iammeblog

Test for Tara

2005-09-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

This is a test to determine how to quote sources. For example, today's Fox News site.

Borf is Dead - or is He?

2005-07-24T20:38:00.000-05:00

If you're like me and walk around DC or ride the Metro, you've experienced the graffiti art of BORF. We know that "Bush hates Borf" and that "Borf is good for your liver" but who is Borf and what does he stand for? Bloggers have long speculated on his identity and his motives. That speculation has now come to an end.

Last week, the artist who created Borf was arrested. According to a report from the Washington Post, the creator of Borf is an 18 year old art student named John Tsombikos and the character is based on a childhood friend who recently committed suicide. According to the article, the inventor of Borf didn't want his identity revealed and became "an earnest though sometimes muddled mix of progressive politics filtered through a lens of youthful optimism."

What's interesting about Borf is the cultural phenomenon that an aspiring 18 year-old invented. From stickers on city trash cans to graffiti art on public buildings, Borf has become a cultural icon and a brand that everyone recognizes. With very little money and a large imagination, one of the most fascinating characters to come along in some time has captured the imaginations of people from DC to Greece.

Throughout class we've discussed how candidates and causes are marketed and positioned and how elections can be won or lost depending on grass-roots tactics from door-to-door visits to instant messaging and blogging. What's fascinating about Borf is that this 18 year-old took a very similar approach and created a solid, enduring message.

Although the Borf creator owes thousands of dollars in fines, this young man knows character development and grass roots marketing. He will be an interesting person to watch - providing he doesn't spend too much time behind bars.

You Go, Ernie!

2005-07-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

Listed in the class reading assignments is an article on the Muppets choosing their new CEO. The article from FairVote.org is a fabulous way to explain Instant Run-off Voting by using the beloved Muppet characters and a little humor.

Instant Run-off Voting supports the theory that not only does the candidate with the majority of votes win, but the candidate with the majority of support wins as well. It's a cute article and if you're a Muppets fan (my favorite is Cookie Monster) you'll enjoy the process of how the new Muppets CEO was voted-in.

Call Me Crazy...

2005-07-21T19:26:00.000-05:00

What's the one thing missing from the US Trademark & Patent Office website home page? How about a copyright notice? How about a trademark notice? None of these elements is listed. For example, check out the official government logo on the upper left hand side. Notice anything missing? Look at the bottom of the page where the following copy is written: "This is the only official website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office." Notice anything else missing?

If the logo is truly official, wouldn't it be copyrighted and wouldn't the (c) be referenced on/at/near the logo or somewhere else on the page? What about the content of the site itself?

Lots of questions here and I'm sure there will be many more, especially in light of Lawrence Lessig's speech on copyright law and if we've gone too far in terms of regulation.

Podcasts Go Mainstream

2005-07-18T15:38:00.000-05:00

Today's Washington Post featured an article on mainstream media and how corporate American has taken podcasting away from the grass-roots level. Yet again, we're faced with the dilemma of understanding just how relevant podcasts really are.

In the article, it states that the moment Apple Computer, Inc. made content available through podcasts, the site went from 0 podcast subscriptions to 2 Million in two days - that's a fast grass-roots movement! It seems like people need to play in the corporate environment to be relevant to customers. Phil Redo, vice president of station operations and strategy for New York public radio station WNYC states "We have got to be in those spaces or we run the risk of becoming less relevant to them [listeners]."

The article goes on to mention websites that have podcast directories for listeners to choose from. I visited Digital Podcast, an online directory that features over 2,100 podcasts to see what content was featured. In the politics/government category, there are 126 podcasts available, mostly from Air America and Two Rights. Compared to other categories such as business/finance, movies/entertainment and science/technology, political podcasts have an equal percentage of programming available. According to Alex Nesbitt, who runs the company, "Getting people to try the media is the first step." I would imagine his content database will soon grow as more people want the convenience of downloading content to platforms such as iPods.

In my opinion, podcasts are a natural extension of political campaigning. It's relatively inexpensive to produce a podcast and political candidates and causes can post content quickly to their websites. As campaigns turn negative, this will be very useful to counter negative attacks in a short period of time and position the candidate and/or issue as needed.

