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- iHaveNet.com: Politics
by John R. Quain
From Sarah Palin to the Sierra Club, from Facebook to Twitter, new technologies are remaking activism
What could the
Or rather, the
But there's now an even wider array of technologies being deployed in the cause of public service, from so-called microblogging services like Twitter to the custom social networking service Ning and the location-based service Gowalla, tapping into the popularity of smartphones equipped with GPS. It's a potent combination of high-tech gadgetry and widespread Web access that is making it feasible for smaller groups and individuals to make a difference -- often with little or no money.
Back in 2003, for example, Deron Beal sent an E-mail announcing his new Freecycle Network to friends in Tucson, Ariz., who he thought would be willing to give unwanted items like vacuum cleaners and computers away rather than have them and their toxic elements end up in landfills. "We have about 10,000 volunteers globally" now, says Beal. "We have about 7.5 million members in 110 countries and have done so as a charity with no fees," pretty impressive given that "the founder had no tech skills." Initially, Freecycle used Yahoo Groups to connect people who wanted to give away items with those willing to pick them up. Today, the nonprofit uses so-called open-source software, downloaded without charge, to manage its growing network.
It's a technology lesson that hasn't been lost on politicians, especially those behind in the polls and low on contributions. The political landscape is rife with examples. Battling well-known Democrat Martha Coakley for Ted Kennedy's
"In the past, you would have needed hundreds of thousands of dollars to build a platform like that," says Ning CEO Jason Rosenthal. Ning charges as little as
Rosenthal calls it "a hub-and-spoke model" of social networking that he believes is finally allowing the Internet to do what many hoped it would do a decade ago: change the world. Even those with virtually limitless budgets are leveraging these services, such as former
When Molly Mattessich served as a
Such outreach is expanding the possibilities for public service -- with more on the horizon. Mattessich notes that the NPCA is already using the Web program
Meanwhile, the location-based services MyTown, Loopt, Foursquare, and Gowalla may presage more opportunities for public service-minded organizations. Such services typically allow people, at no charge, to "check in" at particular locations by tapping on a smartphone equipped with GPS. Their gathering (or shopping, or eating) patterns and preferences give groups a powerful organizing tool. Members receive store discounts, digital stamps, or points in a game in exchange. Gowalla CEO Josh Williams says the original idea was simply to allow people to share favorite places with friends. Then groups such as the
Groups as varied as the
How successful such location-based initiatives will be remains to be seen. Only 4 percent of adults online have ever used a location-based service, according to a July report by
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