‘The Static Age:’The Challenges

of a more Digital Democracy

Walter Neary

Lakewood City Council

Aug. 8, 2009

“I can’t see a thing in the video

“I can’t hear a sound on the radio

“In stereo, in the Static Age …

- Green Day, Static Age,2009

Sources of Static

Discourse is changingGathering to hear what’s in the paper

Gathering for the funeral of the paper

Discourse is changingGathering to talk

Gathering to listen

Source: Penny Arcade (apologies for the blurring)

The Challenge of Anonymity

Alright, citizen, get moving….

“The Internet is just this one big cocktail party where everyone is swarming around trying to keep score … People (can be) connected by real things, not just a couple bytes lining up “… What the Internet has allowed is an enormous amount of fake networking to take place…It’s so easy to be seduced by it, because there’s … a scoreboard”

- Seth Godin

The Cycle We Need to End

THE PROBLEM: The Farmworker Story Cycle1. Media discovers scandal2. Public horrified3. Citizens, Media demand action4. Lawmakers promise action5. Attention goes away

1930s

1968

Today

The Effect Close to Home: Tillicum

Community focus, plan: 1980

Community focus, plan: 2009

Grappling for Solutions

Blogging

Facebook

Solutions: At the Presidency

State gov’t solutions

Solutions: Federal, State blend

Data.gov: 100,000 data feeds

But 2 states involved …

Wiki government: outsiders move IN

Media and readers cooperate

Wiki approach: Pilots, not Permanent

At the threshold:A business model?

Direct2Dell```

Customers help each other

Crowdsourcing ideas

Federal Facebook: Helping People

One step away from customers helping customers

Crowdsourcing ideas

Crowdsourcing ideas

What I didn’t talk about:

hyperlocal news blogs / forums

Me:

@wtneary

www.walterneary.net/blogger.html

electing2blog.blogspot.com

Ideas?