Archive: Year: 2009

While you can make a good living poking fun at the Texas legislature (just ask the late, great Molly Ivins), apparently the great state of Texas can claim one serious distinction: According to a new survey of state government information online, released for the start of Sunshine Week, Texas is the only state to provide information in twenty key categories. Most states do provide online information on high-profile topics like campaign financing and school test scores. But only nine provide schools' building inspections and/or safety ratings, and only 13 share school bus inspection reports. And the patchwork of disclosure practices is full of contradictions and absurdities: --"Anyone seeking financial disclosure reports from state officials in Connecticut must e-mail their requests, which...

With some help from our friends at the indispensable TubeMogul, we've got three new YouTube charts up for your data-tracking pleasure. The first shows daily views of Barack Obama's YouTube channel, which continues to be used by Organizing for America. Looks like there's still a sizable following out, judging by a daily viewership of between 60,000 and 120,000, roughly. The other two charts are aggregating the total views, by party, for Senators and Representatives using YouTube's new official channels, Househub and Senatehub. We got a list of the approximately 200 Members of Congress with YouTube channels (see below) and TubeMogul did the rest. It's interesting to note that Republicans are cumulatively beating the Democrats, in both chambers. We haven't normalized this...

I've been multitasking this morning, catching up on email and glancing at Twitter, and three times I've noticed the power of the live, interactive web as a new factor in my life. First, I noticed that a conference at Columbia University that I'm planning to attend tomorrow, on "The Future of Watchdog Journalism," was streaming its session live onto the web via BlogTalkRadio. I had thought I was going to attend this morning too but woke up still fighting a cold that I've had since the weekend. Discovering that I could listen in live, or play back a session that I missed, made it possible for me to stay home and get other things done while catching James Risen, for...

We first met the founders of Howcast.com at the State Department's Alliance of Youth Movements Summit. They were there to film some "how-to" guides for people interested in using social media to foster movements for human rights. Since then I've been peeking in from time to time on their work and getting increasingly more impressed with how they're navigating the new world of online video information sourcing. While a lot of the content on the site is generated by and for users (who earn reputation points by how others rate the quality of their offerings), Howcast is modeling a viderate style that is well worth studying. Advocacy groups of all stripes should take a look. For example, take a look at...

I just got off the phone with Chris Kelly, Chief Privacy Officer and Head of Global Public Policy at Facebook, and Adam Conner, its Washington DC Associate for Privacy and Public Policy, (and one-time techPresident blogger), talking about the company's move to involve its users in shaping a statement of "Facebook Principles" and accompanying statement of "Rights and Responsibilities." So far, Facebook has set up two "town hall" pages, for discussion of each draft document. It has promised to listen to user comments, to give folks advance notice of possible changes in the drafts, and "if more than 7,000 users comment on the proposed change, we will also give you the opportunity to participate in a vote in which you...

From time to time (like, every other day it seems), I get email from a reporter or an academic or a student with questions about the impact of the Internet on the 2008 election, or similar themes. Usually, if I have time, I try to answer those emails (and if I don't do it right away, they often fall by the way side). This morning was no different. A senior majoring in politics at Occidental College wrote saying, "I'm writing my senior thesis on the impact of new media in youth participation in national politics and I would love to get your thoughts to a few questions." But it occurred to me as I was responding to her questions that...

Here's a fun find: "Blogger Bob" Burns, who is in charge of the Transportation Security Administration's blog team, giving a short presentation to incoming Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano about the value of the TSA blog, "Evolution of Security.". A few facts from Burns about the blog: They got 800 comments on the first night of its launch, a sign that the public, and passengers in particular, needed a place "to vent." The site has gotten about 17,000 comments in all, and about 642,000 unique visitors. Many comments have also led to innovations in TSA screening practices, like the creation of a "black diamond" lane for experienced passengers. Here's Blogger Bob...

Welcome to the new and improved Personal Democracy Forum and techPresident websites. We've been plugging away with the help of Todd Ziegler, Andrew MacDowell and the good folks at the Bivings Group, along with some design assists from Jonathan Berger; we've kicked the tires and looked under the hood, and now it's your turn! Here's what's new: We've developed seven new Topic headings, or "verticals," covering everything from using Mobile and Video in online politics to Fundraising, Web Strategy, Advertising and of course, eGovt. Plus Cool Stuff, for the latest in gadgets, widgets and other toys. User Diaries: You can register on either site and start blogging! We'll keep an eye on what you're posting and good stuff will get elevated to the...

Yesterday, I tweeted a complaint that the public comment page on WhiteHouse.gov, where legislation is theoretically being posted five days before President Obama's signs it to allow the public to chime in, only allowed for a 500 character entry. This is absurd, I wrote. This morning, I took another glance and noticed the space allotted for comments had been expanded to 5,000 characters. This is much better, methinks. Though it's still a far cry from a meaningful use of the web to engage the public in monitoring and improving the legislative process. But I guess you have to take baby steps before you can walk. Now you can enter the full text of a Maureen Dowd column and still have 500 characters left...

It's been interesting tracking the coverage of Organizing for America's weekend "Economic Recovery" house parties. On the right, bloggers have been passing around Mary Katherine Ham's report from two lightly attended parties in the DC area, where she found Obama supporters who expressed "disappointment" with both the process and the content of the recovery package. On the left, my old friend and colleague David Corn, Mother Jones's Washington editor, has been blogging repeatedly about Obama's seemingly unwillingness to "use his army," criticizing the organizing effort for only asking supporters to talk to their friends and neighbors about the legislation, rather than call members of Congress urging its passage. Press reports have also been somewhat mixed. McClatchy's Frank Greve jumped out...