Jo's blog

It's great to see mainstream media putting forth ideas that challenge its reason for being. While content from the Economist comes solely from its own editorial board, this article focuses on the the future of user generated content. I believe CitizenSpeak falls directly into this category. It enables grassroots and individual activists to launch campaigns about issues that are important to them rather than simply particpate in campaigns defined by larger organizations. Don't get me wrong. These large scale campaingns are important.

Thanks to the GREAT design and development work by Development Seed and George Hotelling, CitizenSpeak was recognized by the 10th Annual Webby Awards as one of the Official Honoree Selections. I'M TOTALLY THRILLED!!!!

Pradeep Suthram from Picnet made a great suggestion for promoting CitizenSpeak campaigns. He suggested that people post the URL for their CitizenSpeak campagin at their MySpace or Friendster page. I just noticed that Blasphemy Squad posted a link to the CitizenSpeak campaign "Say No To HR4437: Enforcement First means Immigrant Families Last" on their MySpace at http://tinyurl.com/.

If anyone else has used, is using or plans to use this tactic, add a comment or email about how it worked.

If you're going to Nten in Seattle this week, stop by the online advocacy or the open source speedgeeking sessions to learn about CitizenSpeak. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Thanks to Marty of Green Media Toolshed for pointing out the quote below from BuzzMachine in which Jeff Jarvis discusses the need for organizations to empower individual activists to control the means of mobilization:

From PoliticsOnline:

"The results of USC Annenberg School’s fifth annual Survey of the Digital Future are in, with some substantial findings on how the Internet is changing the political landscape as we know it.