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Just because you have numbers doesn't mean you have insight

6 January, 2012
2
by Rob Cottingham

One of the most seductive things about social media is the way it allows us to quantify things. I have more friends than she does – I must be more popular. That blog post got more hits than this one, so that one's more effective. We have more Twitter followers this month than last month, so we're on the right track.

Numbers are lovely that way. In a world where everything seems open to interpretation, numbers offer certainty. Five is bigger than three: end of argument.

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Is online activism effective? 5 ways to ask (and answer) the question

6 December, 2011
1
by Alexandra Samuel

Can social media catalyze or support political change? To answer that question, you have to understand who is asking, and what they really want to know.

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Elections Canada, you're going about this all wrong

Want to stop election-night tweeting? Appeal to online culture

28 April, 2011
1
by Rob Cottingham

Hi, Elections Canada. We go back a long way, you and me. I'm the kid who had your colour-coded riding map masking-taped to my bedroom wall.

So let me offer some friendly advice. You want to stop people from tweeting election results from Eastern Canada before folks in Western Canada have had a chance to cast their ballots?

Then don't use section 329 of the Canada Elections Act. The full weight of the law is way too blunt an instrument.

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Good evening, my fellow tweeps

Five ways to use Twitter to make the most of an election debate

12 April, 2011
3
by Rob Cottingham

Let's be honest: election debates are usually pretty awful for voters.

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David Plouffe on how technology+people helped elect Obama

11 May, 2009
3
by Rob Cottingham

This morning at Convergence 09, Barack Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe took the stage. His message: technology helped connect people in a way that's never happened before, to elect a candidate who might never have been able to win before.

Here are my notes from the session. Notes from David Plouffe keynote, #1

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The Obama online campaign, by the numbers

Quantifying the impact of social media on the 2008 election

22 November, 2008
1
by Rob Cottingham

The Washington Post's Clickocracy series has a piece on the Obama online campaign, and while the exclusive interview and anecdotes are well worth reading, it's the numbers that really tell the story:

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The cell-ing of the President

(mother to disappointed daughter) No, kiddo, it's not an iPhone. But there would be plenty of kids - and at least one president-elect - who would be thrilled to get a Blackberry like that.

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We (heart) the U.S.A.

Canadians supporting Americans in Change (through Facebook)

5 November, 2008
0
by Rob Cottingham

Obama Hope poster There was much rejoicing and clinking of glasses/bottles last night as the fact (and scope) of Barack Obama's victory became apparent.

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Election night sketchbook

4 November, 2008
0
by Rob Cottingham

He's the most wired, with-it presidential candidate ever. My friends, join me in congratulating the social media president-elect: Barack Obama.

And what would history be without a little cartooning in the margins?

Various sketches from the election

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Can we move the tabs to the left? YES WE CAN!

(news commentator) It's a question of the pace of change. Is America really ready for a black president so soon after the Facebook and iGoogle interface changes?