Blog 13: New Media & Government Transparency

A more transparent government is on its way, with the implementation of many of the new media available. President Bush started this process by updating Whitehouse.gov with various new internet communication tools like RSS feeds, videos and podcasts (Vargas, J.A., 2008). President-elect Obama has already shown us during his presidential campaign that he plans to make use of new media; the technological innovations he brings to his presidency should push forward in this direction. The use of internet media in the government will help to create an open-dialogue atmosphere and hopefully make U.S. citizens more interested and involved in political affairs.

A few issues exist surrounding the use of internet media in the government. Mr. Obama’s campaign for presidency may have been the most high-tech in history, and he feels strongly about taking the White House to the next level in terms of new media use. Unfortunately, the President-elect will be limited in terms of his ability to use these communication tools; the Presidential Records Act requires all presidential correspondences to be in the public record and thus will not allow for privacy. No past presidents used e-mail, and it is unclear if Mr. Obama will be allowed to do so due to the private nature of e-mail (Zeleny, J., 2008). In a New York Times article a reporter notes, “for all the perquisites and power afforded the president, the chief executive of the United States is essentially deprived by law and by culture of some of the very tools that other chief executives depend on to survive and to thrive” (Zeleny, J., 2008). It is ironic to think that Mr. Obama built his campaign on the notion of “change” and the use of the internet, yet he might be restricted from using many of the tools in office that helped get him there.

While there will be security and political issues that may limit some of the new media used by Mr. Obama, he already has plans to employ the use of YouTube in office. Building upon President Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” during the Great Depression, President-elect Obama is promising weekly videotaped question and answer sessions to be posted on his Web site, change.gov, as well as his weekly YouTube address to the nation (Buchanan, M., 2008). He may not have total flexibility in the internet media used in the White House, but these are both great ways to start getting people more involved. Also, Mr. Obama’s campaign addressed an issue that all candidates face; how do we get young voters interested? By holding weekly addresses on YouTube, a forum that became popular amongst youth, he has already begun the process of retaining young people’s interest. Perhaps by using these new internet technologies during his presidency he will also start drawing prospective young voters’ attentions which future candidates could benefit from.

Political pundits debate whether or not making use of new media will really create transparency in the government. The truth is, whether the medium is print, radio, television, or videos streamed online, presidential materials will always contain spin. Messages from the White House are controlled public relations efforts and no matter who produces online content, it will have spin. By bringing cameras into the White House and streaming videos online, we may have an opportunity for less secrecy, but it will still be heavily edited. That being said, trying to connect with Americans in an innovative fashion is a step in the right direction. Online discussions in response to posted videos and other new internet media may gain the attention of local politicians and actually impact their decision making. People may feel more connected to the national government if they feel included; and new media allows for a stronger, more intimate relationship between citizens and government officials.

Sources:

1. Buchanan, M. (2008, November 14). Obama Will Deliver Weekly Fireside Chats. Message posted to the Gizmodo Web Log, archived at http://gizmodo.com/5087052/obama-will-deliver-weekly-youtube-fireside-chats

2. Vargas, J.A. (2008, November 14). The YouTube Presidency. Message posted to the washingtonpost.com Web Log, archived at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/11/14/the_youtube_presidency.html

3. Zeleny, J. (2008, November 15). Say Goodbye to BlackBerry? Yes He Can, Maybe. The New York Times, p. A1.

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Buchanan, M. (2008, November 14). Obama Will Deliver Weekly Fireside Chats. Message posted to the Gizmodo Web Log, archived at http://gizmodo.com/5087052/obama-will-deliver-weekly-youtube-fireside-chats

Blog 11: virtual worlds not so virtual

After creating an account with Second Life, I spent a couple hours exploring the game. I walked, I flew and I swam threw the huge map that this online community inhabits. While for the majority of the time I spent ‘playing’ I was actually lost in what looked like Siberia, I eventually found my way back to civilization where I was able to meet people, enter their private homes, and witness interactions that may not have been just game play for those involved. For many, Second Life is not really a virtual world, but instead a reality.
For example, a family friend who lives in Canada works at a University fulltime, but is a musician in his free time. This friend has a Second Life account, and enjoys a unique ‘playing’ experience. Sometimes he holds gigs in Second Life coffee shops. These are not make-believe concerts, but actual live performances. He sets up his equipment in his real basement, records the show and streams it live over the internet to Second Life, where fans can listen to his music. Here’s the most incredible part about it: he’s actually making money—so much money that with it he was able to pay the mortgage (on his real house) for a month. In addition, the café owner is making a portion of his proceeds from the money that other ‘players’ are paying to hear said friend play. In fact, our friend has acquired an impressive following in the game that one might say he is becoming Second Life-famous. With stories like these, it is hard to believe that Second Life is only a game.
Other commodities are exchanged in virtual worlds, too. In an article written by Julian Dibbell titled, The Unreal Estate Boom, Dibbell discussed a delivery man who purchased a virtual home for $750—more than one week’s pay in real life. Other virtual items are also auctioned on eBay for real money; Dibbell estimates that these purchases total around $3 million per year collectively.
Another very real aspect of the virtual world for many users is interpersonal interactions. While exploring Second Life, I interacted with some other users. Often times I didn’t initiate this interaction, and half the time I didn’t even notice people’s comments to me. When I did notice them, the dialogue was very different than what I am used to in computer games. I grew up playing The Sims, and at the time I couldn’t believe that characters were able to talk to each other. When conversation boxes appeared with another Sim’s message, it was cool, but unreal. Yesterday when I spoke to other Second Life players, it was a little strange that other people actually developed those messages and sent them; they weren’t computer-generated. I even entered a person’s home in the middle of snowy-nowhere and the person made an inappropriate comment to my character (or avatar). In the Sims, it wouldn’t have been strange because the message was programmed into the computer; in Second Life it felt uncomfortable, partially because it was dark “outside” and I had no idea where I was, but also because this inappropriate message was actually developed by another person, intended to reach me. That is when I signed off and uninstalled the game from my computer, because it was just too real to be ‘play.’

Source:

Dibbell, J. The Unreal Estate Boom. Wired, 11(01).

Second Life. 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2008 from