Comments on: How will Facebook change politics? (pt 2)

By: The iLL Man

The iLL Man — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 23:11:33 +0000

Facebook = bebo for grown-ups.

By: Zak

Zak — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 18:43:22 +0000

Sunny..you do know how Dean imploded in the primaries?

I feel uncomfortable with things like Orkut and facebook..i don’t like mixing my friends in real life!

By: Sunny

Sunny — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:45:12 +0000

By the way, anyone who thinks YouTube will have negligible effect on politics only has to watch ‘The Obama Girl’.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wKsoXHYICqU

By: Sunny

Sunny — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 14:36:24 +0000

Thanks for your comments everyone.

steve: I feel those who use such things as facebook and myspace are overhyping what they actually do, pass information from one to another.

In the short term maybe. But I think in the medium to long term, social networks like Facebook and Bebo/Myspace will have a huge impact in spreading news and information that may be political, or mobilising them around issues.

Leon: I think the line is being drawn a little narrow here Sunny, politics is more than political parties.

Agreed. I was going to explore that too but I didn’t want to write a long article. I think I should have said it though, as you pointed out.

Councillor: If I’m going to spend some time on a social networking site (which I sometimes do), it will be for relaxation not for politics.

I have a feeling you’ll soon realise the potential that Facebook can offer once you sign up and start exploring.

Hi Dareen – good points well made. I think that ties in with what Leon was saying – it is more likely that Facebook and such platforms will get people mobilised around ‘political issues’ such as poverty and environment rather than political parties as such.

But I think Ming using it to merely talk to his friends (he hasn’t done it yet! I’ve been his friend for months now), is only the beginning of what can be done. Have you seen the Obama applications on there?

Hi Charlie, I think the impact over the medium-long term will be huge, even if it hasn’t manifested in the short term.

I think we should look at the United States as an example of what is possible and the impact the likes of YouTube, political blogs etc have. They may not be one of the main cogs but they’ve certainly added a huge dimension to the process in terms of:

1) Dissemination of ideas
2) Breaking out of the MSM hold on news reporting
3) Allowing people to connect with others for political mobilisation.

Facebook will eventually go politics. Have you seen the ‘Causes’ application on there? It’s pretty funky and a good example of how social networking can help causes.

By: Charlie Beckett

Charlie Beckett — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 09:39:15 +0000

Hi Sunny,
I was there, too, and was reminded how much people are investing politically in the internet. Even Finkelstein is convinced that it represents a political paradigm-shift. But I agree with you we must start discriminating about which bit of the web. I don’t think that social networking sites like Bebo or Facebook are going to have much impact on conventional politics. Even sites like YouTube only have an occasional impact. Bloggers are a niche part of the political system now, but not so different from conventional media in their effect. No, what will make politics change will be more about what Stephan Shakespeare spoke about. It is when the internet (which bit? I don’t know) throws up “its own heroes and presidents” that politics will start to change. So far it has all been about conventional politics going online – when will online go political? (er.. not on Facebook anyway…)
regards
Charlie

By: Darren Lilleker

Darren Lilleker — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 07:54:14 +0000

Not everyone uses Facebook and the delights of Web 2.0, that is a reality; but the generation most likely to are politically interested but cynical and disengaged from national democratic processes. Hence there are social groups supporting Fair Trade, ending Third World Poverty and huge masses can be mobilised to demonstrate at G8 summits.

The use of the web to attract funds is the brochure style shovelware use that will only gain attention from supporters; there is no pull factor for anyone else. However by using Web 2.0 as any other user, interacting on issues, learning from discussions, wall postings etc and going to where there are existing social groups, there is a potential to reinvigorate demcoracy through forming connections. Brands are doing this all the time, political activists have harnessed Web 2.0, elected politicians are slowly catching on.

But this is not simply about politicians engaging with net-nerds. The young people who use Facebook, Bebo are simply using it to keep in touch with the various friends they make as they move from job to job, school to uni etc. They learn about things through Word of Mouth (WOM), if one gets excited about an issue they pass it on; if one gets excited about what a politician is doign within a social network they will tell their friends. Ming Campbell has over 600 Facebook friends, most send him words of support if nothing else, he in return talks about issues of the day, could this draw more young people to him or other politicians and get them int othe voting booth?

Noevidence either way but there is potential and to dismiss the political potential of Web 2.0 is a little like those people who said, cars and computers wont catch on!

[I apologise for the typos I have missed. Darren]

By: A councillor writes

A councillor writes — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:07:29 +0000

I have had a fair number of emails recently, saying ‘Cllr/MP/Candidate/Desperate Party Hack X has added you as a friend on Facebook’. I’ve always replied with “I don’t do Facebook”, not because I have anything against social networking sites, but because there’s not enough hours in the day. If I’m going to spend some time on a social networking site (which I sometimes do), it will be for relaxation not for politics.

My other employers, the large educational establishment, are thinking about a presence on Second Life. No comment.

Perhaps I’m just a stuck in the age of Usenet fuddy-duddy

By: leon

leon — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:44:05 +0000

I think the line is being drawn a little narrow here Sunny, politics is more than political parties.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:40:13 +0000

To the average man in the street, who has a computer but uses it only for emails and pron, it will have no impact whatsoever.

I feel those who use such things as facebook and myspace are overhyping what they actually do, pass information from one to another.

The only people who interact via web2 are those who see themselves as better, or want to be seen as forward looking when in fact I wouldn’t take any advice from them, on any subject and would not in any way let them try to influence what I belive in.

Next month, it’ll be another ‘revolution’ in social networking that is held in high esteem….