Although people are complaining that the "garage level" podcasts are being overshadowed by corporate America, I'm glad to have yet another platform from which to communicate key messages.

Political Videos - Have We Lost Our Sense of Humor?

2005-07-14T16:41:00.000-05:00

I've been reviewing the IPDI's report entitled: Under the Radar and Over the Top: Online Political Videos in the 2004 Election. The report draws some interesting conclusions regarding the use of political videos online and just how far producers will go to make a point.

On one hand, the report notes that in 2004, internet politics focused primarily on the positive aspects of new technology. It mentions that "Bloggers across the political spectrum have brought unique perspectives to the campaign discourse." The report also notes however that "independently produced political videos have added a distinctly sharper edge to this year's already polarized election campaign." The report mentions that some videos went to the extreme by displaying dead babies and bloody soliders killed in the Iraq war to make a point. The report also states that 1/3 of the political videos were anti-Kerry whereas 2/3 were anti-Bush and that only the two videos produced by JibJab.com "skewered both candidates equally."

Intrigued and always up for a laugh, I visited the JibJab.com website to view their videos "This Land" and "Good to be in DC." I found them to be funny and full of creativity. The intent of the videos was to poke fun at politicians and politics in general and they succeeded.

Politics is a serious business, especially as partisanship continues to grow on both sides. We need to remember to maintain our sense of humor through all this and laugh a little, especially at ourselves.

Influencing the Influentials Take II

2005-07-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

I thought tonight's discussion was very enlightening, specially as the FEC prepares regulation of blogs. In a previous post (see 6/28/05) many bloggers are outraged at the FEC's proposed regulations. I can understand why. If the Internet is seen as another communication outlet for news and opinions and bloggers are associated with members of the press, why not give them media status?

I understand the concern about chipping away at the federal election laws, but they are already corrupt or outdated. The industry has passed beyond this and it's highly doubtful that it can be reigned in. The suggestion to post where you get funding was a good one. I'm curious to see how infiltrated the blogosphere is with corporate America and special interest groups. I believe it's more than we realize.

Technology and the Disabled

2005-07-11T13:14:00.000-05:00

In preparation for tomorrow's class, I've been doing a bit of reading on the topic of disabled Americans and the technology available to them to enjoy the same access as non-disabled Americans. The statistics aren't in their favor.

According to the American Disability Association, the Internet is viewed as a "unifying technology" yet many disabled Americans don't have access to technology in a manner that's user-friendly. In fact, the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research has listed access as the number one issue among disabled Americans.

I admit, I've not given much thought to disabled Americans and the Internet. As we plan our online strategies, I thought I was ahead of the game by including dual language on my campaign site, let alone making it user-friendly for disabled Americans. I agree with Jakob Nielsen who states that much of the usability issues can be minimized by designing a website that takes disabilities into consideration. He states that "Usability isn't just a matter of whether or not it's possible for a user to perform a task. It's also a matter of how easy and fast it is for them to do so."

If you've not included disabled Americans in your web design, the good news is that it appears to be an easy fix that won't break your campaign budget.

Influencing the Influentials

2005-07-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

In July, 2004, the Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet published a paper about campaign influentials - who they are, what they do, who they persuade and how to reach them. In this detailed report, they acknowledged that among online political citizens (OPC's) they were:

- Seven times more likely than the general public to have attended a political rally, speech or protest in the last 2-3 months
- Nearly five times more likely to have contacted a politician
- Over four times more likely to have donated $$ to a political candidate
- Three times more likely to have written a letter to the editor
- Three times more likely to belong to groups trying to influence public policy

This is an enormously powerful group who should not be overlooked when planning a campaign strategy. In fact, campaign managers should be looking to them to help fulfill their objectives.

In the report, it gives great tips on how to reach them and use them to your advantage including the following advice:

- They are activists, so help them lead
- They are joiners and networkers, so build a campaign community
- They are news junkies, so feed their habit
- They are opinionated, so given them a microphone
- They are busy, so make it easy

Powerful indeed. I am not a believer that the internet can make/break a campaign but I am becoming a believer that those who are using the internet are key influentials and should be targeted for success.

