Thursday, April 2, 2009

Recapping the internet through the words of others

While I have learned a lot about the internet and its effect on the public sphere through this blog and through my communications undergrad, many people have put more eloquently what I am trying to say. Because this is potentially my last blog post before the end of the semester, or at least a few days as I need to focus on essays and such, I will leave you with some quotes that present hope of the blogosphere, as well just worth reading because…

"Information is the oxygen of the modern age. It seeps through the walls topped by barbed wire, it wafts across the electrified borders." Ronald Reagan

"This victory is in large part due to the Internet... For the first time, a coalition of NGOs has had an influence on the security of the entire world without being a superpower." Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Winner

"A candidate who can master the Internet will not only level the playing field; he will level the opposition." RightClick Strategies' Larry Purpuro

"The Internet has become the main strategic communications tool behind the scenes in politics. It is not a medium to sway undecided voters. It is a medium to organize your supporters, feed them your message and get out your core vote. It may have an impact on new and less frequent voters some day, but that seems a long way off. No candidate that I am aware of has ever won because of the Internet." Steve Clift, Democracy Online………..This is no longer true!

"The communications revolution is changing how people interact with one another, how organizations engage their constituencies, how we access information. It also makes possible a collective I.Q. where thousands of people can be connected to focus on an issue." Morino Institute

The modern campaign headquarters...has an annex open any hour of the day or night, at an address starting with www. New York Times, 10/19/99.

Hope you enjoyed

2 comments:

  1. These quotes are great elaboraters on how the internet and the public sphere have impacted not only politics, but our society as a whole. Famous important figures, like Reagan and Williams, understand the importance that the internet and the flow of information has had on our culture. Candidates who master the internet quicker and more effectively than there opposition do in fact win elections and gain more support through online communities. Great quotes and a good way to emphasize the importance of citizen media and the public sphere!

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  2. I enjoyed the way these quotations created a better understanding of how not only the internet has affected our politics but also our everyday lives. We have more the abilities to express what we want and not be fearful of the repercussions. This is proof that the public sphere has become a force that has taken many private issues and given them light in the public sphere. There is a greater chance for action through the internet than there was only a few years ago. We can explore our political views, personal and social views, and be sure to have a few common followers. A community is what we have created, an online community of people who are not afraid to explore the issues that we are forced to internalize on a daily basis.

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