Click this link to help me present at SXSW 2010
South by Southwest has grown into a music, film, and interactive mega-conference and awesome-tival. I’m hoping to not only get there this year, but also to present. Check out my panel description, and if you like it, give it a thumbs up. Of course I’ll also be filming the experience for Digital Democracy TV so it’ll be like you’re right there with me. Or better yet… road trip to Texas anyone? Here’s the description:
Twitter Revolution – Social Tools & Social Upheaval in Moldova
How is technology changing the course of revolutions in the 21st century? In this panel grassroots organizers will evaluate the so-called Twitter Revolution in Moldova, focusing on what technology did and did not mean for people risking their lives on the ground. What are people doing now to prepare for the next battle or has the energy fizzled out?
I’ll be covering these topics:
What do we mean by revolution in the 21st century?
In examining this case study, what are the positives and negatives of tools used?
Pros/cons of violence/non-violence on people/property
Do different goals require different tools?
How can we evaluate success? What are the system metrics? (Particularly given July 29, 2009 elections)
What is the balance of secrecy vs transparency In tactics?
In successful revolutions, how much did success depend on organizational development versus message construction? (management versus pr)
What would a do’s / don’t list look like according to circumstance?
Can non-democratic methods lead to democratic change?
Closed social media tools versus open source tactics.
I also recommend checking out these other panels that look like they may be pretty amazing:
- Two from Noel Hidalgo (noneck) over at the New York Senate. Despite the ridiculous politicking of the Senators, Andrew Hoppin, Noel and team have done some amazing government 2.0 work. Adventures in Local Open Government & In Code We Trust: Open Government Awesomeness look great.
- From Right-to-Left: Entrepreneurship & the Middle East by Sacha Tueni from Vodafone International questions “Can the Middle East reinvent itself through digital entrepreneurship?”
- Librarian Glasses or Stripper Heels explores how as the creation of information becomes increasingly communal, what criteria do consumers use to select content? (thanks @libraryfuture for the heads up)
- I Can See Russia From My iPhone! by Kyle McLellan wins best name for most references in a single sentence (must be using twitter), looking at e-diplomacy
- UNICEF has a bunch of really great ones around the world after having a class at ITP with Clay Shirky.
- And of course Crowd Sourcing Innovative Social Change by the ever prophetic Beth Kanter. Social media builds buzz and raises money, but what about real, on-the-ground change?