Twitter is actually useful

Real world of examples of the business use of Twitter are becoming more common (@comcastcares) and with that, Chris Brogan offers a great list of things that Twitter is useful for, how to answer critics of the medium, and what not to do:

50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business chrisbrogan.com

Freedom of electricity is here! Almost...

This is a happy update to my post way back about how electricity constrains us, especially in public spaces. Now new technology will allow electrical power sources to be wireless and have effective ranges up to a few meters. The immediate practical applications are wirelessly charged laptops and computer monitors that would be powered by the desk they were sitting on.

Now all they need to do is apply this technology to all of the stationary seating at airports and we're home free!

Intel Moves to Free Gadgets of Their Recharging Cords - NYTimes.com

Obama's Wide Web

WaPo story on the Obama online operation pulls the curtain back just a bit. The thing that jumps out of this article beyond the obligatory "video is good" and "listen to people and communicate with them" is the fact that Obama as 5 times as many people working on his online presence than McCain.

The next time someone on the Right complains about how we're all behind on the net, ask them if their opponent is outstaffing them 5 to 1 in their online operation.

Not only is the size of the staff indicative of the level of commitment, but I also think it's telling that they are in-house. Outsourcing custom development and tool building is smart, but if you don't have true believers interacting with supporters through your web presence every day, no amount of money paid to a K Street firm is going to help you.

'The Right' to Accountable America: Bring it On!

Tom Matzzie, mastermind of the failed Progressive Media USA, has put together a group to threaten potential conservative donors with exposure, lawsuits, and general harassment, called Accountable America.

Of course, as you'd expect, the Right is utterly unafraid: Group Plans Campaign Against G.O.P. Donors - NYTimes.com

Chris LaCivita, proudly speaking as usual on behalf of the infamous Swift Boat Vets movement, has a great quote at the end of the article,

"They’re not going to be intimidated by some pipsqueak on the kooky left."

From my experience at DCI, I'd liken Chris to the political equivalent of Venture Bros.' Brock Samson, always willing and able to do whatever is necessary to win. I whole-heartedly agree with his assertion, but fundamentally I think it misses the real point at hand: if a donor believes enough in the political speech of a group to give their hard earned money to finance it, why wouldn't they proudly identify with that group?

If anything, I hope Accountable America does bring more transparency to political speech. I think discerning voters are well served by knowing who is behind the issue messaging they consume.

If shining the light on where messaging money comes from keeps the disingenuous away or prevents wealthy donors from pouring gas on a political fire they know to be bogus, so be it. But to think that true believers are going to cower in the face of accountability is absurd.

You know it's a movement when they have their own t-shirt

Patrick Ruffini explains how the so called "Phantom Session" of House Republicans, continuing the debate on energy after Pelosi turned out the lights, has turned into a full fledged movement: #dontgo. For the uninitiated, #dontgo is a "hashtag," a way to tag and track conversations across the user base of micro-blogging utilities like Twitter. The #dontgo meme has also spawned several sites of its own, including dontgo.us, which showcases the Twitter traffic on the subject, the Call Congress Back petition site, and now #dontgomovement, which is more of a full fledged site offering additional background, commentary, and news on the movement.

But Patrick still has the best t-shirt... #dontgo: A Turning Point for the Right The Next Right

The Boston Tweet Party

Last Friday, a revolution occurred on the floor of the House of Representatives. Didn't hear about it? It wasn't front-page news, because the MSM had already been "turned off."

Nancy Coppock at American Thinker really pulls together the events and aftermath of the Republican debate on energy after Speaker Pelosi shut down the floor of the House to go on vacation. The lights, microphones, and video cameras were turned off, but that didn't stop Republican lawmakers from debating, engaging the gallery directly, and getting their message out. If you've ever wondered about the value of emerging technology like Twitter or Qik, this is an excellent illustration of message propagation in the (forced) absence of traditional media.

American Thinker: Breaking Speaker Pelosi's News Blackout: Thanks to Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) there was one small camera recording the events. Twitter messages alerted America to the historic events. Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) named the event "The New Boston Tea Party", but that was quickly changed to "The Boston Tweet Party" by the new, tech real-time media. Messages flew across the country to anyone wanting to participate, as Culberson led the Real Time Media charge sending out live messages from the House floor...