New Avenues of Participation in Society and Government: Do I Make a Difference?

In many cases people have a desire to contribute, but are not sure how. This is often manifest

after natural disasters when empathy can overtake logic, leading to the provision of unnecessary

supplies that clog up scarce transportation channels. The advent of the Internet has enabled a

more coordinated effort where volunteers find meaningful ways to directly contribute, such as

offering their home to those affected by Hurricane Katrina or helping join families that were

separated. More generally, smart governance infrastructures support clear and meaningful

individual contributions that can be aggregated in useful ways.

- Johnson and Hansen, "Design Lessons for Smart Governance Infrastructures." p. 11

I like this quote because I too am one of these people - someone who wants to do so much more but doesn't know where to begin. I think that is a big issue in society today: people see problems but don't know how to fix them. If a problem is so large that it will obviously take several people and lots of time to fix, many times no one does anything. But, through avenues of e-Participation, we can find ways to help.

For example, I was fascinated by the grains of rice that Free Rice will donate just for answering some simple questions. I could spend hours doing that and feel good knowing my time wasn't wasted and actually promoted good. This is just a small something, but if everyone did it (even just 100 grains as asked), that would add up. Whoever started that site didn't just want to do good, but implemented the ideas to do so.

I think even with the Internet, people are scared to get involved. Maybe it's issues of privacy (as Lessig discusses, anything on the Internet can in essence be traced). Still, using the Internet is a good way to do anonymous acts of kindness (like with donating to natural disasters or local families who face tragedy and have an account to donate money).

Personally I think e-Participation should be taken further to reach more people. As mentioned in this module, a minority of people do the majority of work. Could it be that there are more people who want to be involved but aren't because they feel inadequate? What about "advertising"? That is, how many people really know these e-Participation avenues are out there? Similar to the last module, I fear that most people not only fail to access information that is out there because they do not know it's out there, but they miss out on opportunities to get involved as well.

I've really enjoyed this class thus far in learning about the various avenues through which to get involved. Before taking this class I had no idea so much was available to "'lil ol' me" ... but now I feel somewhat empowered and able to get involved. If I choose not to do so now, I suppose I only have myself to blame. I can't say that I didn't know HOW to do it.

In response to the question of how people can get involved in government, I think that people first need to be aware of government--their actions/in-actions as well as the issues they face. People should get involved by visiting sites like whitehouse.gov and data.gov in addition to their own state's sites to get informed. Further, I think people need to learn about the issues they vote on in combination of who they vote for. Personally, I feel too many people vote "blindly" either voting by party (to hold the party in office accountable) or by voting for who their friends/advertisements encourage them to vote for. Each person should "own up" and make their own voice heard. Will they? I don't know that that will ever change. Further, I'm not certain that as government makes themselves more and more "open" online that people will respond as expected. Sure, the opportunity is there, but will people take it? Only time will tell. For me, personally, I want to get involved and know what's going on. e-Governement and e-Participation is only going to make that easier for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that those who don't want to find information or be involved will still be "in the dark" no matter how far technology takes us to new levels of participation in government (e.g. some people still prefer to renew their drivers' licenses in person rather than online because of preference). Yet, for others  government issues will finally be accessible and perhaps they will not just feel they make a difference, but see the results of their actions on a larger scale.

Project Idea and Open Government

It took me forever to come up with a topic I liked/found interest in. After reading in Open Government, particularly chapters 15 and 34, I was able to narrow down what I wanted to do. First of all, I am really intrigued by the book Open Government because of the variety of viewpoints and cases discussed in the book. For me, it is a great compilation of information about various venues of eGovernment. Here are some quotes I found thought-provoking:

Governor Mike Leavitt of Utah stated "I believe we are entering an exciting new era in society ... our world is becoming an information ecosystem, and the ramifications are monumental. Futurists believe there will be a massive shift in the nature of work and that the impact of the information age may be as great as the societal changes that occurred during the industrial revolution" (Fletcher, 375). How true this is! We are witnessing that now. That's what this class is all about. I love the imagery of an information ecosystem.

"Participation means more than just voting. Participation means applying your unique set of talents to improve the government that works for you" (Netherland & McCroskey, 177). This struck me because we always hear about how we can participate by voting, but these authors want to take it a step further--literally doing something to help the government. I asked myself what talents I had to offer to take this challenge. I'm still trying to think of something other than becoming a public administrator. What ideas do you have?

