Twitter is Democracy
Well who would have thought 12 months ago that I would be writing a post about the US Elections and Twitter. (see this post as a primer on what Twitter is all about)
But here I am. A lot has been written about Sarah Palin, the DNC and RNC and the keynote speeches from both of them and what people are thinking at the time.
But now Twitter and MSM(main stream media) to a degree are combining for the next stage. For Australian readers who are familiar with the Worm, twitter is the worm with a thousand voices. What people think and feel is no longer just a turn of a dial, but a short sharp statement of text. Now people can see not only that people agree or disagree with something, but why they think the way they do.
Yeah, yeah all the twitterati know this, but was is new in this.
From Yahoo “Current TV to broadcast `tweets’ during debates”
“During the debates, the network bent on viewer-created content will broadcast Twitter messages — or “tweets” — from viewers. In close to real time, Current will display comments on the screen while Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama face off.”
Now what is interesting also is that the conversation is already happening, but now it will be expanded to those that are not taking part already. The “in-crowd” of twitter as it were will no longer have the debate to themselves but it will be open for all to see. (all that is in America that have access to Current TV)
For the “in-crowd” and those of us outside the US who can find the debates online (someone is going to stream them aren’t they??? well the comment from Current.com says they will be streaming the debate as well) we will also be able to join in the conversation simply by added #current to any discussions.
So the US Presidential debates will become a global conversation that people can watch listen and interact. Perhaps even some of us outside the USA might even get to influence a swinging voter or two.
The election will effect us out here in the rest of the world. We may not get a vote, but now we at least can have a voice.