We are with You

2005-07-07T09:55:00.000-05:00

Today, I am going to post off-topic by choice (I'll make this up another day.) I think it's horrible what's happened in London and hope the people of the UK know that we are with them in this time of national grief.

I have never heard of "The Secret Organization of Al Qaeda in Europe" - I suppose that's why they were a secret. If their goal was to sway opinion about our fight against global terror, they missed their mark. If anything, I think you will see a stronger resolve to maintain our vigilance against terrorism.

Today, the Sons of the Republic blog had the following statement posted from Prime Minister Tony Blair:

"It's important, however, that those engaged in terrorism realize that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world.

"Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilized nations throughout the world...

"We shall prevail and they shall not." - Tony Blair, July 7, 2005

You go, Tony. We are with you.

Judicial Fundraising

2005-07-05T11:42:00.000-05:00

In today's Washington Post on-line, an article was posted by Thomas B. Edsall about how the Supreme Court vacancy has become a "fundraising magnet for both left and right that promises to rival the 2004 presidential campaign for the rate of cash flow, if not total dollars raised." It's estimated that lobbying groups, interest-group coalitions and others will raise between $50M and $100M to fight for/against President Bush's Supreme Court nominee. For example, Progress for America, who spent $45M on behalf of the Bush 2004 campaign is committed to spend $18M for targeted radio and TV ads. Others such as MoveOn PAC are already "flexing their muscles" in the debate about the "nuclear option" presented by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to end filibusters.

In addition to raising funds, many Bloggers have begun to voice their opinion and speculate about who will be nominated and why they are/are not a qualified candidate. News organizations such as Fox News have reported that blogging will be a major communication outlet for raising awareness and driving opinion regarding the nominee.

Already the issue is hotly debated and a nominee has yet to be identified. It's going to be an interesting summer.

Multilevel Marketing

2005-07-03T19:59:00.000-05:00

I just read the New York Times Magazine article published April 25, 2004 by Matt Bai on the Republican presidential campaign in Clark County, OH. It's a fascinating read about how the Republican party used MLM as a mandatory campaign method to recruit volunteers for GOTV and other activities. The numbers alone are staggering - statewide, the RNC was looking to secure 51,000 volunteers. That's an amazing feat to accomplish!

In the article, it mentions that Democrats traditionally go door-to-door and in 2000, their efforts nearly cost Bush the election. Learning from this, Rove's team devised the "most ambitious grass-roots model in the party's history." Boy, did they.

Structured like Amway, the marketing efforts were directed from the top-down in a pyramid-like structure. Everything done at the local level was in consultation with HQ in Arlington, VA. The campaign used everything from high-impact TV ads, to knocking on doors, to laser-guided direct mail and a massive new database that tracks every facet of a voter's profile. They call it "microtargeting." In addition, each team leader has a "toolbox" similar to Amway that was used to implement a cohesive campaign message.

It's amazing to think that politics relies so heavily of the grass-roots efforts. It still takes major technology to make it all happen and the RNC did an extraordinary effort to make the campaign as seemless as possible, no matter where you were or what form of communication was used.

Online Voting?

2005-06-29T17:07:00.000-05:00

What are your thoughts about online voting? Given last night's discussion, this may alleviate some of the issues with crowded polls. Do you think this is a privacy issue?

Majority Have Not Heard of Podcasting

2005-06-29T08:52:00.000-05:00

In a recent poll taken by Fox News they asked if people knew what podcasting was. They gave people five options. Here are the responses as of 6/29/05:

A form of fishing: 1%
Never heard of it: 52%
I've heard the term, not sure what it is: 7%
Information downloaded onto playing/recording device: 37%
None of the above: 3%

Meanwhile, in today's WSJ, the ability to download podcasts onto the hew iPod device was on the front page.

I feel that podcasting is just another delivery mechanism for communication. Sure, candidates and causes should use everything possible to spread their messages and podcasting will continue to grow both in awareness and use.

Bloggers Lobby Against Government

2005-06-28T09:18:00.000-05:00

Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, the founder of the web log www.DailyKos.com will testify today at a hearing on a Federal Elections Commission proposal that would extend some campaign finance rules to the Internet, including Bloggers. Needless to say, Zuniga isn't happy about government regulators "poking their fingers in what you do" and both he and Duncan Black, founder of www.atrios.blogspot.com will go all the way to the courts to minimize regulation on bloggers.

