet get our own station aned present the hope that is so greatly needed for us to press on and to be ceaselessly successful...it means we have pretty much arrived, and we are growing day by day. I so loved CNN speaking about how we rated ABC after the debate. They said the emails surpassed 10,000! Actually, they probably stopped counting at that point, and I think they read you email on TV. I recognized it because you have such a distinctive style. Anyway, I think it is way, way cool. P.S. I never thought about the people online who do not post! Wow!
SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 20-21
Pamela A Regarding "What does all this mean? What kind of community are we creating? Where are we going with it? Who knows?" My day begins with visiting Obama.com! It provides a community with common values and virtues who are concerned with a better America and World. Isn't that true patriotism - a caring and unselfish concern for the greater good of the country? I have like minded friends I've never met or may never meet, yet I feel part of a common community. I hope that after the general election, there's a way to continue to participate and support the Obama community. This is a place that matters to a lot of people. It is dedicated to a proposition of hope, change for the better and belief that the inclusion of all is fundamental to creating ideals in this 21st century and beyond.
Jen Hussein Rencher, I could not have said it better myself. Before Obama's campaign, I used to wonder what it would be like to have the President giving a daily internet address to The People. With so many levels of bureaucracy between the common person and the president, it's almost impossible to feel a direct connection. With this campaign, the blogs, myBO, I feel like I personally know Barack. Knowing that there are people monitoring the blogs and taking notes, I feel that I can directly voice my concerns and know that someone is listening. I'm a big sci fi nerd and Barack's internet revolution reminds me of Dan Simmons' novel, Hyperion. Their government, the AllThing, is headed by a CEO (from Wiki): ""All Thing" (a real-time participatory democracy, much like a web forum, which is enabled by the TechnoCore's datasphere, and reminiscent of the medieval Icelandic Althing)" One of the characters talks about his addiction to the AllThing - constantly monitoring it, publicly debating issues, voting on every bill etc. I think that we are in the beginning stages of that. It feels amazing to be living through a defining moment in history.
Kristin in Oregon "What am I doing here?" I confess that I may be one of the 'quiet ones.' I do not jump in every day, but I follow the Obama Blogs every day. I donate when I can. One day when I was so completely overjoyed to be a part of it all, I ordered custom license plates that say, "OBAMA." I can't wait for them to arrive....I am going to drive all over Oregon declaring my vision and passion for Barack Obama! "What am I doing here?" I had given up on our political system. I was tired of being pushed around by government. And then Barack Obama came along. And the next thing I knew, i was smiling and crying and donating and reading blog posts from every state and even from around the world. And I get it. I get it that Barack Obama has lit a fire amongst us....and asked us to hold up our little lights and light the next one and the next until there is a fire burning around the world. A heart light that celebrates PEACE AND LOVE AND COMMUNITY. "What am I doing here?" I am believing in Barack's vision and mine and yours...... World Peace....this is where it began......that is what they will say. OBAMA 08 - YES WE CAN!
Woman over 60 I hope that Barack will continue to use the website after he becomes POTUS, to let us know what's going on. He talks about using the internet a lot when he does. It has HUGE potential. Keeping people really informed, getting their ideas. IN Switzerland, one of the oldest democracies i the world (about 700 years, I think), they don't have representative democracy. They all vote on everything. Imagine what they save in special interest control of what goes on. With the internet, we almost have that possibility. Perhaps on a different level. It's pretty exciting.
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