In chapter two I really liked the idea of building "a simple system and letting it evolve" (O'Reilly, 18). So many times we think we have to come up with big ideas and great solutions, when really if we simplify things, it would be so much better. Like with the internet and Twitter.

As for my project, I have decided to do a case study. My object of study will be The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will discuss a brief history of how they grew from 6 members to nearly 14 million members (and still growing). Then I will discuss the issues involved in governing a worldwide church as well as the solutions (internet broadcasts, twitter, Facebook, satellite radio and TV, etc.) I don't know what other info I will add at this point, but that's a start. Finally (this will be the bulk of the paper) I will tie in my findings to public administration and e-government. I want to take the fundamentals of a worldwide church to discussing worldwide government (not that we will all be one nation, but many governed universally through various media and channels of information (e.g. the Internet). Some of the sources I want to use included Open Government, The Future of Work, "Bounding the Domain: Information Policy for the Twenty-first Century," "A Virtual Agency for Business, and texts found on the syllabus in the "Global e-Government" section for optional reading. I'm sure I will find other readings that apply as well.

For my literary analysis, I have chosen the book Persuasive Games: the Possessive Power of Video Games. I know this doesn't seem to relate to my individual project topic, but I wanted to do both. Whether there is a connection or not, I am sure I will find the texts engaging and useful.

e-Government: citizen awareness and involvement in government affairs

I have to admit two things: (1) I had no idea that the government sites we were to explore even existed before this week. (2) Whitehouse.gov and the other sites listed as required to visit truly fascinated me. When I read the assignment, I don't know what I was expecting to find on those site, but what I found peaked my interest. I am certain I will use these sites on a regular basis now that I know they exist. For example, when I want to see the latest press conference or publication by the President or other governmental officials I can start with Whitehouse.gov. If I want data or numbers about current events or trends (e.g. FDA drug recalls), I can go to Data.gov instead of Google (though Google is a good resource, this puts the information all in one place).

My favorite site I found was healthcare.gov. On this site you can find information about healthcare plans and options for you. It cites information for different ages, marital status, and employers. This indeed is a way the goverment is addressing the new laws regarding healthcare, making an effort to help people find what they need. But, how many people know this information is available? How many people who know about it actually use it?

In context of the readings for this week, I see there is a shift in the way government thinks and acts--or at least the shift is starting. e-Government will be so important in the future, and is already important now. Sites like these exist because the government is trying to make information accessible to the common citizen. Anyone with access to the worldwide web can access these sites. The information will influence how people think and act in regards to public policy, voting, and understanding our world as a nation. In that way, these are definitely platforms for government.

Still, I agree with several of the readings for this week: we still have a long way to go. Even though this information is out there, how many people (even somewhat educated people like myself who actually want to be involved in the community) are aware of these sites and that the information IS available? I would say far too few. But is government going to advertise this information? Possibly. They advertise for services like Service Arizona, where you can go online and register to vote, renew your driver's license, and renew your vehicle registration. Things are getting easier and government is becoming more accessible to ordinary people, but I can see that things will need to progress even more to get to where our readings discussed.

e-Government will be significant as elections come closer (particularly presidential elections). People will be glad to get to "know" the candidates in a way they haven't been able to before (well, at least before President Obama). No longer will goverment be out of reach for us citizens. Public record will truly be public record. With that information we will have the capability to be more active in government and community involvement.

I think as one outcome of taking this class I will be better informed and more in tune with the "real" world, even if that world comes to life via the web. I can share service experiences with other people and start large community outreach programs if I want. The government is opening the doors of communication to the public in ways the public can access them. They just need to get the word out about what is available. The time to be active in the community and in government is now, and it will only get easier and easier to be a nation of sharing and commonalities rather than one of conflict and differences. The bridging of the gap between government and the people will be realized and the gap will get smaller and smaller. This is a good thing.

Online Learning: Virtual High School

I’ve read about and even heard commercials about online high school – the new virtual way to get a diploma. What does this mean for our children and the future leaders of our society? Think back … most if not all of us went to high school in the traditional classroom setting, with a teacher and approximately 20 other students (maybe more depending on your location). Think about passing periods, going to your locker, finally getting to drive your own car to school. Depending on when and where you went to high school, maybe you drove yourself and your friends off campus for lunch. High school is definitely a social atmosphere (e.g. group projects, clubs, sports).

