It’s no wonder some politicians appear to have trouble getting things done. Whether or not you choose to believe the apparent “missing keyboard keys” hoax from when the Bush administration entered the White House, it comes as no surprise to learn the new Obama team has found the White House in a state of technological despair.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton said:
“It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari”
Maybe when Bush & co. left the building, they did so with the “good stuff” tucked inside their briefcases.
Barack Obama has been eagerly awaiting approval for and the arrival of his new Blackberry, complete with FBI designed encryption software.
The online Obama phenomenon swept through the web using Web 2.0 applications to spread his messages, playing an important role in his success so far. Obama knows the power of the web, and how integral it is to keeping the US moving forward through these trying times.
The disconnected phone lines, six year old Microsoft products, lack of laptops and restricted access to the online applications that helped his administration get this far, will be fixed up quick smart by Obama and his team.
As Sitepoint’s Josh Catone explains, Obama has millions of online followers through sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. He may be shifting into a new role now, but I have no doubt he is smart enough to employ the same techniques that made him President, in his efforts to lead one of the most powerful nations on earth.
It will be very interesting to see how the Obama administration use the power of the Internet to communicate and empower citizens within the United States and abroad.
This last American election has shown the world what power the Internet truly has when utilised by those who truly understand it.
That being said, expect now an onslaught of social media electioneering in the future. Is this a good thing, I’m not sure but I think we were always heading towards this point eventually.
Simon, interesting point you make about whether “social media electioneering” is a good thing or not.
Until recently, we as Internet users have been lucky enough to enjoy what could be described as a parallel world – where we use online apps and publish content without the obvious presence of governing bodies.
However, now we can expect the deluge of promotional material from political candidates to extend beyond the flyers in the letterbox and into our email, RSS and Twitter feeds.
Thankfully, with most social media and online apps we have control over whose information we receive – which brings about another issue – if we can choose who we wish to listen to, does social media make reaching people easier or more difficult for politicians?