Weblogs and Emergent Democracy
Sunday, March 14, 2004
If thousands of people or more speak at once, will anyone be heard? Whose voice is more important? Who should speak first, and, most importantly, who decides what is the most important thing to be said and heard?
The answer, according to several panelists who gathered to discuss the issue, is easy. It’s all of the above.
Weblogs and other means of online social organization have created a welcome space for conversation. But in this age when the Internet is reinvigorating public interest in the political process, can Democracy thrive and even evolve? Is governance possible?
Today’s method of “empowering” voters is through broadcast TV. TV news provides a managed consensus; feeding viewers just what they need to think, so they can go to the polls, regurgitate what they’ve been told by casting a vote, and walk away. A kind of vote-and-run method of civic engagement. But today’s media landscape, particularly with the Internet, is proving that not only is information-sharing possible in large, fell swoops, but that decision-making, governance, and community action are also possible.
“Today, we have a much larger speed and scale in the exchange of communication and information than our founding fathers ever imagined,” said Joichi Ito (Neoteny.com). In the past, it was believed that the Internet couldn’t work because of the inherent anarchy, but look – it does work because of correct feedback loops and organization.”
This article appears in March 19 • 2004.