In the 2004 election, over 1/3 of U.S. adults went to the Internet to get political news, share their views on candidates or issues, volunteer for a campaign, or make a political donation. That's an incredible statistic and it leads one to believe that the Internet is an incredible tool for campaigns whether they be for a candidate or a cause.

But blogging isn't what it used to be. In fact, it's big business when you think of the advertising revenue that can be achieved. Duncan Black noted that a small number of bloggers make a living from ad revenue however most still have other jobs.

Because of the growth of the Internet and the awareness that's been generated to blogging, a federal judge last year ordered the FEC to extend some of the nation's campaign finance and spending limits to political activity on the Web. This could lead to limits on blogging activities as well, although it is highly unlikely to happen any time soon.

Regardless of what happens, it's apparent that the Internet's use for political purposes has spawned debate - one that will be heard loud and clear in the blogging communities.

Be Careful...They Are Watching

2005-06-24T13:03:00.000-05:00

I read an interesting article in yesterday's WSJ about marketers using blog postings as a way to learn more about consumer habits and opinions in order to shape their marketing campaigns. According to the article, "A growing number of marketers are using new technology to analyze blogs and other consumer-generated-media (a category that includes chat groups, message boards, and electronic forums) to hear what is being said online about new products, old ad campaigns and aging brands." One of the primary targets for this type of "research" are teens who are more vocal about their opinions and habits in their chats. This reminds me of Amy's daughter posting her thoughts online.

Blog-monitoring services typically charge their clients who range from Burger King to P&G $30K - $100K per year. Not a bad retainer!

As a marketer, I am slightly troubled by this tactic and I feel it's an invasion of privacy, especially since there's no mechanism to tell a consumer they are being watched. The good news is that there are over 12 Million active online diarists and obtaining useful information is hard to come by.

Podcasts

2005-06-22T20:53:00.000-05:00

I thought it was interesting to view the John Edwards vlogs and podcasts in class last night. I couldn't help but wonder if John Edwards will soon refer to himself as the inventor/father of podcasts much like Al Gore did with the Internet. That said, I did a bit of investigating regarding Republican and conservative efforts to use new media to spread the word. Thus far, I've discovered little (much to my dismay). There aren't any vlogs that I can tell dealing with Republican or conservative views. NOTE: A Schwarzenegger Republican's blog site was among those listed when I did a Google search on vlogs! Cool beans!

I did find some interesting podcast sites, most notably the Two Rights and the RNC. Admittedly, both need work and make John Edwards look like Steven Spielberg from a production value. At least we're among the living with this new medium.

Web Feeds are a Good Idea

2005-06-21T12:14:00.000-05:00

I just read through Amy Graham's article on web feeds as an alternate to e-newsletters for campaigning. This is a great idea, especially as many users have spam blockers that prohibit specific types of e-mail from getting through. Since November, my computer has blocked over 2K messages. I've also heard from friends that they get new e-mail addresses due to too much spam.

Beyond this tool, it's even more imperative for a campaign to track how many are blocked to re-send alternative messages. Without this feature, your message isn't being heard which could lead to a loss for you or your cause.

IPO Anarchy

2005-06-20T20:37:00.000-05:00

I admit, I was skeptical about reading a book that contained the word "anarchy" in its title however I was drawn to the argument that America as a society is IP crazy, especially as it pertains to "culture". In Ch. 7 of The Anarchist in the Library, it argues that some forms of culture should not be regulated. I've worked in the home entertainment industry for many years and it's estimated that property rights owners lose approximately $5B in revenue on an annual basis. $5B! And it's getting worse. According to an article by Industry Press for IP Awareness LTD, piracy is a crime and it needs to be stopped now.

I fully support peer-to-peer experiences but when it impacts the U.S. economy and IP owners, this type of information sharing should not be tolerated. I think Microsoft, Google, George W. Bush, Curious George, The United States of America, Boomtown Rats, In God We Trust and other brands should all be protected under IP law and we're not doing enough to do so.

Banner day?

