foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. - r. w. emerson

i'm liba and i work to amplify the ways tumblr makes the world a better place. You can email me
election: Apply to be a Tumblr Fellow at the Personal Democracy Forum! How is technology changing society, politics and civic life? Thats the question tackled every summer at the Personal Democracy Forum (PDF) conference at NYU. If it’s also a question that gets you excited, then you’ll be happy to know that Tumblr and PDF are teaming up to offer conference fellowships that cover the full registration costs and a meal with the team from Tumblr at PDF13. Ten applicants will be selected to attend this year’s conference on June 6-7. We’re looking for people and organizations who are using technology and social media in innovative, meaningful ways to affect positive change. If that’s you, apply by taking a few minutes to fill out this brief form. The deadline for applications is 6pm EST on Friday, April 26th, 2013. Winners will be notified the following week. GIF created with permission from bindersfullofburgers.tumblr.com Do it!

election:

Apply to be a Tumblr Fellow at the Personal Democracy Forum!

How is technology changing society, politics and civic life? Thats the question tackled every summer at the Personal Democracy Forum (PDF) conference at NYU. If it’s also a question that gets you excited, then you’ll be happy to know that Tumblr and PDF are teaming up to offer conference fellowships that cover the full registration costs and a meal with the team from Tumblr at PDF13. Ten applicants will be selected to attend this year’s conference on June 6-7.

We’re looking for people and organizations who are using technology and social media in innovative, meaningful ways to affect positive change. If that’s you, apply by taking a few minutes to fill out this brief form.

The deadline for applications is 6pm EST on Friday, April 26th, 2013. Winners will be notified the following week.

GIF created with permission from bindersfullofburgers.tumblr.com

Do it!

“Increasingly, I think that incompetence is more dangerous than despotism.
John Perry Barlow, of The Grateful Dead and Electronic Frontier Foundation, on the “religious” dispute over whether scarcity equals value in the context of Internet freedom, joining PDF via Skype from Colorado after a heart procedure.
jedsundwall: Paul Ford explaining the web’s nature as a customer service medium and the concept of “why wasn’t I consulted” (WWIC): What sums it up best, to me, is this image published on the blog Kotaku. The image was posted as a comment on a blog post linking to an article about British computer-industry millionaire Clive Sinclair marrying a younger woman. Consider what that cartoon means in that context: It implies that the commenter feels—with some irony and self-awareness, I’m sure—that his opinion, in some way, is relevant to the question of whether Clive Sinclair should marry a particular woman. This is, for many obvious reasons, completely insane. And yet there was an image already sketched and available to that commenter so that he could express this exact sentiment of choosing not to be outraged at a situation he read about on the Internet. WWIC in action. There’s a lot of understanding packed into this. Seems to me this commentary applies as easily to government/politics as to media/entertainment on the Internet. We love to love the ideals of self-expression and participation, codified in our democratic political system and empowered by the web. And we also love to complain about the negative consequences, i.e. how dumb and entitled people are. (I am guilty of both.) Ford’s insights are spot-on, but I wasn’t sure exactly where he was going with it all. Then, thankfully, he closes with this quote from a commenter on MetaFilter: “Don’t blame people for looking bad in systems that aren’t well-designed to make them look good. Self-importance doesn’t come from people wanting to talk. It comes from systems that aren’t good at fitting people comfortably in.” Word.

jedsundwall:

Paul Ford explaining the web’s nature as a customer service medium and the concept of “why wasn’t I consulted” (WWIC):

What sums it up best, to me, is this image published on the blog Kotaku. The image was posted as a comment on a blog post linking to an article about British computer-industry millionaire Clive Sinclair marrying a younger woman.

Consider what that cartoon means in that context: It implies that the commenter feels—with some irony and self-awareness, I’m sure—that his opinion, in some way, is relevant to the question of whether Clive Sinclair should marry a particular woman. This is, for many obvious reasons, completely insane. And yet there was an image already sketched and available to that commenter so that he could express this exact sentiment of choosing not to be outraged at a situation he read about on the Internet. WWIC in action.

There’s a lot of understanding packed into this.

Seems to me this commentary applies as easily to government/politics as to media/entertainment on the Internet. We love to love the ideals of self-expression and participation, codified in our democratic political system and empowered by the web. And we also love to complain about the negative consequences, i.e. how dumb and entitled people are. (I am guilty of both.)

Ford’s insights are spot-on, but I wasn’t sure exactly where he was going with it all. Then, thankfully, he closes with this quote from a commenter on MetaFilter:

“Don’t blame people for looking bad in systems that aren’t well-designed to make them look good. Self-importance doesn’t come from people wanting to talk. It comes from systems that aren’t good at fitting people comfortably in.”

Word.

The Americans Elect third-party campaign, with a self-imposed Monday night deadline for online voting, does not have a candidate to take advantage of its $9 million in funding, as nobody fit the eligibility requirements.

shortformblog:

“Over the past two years, Americans Elect has focused on achieving three clear goals: Gaining nationwide ballot access for a third presidential ticket to compete in the 2012 race. Holding the first ever non-partisan secure national online primary at AmericansElect.org. And fielding a credible, balanced, unaffiliated ticket for the 2012 presidential race. Through the efforts of thousands of staffers, volunteers, and leadership, Americans Elect has achieved every stated operational goal. Despite these efforts, as of today, no candidate has reached the national support threshold required to enter the ‘Americans Elect Online Convention’ this June.”

The one guy who got close, former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer, had 6,000 votes. But he needed 10,000 — 1,000 each in ten states. For a national campaign based on the internet, 10,000 should be incredibly easy to get for someone with national name recognition like Roemer. But maybe not. If we may be so forward — it this perhaps because the general population is unfamiliar with  Americans Elect? (Yes.)

Unbelievable. For better or worse, marketing is extremely important in American politics. But you CAN follow Americans Elect on Tumblr: http://americanselect.tumblr.com/