Tutorial task - week 9

What are the uses/limits of the internet in terms of politics and/or democracy? Should we rethink the nature of the political? What happens to the nation/state in the age of networks that have the potential to span thewhole planet? What has happened to the idea of "community" in the age of networked digital media? Discuss with an example.

I have chosen this topic because I am really interested in politics, and I know that it is relevant as just last week Kevin Rudd announced that he was considering online voting! The way the question is worded also looks like it will be an easy essay to plan. That is, one paragraph per question that is posed.

So, off to the library journals!! Seeing as this is a ‘using new technology’ course, I’m sure that it shouldn’t be a problem if most of our sources are online!!


http://proquest.umi.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/pqdweb?index=0&did=1809434841&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1253756134&clientId=13713

This is a good document that I found about politicians using TWITTER! I haven’t seen any other information like this. We all know that politicians use twitter, but I find it amusing that this research was done! This will help my argument, as it is a prime example of online campaigning.
“On a busy day, politicians post up to 200 messages. Each consists of no more than 140 characters and in some cases is viewed by more than 5,000 readers.”

http://proquest.umi.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/pqdweb?index=1&did=1670189041&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1253757007&clientId=13713
This is an article about politicians using the internet for campagining. Through typing in “Internet AND Poltics”, I have found many articles simaler to this, but this was the best I found. It is another prime example of online campagining.
"You can only get out so much information in short conversations, but if you can get people to look at your Web page, they can learn so much more about me in a short time."

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/866842/online-voting-could-be-on-the-cards
This is an article from NineMSN news.It’s about how in the future voting could be carried out online. It’s a new idea that I don’t think will actually be carried out. It’s another example of how internet is taking over our daily lives.
“In its second green paper on electoral reform, released Wednesday, the government canvasses a range of issues affecting the electoral process, such as lowering the voting age, who should be eligible to vote, the use of technology and fixed electoral terms.”

http://proquest.umi.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/pqdweb?index=4&did=1499400371&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1253846961&clientId=13713
This jornal is mainly american, however the internet is such a wide source, that I think I may have to expand my assignment into a global idea.
“Ten percent of all Americans have used vehicles like Facebook or MySpace for political activity: "For young adults in particular these sites are a key component of the online political experience: 66 percent of Internet users under the age of 30 have a social networking profile, and half of the young profile users use social networking sites to get or share information about the candidates and the campaign."

http://proquest.umi.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/pqdweb?index=1&did=1365678311&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1253847309&clientId=13713
This source speaks mainly about Kevin Rudd and John Howard talking to Christians regarding religion and politics over the internet. But it stems much wider than just this, it is politicians conversing with people over the internet, which is key argument to the rise of e-democracy.
“As many as 100,000 Christians around the country are expected to pack into more than 700 venues to watch the event, which will be streamed live on the internet from the National Press Club in Canberra.”