The Technologies of Politics

In-class exercise, January 10

The challenge:

1. How can your group use its assigned medium to address its issue?
2. What are the advantages of your medium?
3. What are the disadvantages?

The Results:

E-mail list group A
(An environmental group responds to a company that is planning to clear-cut a forest)

Strategy:
- increase awareness through multiple contacts
- spreading word
- applying pressure
- Basically the idea is to spread awareness.

Tactics:
- chain letters
- contacting members of organisations

Advantages:
- free, immediate
- outside of the general media, not subject to bias

Disadvantages:
- questionable level of response
- not as trustworthy a method as hard copy mail

E-mail list group B
(An environmental group responds to a company that is planning to clear-cut a forest)

Assumption: We are all on an existing e-mail list for the environmental group we are representing.

Advantages:
- reach many people quickly
- easy form of communication for people who have similar interests
- use e-mail to direct people to other links or sources of info
- good to organize actual protests (personal)
- send information to raise awareness (i.e. picture attachments)
- more secure; control access to list
- buy and e-mail lists of other groups with similar interests

Disadvantages:
- spam controls
- many annoy people
- limited numbers on list
- sabotage via hackers
- people might respond negatively
- comp. stupidity (stupid people)

Text-based chat room group
(Small business association addressing city change in street parking regulations)

Advantages:
- facilitate discussion and mobilization of businesses = reduce formal meeting time
- petition online

Disadvantages:
- can’t post previous information – it’s erased
- people have to be online at the same time
- time constrictions
- no structure or direction
- unless all know about meeting online too ineffective
- cuts down space and business
- list would be better. Need e-mail too.
- need more than this one type of communication
- useless

Usenet group
(student association responding to tuition rate increase)

1. Find a group and send a message; i.e. UBC group.

2. Advantages:
- target specific groups
- it's not invasive (not like spam, e-mail, etc)
- potential to reach a lot of people

3. Disadvantages:
- not as many people use it anymore (newer technologies)
- post replies that are factually inaccurate
- no way of determining right or wrong information
- no way of determining how many people have read "your" or the message

MUD or chat room with avatars group
(Islamic community association addressing increased violence against Muslims)

Uses and advantages:
- using technology to create a forum
- discussion
- give different views and opinions
- bring more awareness on the issues and how to address them
- can reduce geographic barriers and bring in different view points
- there’s anonymity with avatars – take on different identities

Disadvantages:
- anyone can come into the chatroom
- can be negative and racist

Website group
(association of injured workers responds to cut in provincial co-pay for physiotherapy)

Advantages:
- always accessible. Asynchronous
- place for people to unite. A sort of forum.
- medium of support - inclusion
- can include a chat room
- petitions through site
- supply links to other areas of concern or other useful info
- advertise web site through posters
- central place for organization

Disadvantages:
- a lot of money and time to upkeep site, and gain and maintain visitors
- only provincial issue, so impedes others from visiting
- just having web site limits you. You need other mediums i.e. email, chat rooms
- Pull medium vs push medium

Solution:
- have e-mail access on web site