Pollies go online to hunt votes
By now most of us have heard of Youtube, we may have a my space page or even uploaded an article or opinion to an online discussion website…but what impact is this having on our democratic processes? Since its inception the Internet has been used as a tool to initiate political discussion and exchange ideas. Activists use it to organize and take action. E petitions, citizen journalism and discussion forums have transformed the political landscape. But now, the established political parties are getting in on the act… using these same methods to engage with their constituents. And activists’ and political commentators alike suggest we’ll see a lot more of our pollies on the net in the lead up to this years federal election. Tom Dawkins, founder of the independent online youth forum Vibewire, outlined whether discussion in the virtual world has led to action in the real world.