Personal Democracy Forum – From SXSW Interactive

From SXSW Interactive
By Jed Miller, 03/14/2005 - 1:15pm

In Austin at SXSW, for a panel tomorrow on deliberative democracy and technology.

Yesterday, heard Jeffrey Veen make a great point on how technology can fuel post-conference follow-up. Blogs, he suggested, may be a better way to keep the conversation going than the traditional "Hey, let's start a listserv" exhortations (which, as we all know, work about as often as friendships after summer camp).

A networked (scattered?) collection of blog posts may have more penetration, more authenticity and maybe even more long-term effectiveness than listservs among a self-selected minority who start with good intentions but often lack the time - and even more often the project - to focus their work.

Today, on the Blogging While Black panel, the discussion has the momentum and vitality of something still rare and excited to recognize itself. Lynne Johnson is moderating with a highly-structured but really productive list of questions.

Also have to point out that the audience - and the conference attendance - looks to be about 85% white.

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that's constructive media

Yes, I made that point a year ago, in introducing constructive media. We are more productive when we engage in the process of constructing information. That's why mailing lists are inferior to blogs, and blogs are inferior to... wait and see. (and whoever confused listservs/mailing lists with being constructive?)

Though ironically, post Berkman "BloJo" conference last January, the principals decided to carry on via (closed) email list rather than the webcred blog.

Anyways, the quality of community is a function of its constituents, as well. If a community can be open to new people and be controlled enough to keep the old people, then you'll get quality discussions. Of course, step 2, as Veen has relayed, is to be constructive.

By Jon Garfunkel at Mon, 03/14/2005 - 18:27 | email this page

Technology and the Internet are changing democracy in America. Personal Democracy Forum is a hub for the exciting conversation underway between political professionals, technologists, and anyone else invigorated by the remarkable potential of technology to engage citizens in the democratic process.