User as Citizen 16 October 2006. I’m having a Joe Btfsplk Day (my cat ate my homework…)

User as Citizen16 October 2006

I’m having a Joe Btfsplk Day (my cat ate my homework…)

Wednesday, you’ll get back Midterm Rewrite (email me. If you put it on blackboard, I

didn’t get it) Speakers and Movies (better late than not at all. Not

a specific grade, but I am keeping track of late) Enabling Technology Gattaca Digital Divide

Translation: I want a clear conscience over break!

First Use of Computers in Gov’t 1890 Census

1880 census took 7 years Predicted 10 years for 1890

Use of punched cards already existed Jacquard loom for controlling weaving patterns (Joseph-

Marie Jacquard, 1820) Used for storing instructions (Charles Babbage) Used for storing data (Herman Hollerith, 1889)

Single hole for numbers Multiple holes for letters

Jacquard Loom

The Loom

The CardsHow It Worked

Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine

Each hole electrically connected to a counter If hole exists, pin pressed through the hole

and made electrical contact with a metal plate (completed circuit)and advanced counter

Results 1890 Census completed in 6 weeks Punched cards were the primary input device

to computers for 80 years Hollerith went on to found Tabulating

Machine Company (1896), which became IBM in 1924

Punch Card MachinePunch cards stacked here

Punched here

How to Get the Conversation Going Organizations and web sites

Deliberative Democracy e.thePeople

What works? Messages and media Involvement and empowerment

Bringing more people into the discussion Blogs

Technorati Over 16,000 political blogs listed

Both presidential candidates had blogs John Kerry

Kentucky conservative bloggers had a convention this year with 57 attendees

How hard is it to start a blog? Blogger, blogstream, ClearBlogs, livejournal, blogeasy,...

The Issues What would make you more involved?

More government information? Contact with government officials?

Why don’t more people vote? Disenfranchised? Time? Disillusionment?

Is there a digital divide? Facts:

Nearly 70% of Americans have access to the Internet

70% of those people access it daily Less than 10% access is less than once a week

Question: Is this good news or bad?

Demographic Differences 87% College degree vs. 48% high school

degree 86% professionals vs. 58% blue collar 78% 18 – 34 years old vs. 43% over 65 70% Caucasian vs. 59% black No gender difference

How is the Internet changing people’s information base? How Americans Get in Touch w/Gov't (July 2003

Pew survey) 97 million adult Americans used e-gov in 2003

77% of Internet users web sites or emailing government officials

50% growth from 2002 Citizens still more likely contact government

officials by telephone or in-person visits 54% of Americans contacted government 53% used traditional means

Is it increasing participation? Effects of Net Use on Political Participation (2003 NSF report) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) strategic plan

(2010 safety strategy) web-based discussion in parallel to a traditional docket August 2000 – February 2001

100 contributors, 102 messages to docket. 516 messages to discussion board

116 contributors, 339 messages 177 messages contributed anonymously

130 additional individuals registered and monitored the discussion 6,750 visitors viewed and downloaded moth before comments due

Conclusion: Internet did expand the breadth of voices in the decision-making process

Do users seek both sides of the debate? The Internet and Democratic Debate (October 2004 Pew

Report) Conclusion: Internet users are being exposed to both sides of

the issue Also correlated with educational level, interest in the campaign and

age 2004 presidential election

Those with a preference for one candidate or the other were more likely to be aware of the different sides of the issue

Of those with a preference 43% omnivores (know both) 29% selective reinforcers (know candidate they support) 21% tuned outs (know little) 8% contrarians (know candidate they oppose)

Did internet use make a difference in the 2004 presidential race? Internet Impact on 2004 Election (March 2005 Pew report) The most successful campaigns relied on it to gain advantages over their

competitors. Howard Dean

Broad Use 37% of adults and 61% of online Americans (75m) used the internet to get

political News consumers 18% -> 29% Primary source 11% -> 18%

Of Internet users 52% (63m) got news or information 39% (43m) discussed politics (though jokes were very high) 11% (13m) engaged directly

What will these numbers be in 2008?

And what about this year? Seek news about midterm elections

(September 2006 Pew report) “On a typical day in August, 26 million

Americans were using the internet for news or information about politics and the upcoming mid-term elections. That corresponds to 19% of adult internet users, or 13% of all Americans over the age of 18.”

Group Discussion (4-5 people) “If you ran the zoo…” How would you get more people involved,

where involved includes Voting Speaking out Getting involved in local government

Each group is to identify 2 things that they would do and report out