Washblog

The Difference

I'm a geek.  One geek hobby is to define, label, and categorize stuff.  Like the difference between "data", "information", and "knowledge".

The best definition I've heard is "information is data that makes a difference" (author unknown, sorry).  That's how I feel about netroots.  It's not just bits and bytes, communications, getting the word out.  No, netroots is the activity that makes a difference.

That's a very important point for me.  Mostly because I don't want to be wasting my time doing the wrong thing.

So what qaulity about the netroots is "the difference".  I think it's those times when the outcome is uncertain.  Acheiveable short-term goals where the payout far exceeds the investment.

Funding raising, like what just happened for Darcy Burner's campaign, is an example.  Our little effort doubled her money.  That's a fantastic return on investment.

Participation

Disjointed point number two.

What's the difference between the left and right blogosphere?  Participation.  The right got an early start, was better financed, and was nutured.  The left showed up late, pulled itself up by the bootstraps, and found it's own way.

Many popular right sites don't allow commenting.  Or they're heavily moderated.

Many popular left sites are free for alls.  It's ugly, it's loud, it's messy.  But it's necessary.  I think that openness is the critical success factor for the lefty blogs.  Existing blogs (forums, communities, whatever) form, people find each other, some individuals and groups strike out on their own.

I think that openness vs closedness of the left vs right is the critical difference.  Why the left continues to grow and the right hit the ceiling.

Direct Communication

Please read this column in The American Prospect The New New Gore.  It's exciting.  Gore's got this idea that we should be talking to each other, directly.  Disintermediation.  Current TV is something new.  The audience determines the programming.  We are the filter.

Please read this followup post by President Jimmy Carter on dailyKos entitled Questions and Answers.   Carter answers questions posted to his prior diary.

Stand back and appreciate that for a second.  It's fucking incredible.  Direct communication.

I think the interviews on slashdot pioneered the format.  Basic formula is announce you're going to interview someone, everyone posts their questions, the readers "mod up" (recommend) the questions the like most, the interviewee answers those questions.  It's huge popular.  It's an honor to be asked to participate.

It's what a site like dailyKos should be doing.  Once a week.  Minimum.

Face to Face

The post-mortem studies from 2004 showed that the most effective get out the vote strategy was face-to-face, word of mouth, going door-to-door.

All this blogging is great stuff.  We use it to discover stuff, information and each other.  We use it as communication tool.  We use it collaborate.

But, please, people, remember to step outside, meet your neighbors, shake hands, attend the meetings, etc.  Only a minority of the people acquainted with our activist group participate online.  We'd easily be only 1/3rd the size if we didn't have the meetings, events, forums, work parties, etc.

To Be Continued

Please, everyone, kick in your ideas and examples of "netroots".  Thanks.

(See everyone on the Labor Temple, and Marymoor Park, right?)