Now, think of the new virtual high school. Is that similar to the online class we are in right now? Is the most a student knows about anyone in the class what they type into the screen? Is there interaction like with Second Life? Are there clicks (popular kids, chess club, cheerleaders, band students) as in real-life high school? How do kids make friends in an online high school? Do they ever contact those friends outside school hours, perhaps in real-life? Do they go to the mall together or to the movies? What about prom? Is that virtual too?

From what I understand, the classes are online and while people could choose to associate outside the classroom, most do not. Think of this class—how many of us are going to become real-life friends who hang out? Few if any.

According to this article on AZCentral, education online is growing more and more popular. Further, the main reason students take online classes during high school is to finish early and get on with their lives: working, going to college, etc. What will having a large number of students graduating early with little social experiences outside hanging out with neighbors or family do for our society? Are these children (17 and younger) really ready for the “real world” of full-time work, supporting families, college, etc.? Perhaps we should protect our children from growing up too fast.

On the other hand, maybe online classes (which have basically replaced home study and correspondence courses) are just what we need to individualize learning. Children can learn at their own pace (as mentioned in the article) so that if they learn more slowly or quickly than their peers, they don’t have to follow the regularly scheduled learning agenda. They will learn everything they need to know (at least in an academic sense) before graduation, some finishing before their scheduled graduation date and others later.

I think this is a useful tool—online classes. But perhaps it would be best if integration between the actual “block and concrete” classroom and online classes not only existed but was the norm. Students who struggle with the traditional classroom setting can take some classes online, but still participate in clubs and teams (basically have ties to the traditional school). Further, students should follow the basic schedule for graduation except in special circumstances, thus preserving childhood and high school experiences for that age of life. Then they can enter the next stage and deal with pressures of the adult world.

Public administrators are definitely going to have to consider online learning (for good or ill) in regards to education in the future. As a final note, maybe online learning could be helpful in reducing the dropout rate. Still, if students are disinterested in doing homework and learning, what will keep them in the classroom whether in the traditional sense or in a virtual world?

Facebook: Article Analysis

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/facebook_inc/index.html

This is a recent article about Facebook. Obviously with the coming out of the movie The Social Network even people who didn't know about Facebook are wondering about it now. More and more people are signing up for accounts all the time. According to this article, Facebook now has more than 500 million users. Crazy! So what does this have to do with PA? Well, obviously Mark Zuckerberg had ambition to pursue this idea of a social network that could basically connect the world. However, were political and legal consequences considered? Doesn't seem so. This article discusses how there is still dispute over the origins of Facebook and that the new movie is adding fuel to the fire. Facebook is a prime example of how personal, professional, and private spaces intermingle because people who work together can become friends and discuss both personal and professional issues via Facebook. Some things can be written more privately (using individual person-to-person messages rather than posting on someone's wall), but virtually everything in Facebook is published and available. I know many companies (even where I work) have made policies regarding the use of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter not only while at work but anytime. For example, any tweets or postings on blogs or walls can be traced back to the employee, so people will want to watch what they say. Negative comments could be cause for termination depending on the company policy. Thus, the three spaces can mix. I think other students in this class will find this article interesting because Facebook continues to grow. As it does, we should consider the possibilities that the intermingling of these three spaces will bring. In the case of this article, the key players are still arguing a real-life battle on a personal and professional level about digital space on the Internet--an idea that started somewhere, but because it was secret and the origins are debatable, the fight could continue for some time.

Virtual Worlds: Virtue or Vice?

You decide! Here's something to consider.


So I was talking with a co-worker of mine who loves Second Life (SL). She was explaining how interesting it is and how it allows people to use their talents: design, creativity, etc. She also said that on a business level, something like SL could be useful because various people throughout the large corporation could meet up in SL and have a virtual meeting, discussing important business as though they were in person. That's pretty cool. With a global community full of various services and goods, I can see the value in that. I can also see value in people using SL and other such social media as an outlet -- an escape from reality similar to going to the movies or watching sports live or on TV. 


Having said this, I want to post two articles that discuss SL and it's dangers. I referred to these in a previous post, discussing virtual marriage and the possible legal implications involved, but I highly recommend you read them. One is a WSJ article  Is This Man Cheating on His Wife?  The other is a transcript of a speech from a church leader to young adults ages 18-30, Things as they Really Are. While the latter article is aimed at that specific audience, I would say that the information is true for all: while digital media (social or otherwise) can be good and add depth to life, if used improperly or to extremes, such media can be dangerous and take control of our lives.