To Get You Thinking...

Last time I posed a few basic questions to better convey where I was coming from - questions that sparked my interest in the political activist communities I chose to participate in. To reiterate, I asked if anyone has heard of the book, Obama Zombies, by Jason Mattera? (It addresses Obama's use of social media and savvy marketing to build support for his campaign leading up to the 20008 election.)

I also asked myself, and all of you, how does Scott Walker's use of new technologies compare to that of the Democrats in the 2008 election? Is it effective? Has the Republican Party finally figured out that younger generations don't want to see billboards and yard signs? Digital natives clearly need interaction and technology to capture their attention.

While these questions certainly served as launch pad for some of my research and interests, I'd like to pose a separate set of questions related to my section of today's presentation on Internet Users and Audiences.

1. Are conservatives utilizing new technologies better than they were, say 2 years ago?

2. Do you think the internet encourages democratic participation? Think about the infrastructure. I.e., how do search engines work?

4. Do these Internet users subject themselves to homogenous audiences and echo-chambers by actively participating in RedState.com and MyScottSpot.com?

3. Are citizen journalism models that rely on user generate content effective ways to build communities online? What type of Internet user might you expect to use these platforms?

4. Does the element of "Fandom" created by Scott Walker's multi-platform campaign encourage emotion-based voting? What about in 2008?

Here is a brief quote from Baym's (1) article on Swedish music fandom:

"Fandoms pool and generate collective intelligence

and affect. Individuals create self concepts and self

presentations within fan groups. Some become well

known to other fans through fandom. These groups

also develop a sense of shared identity. Personal

relationships are formed amongst some members of fan

groups. Particular fandoms may have a shared ethos, but

disagreement within fan communities is both common

and, often, desirable. "