2005-06-19T21:47:00.000-05:00

There has been a lot of mention lately of the pros and cons of banner advertising as a communication tool for candidates and issues (Ch. 11, Winning Campaigns Online pg. 176-77). As long as they are done tastefully, are unabtrusive and inspire action, I don't mind them. Again, you can always choose not to click on to the ad if you don't want to participate in the message. The more clever the ad, the better.

Bush Wins by Nose

2005-06-18T09:01:00.000-05:00

According to Jakob Nielsen's Alterbox "Bush vs. Kerry: Email Newsletters Rated" Bush's team won the e-mail newsletter war by "a nose" or 1% after rating such topics as subscription interface, content & presentation, subscription maintenance & unscribing and junk mail differentation. It's clear that attention in the details is needed when developing a website for campaign purposes. If a user can't unsubscribe to an unsolicited e-mail, it sends a negative tone for that candidate which could impact the outcome. Yet more for managers to think about when using new media as a campaign communication tool.

I did find it interesting that Bush's content included more positive messages (50%) than Kerry (18%) and that Kerry had more negative messaging (49%) than Bush (14%). That's why I feel Bush is the better leader...he inspires the Nation to be better and rise above the negative rhetoric.

Party Anyone?

2005-06-17T06:43:00.000-05:00

One of the best ways to use the Internet is to post announcements about events and activities because it reaches so many instantly. A great idea when campaigning is to host a fundraising party with major donors. Everyone has a great time, they meet the candidate, have their photo taken and the press have something to cover. Most importantly, the candidate has a platform from which to communicate the issues they are campaigning on. After the event, post photos on the campaign website an allow users to purchase them directly (who doesn't want a picture with the governor?) Posting this online sends constituents back to the web where they will likely give again because they're riding high from the event. Parties are a fun way to rally everyone together and have a fun time doing it.

Is Bob Dole a Sneezer?

2005-06-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

In Seth Godin's article, Unleash Your Ideavirus - Part Two, he mentions two different types of people: promiscuous sneezers and powerful sneezers. Promiscuous sneezers are people who "sell out" and whose credibility has waned. Powerful sneezers have influence and because they never "sell out" are always reliable. John McCain, for example is a powerful sneezer. Despite his long tenure in Congress, he's remained steadfast and people are excited for him. Given the definitions of the two sneezers, would you consider Bob Dole a promiscuous sneezer? After the ads for viagra, did he lose his credibility?

Meanwhile, Godin goes on to state that "ideas that spread fastest win." With the speed of the Internet and word-of-mouth marketing, I think the Internet is an effective tool to win influence - key for any campaign.

Check Anyone?

2005-06-15T20:18:00.000-05:00

I just read Ch. 9 in Winning Campaigns Online and came across a case study about soft-selling fundraising online. The example explains how a young candidate for a local office launched his campaign web site and was excited to see his first online donation from someone he knew and in fact saw at a fudraiser that morning. At the event, he neglected to solicit a donation from this person. Thank goodness he had his site launched so his colleague could contribute to his campaign! Not only was this person engaged enough to visit his site, but felt compelled to contribute. It makes you think about the critical steps needed to begin fudraising efforts both in person (someone at the event should have been available to take donations) and online as another option.

Why Is It Always A Republican Wrongdoing?

2005-06-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

I've been reading the article in the Daily Kos about the Presidential recount in Ohio, supported by the Green Party. David Cobb, the Green Party candidate was able to raise $150K in four days through online fundraising to pay for the recount. The article and blog responses also focus on voting irregularities not just in Ohio but other key states including Florida.

I think the Internet is an excellent tool for immediate communication and was impressed that they were able to raise the funds needed in only four days. What irks me are the blog responses that blame the lack of voting machines at colleges and universities on Republicans and the Conservative Right (see Melvin Frohike's response dated November 15th as an example). I've always thought it was the responsibility of the local elections boards to provide sufficient machines and not the Republican Party. Yet again, Republicans are lumped into one sum and are blamed for the ills of the world.

Post Script:
After learning that Ken Blackwell, an Ohio Republican was responsible for the election process in that state, I checked to see what evidence of voter fraud has been uncovered. After checking with the Columbus Dispatch , allegations of voter fraud have yet to be confirmed even with the Election Science Institute looking into the charges.