Our new president-elect has a shiny new website. Change.gov. It contains a blog, news, events, a place to apply for a job in the Obama-Biden administration, a place to “share your story,” and that kinda stuff. I’ll admit. I’m intrigued. We’ll have a president with a site dedicated to interaction with people. Hmm.
Obviously, it goes without saying that he personally won’t be messing with his site, but the people who work for him. But, still. I can’t recall any political candidate with a site that so heavily relies on this particular kind of technology or interaction. Of course, this particular kind of technology hasn’t been as prolific–I get that, but I think it’s interesting that I was genuinely surprised when I heard about this website. The word “Really?” certainly came to mind.
I know that I’ve been so trained to expect my political representative to ignore what I have to say, that a site set up to listen specifically to constituents is, well, surprising.
I saw that site a few days ago, and was startled by the innovation that Obama and his team have used in this period. They aren’t taking a break – but are utilizing the incredible momentum from the campaign and giving it a medium that’ll transform into a new type of interaction between the public and the government.
Obama just announced the use of youtube to deliver weekly fireside chats; much like FDR used the radio to address the nation throughout the depression (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/11/14/the_youtube_presidency.html). There will also be interactive web interviews with various members of the administrator, as well as talk to engage congress and state representatives in a similar manner.
Whatever people’s stance on Obama, they have to admit his initiatives with technology and the government are brilliant. It was how he organized his campaign to communicate to his supporters, and it’ll obviously be how he continues this into the presidency.
So much for emailing the President:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/us/politics/16blackberry.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
What a fascinating predicament. Somehow this issue never occurred to me — that every bit of correspondence from the President must be sent securely and that the technology (apparently) doesn’t yet exist to make that communication possible. It really brings into question how communication among top officials across the globe is going to happen in a digital world when the skills of hackers always rival the best security systems.