I'm thinking this is a first step to getting younger folks involved. Maybe. Or maybe it's just for pundits and political junkies, folks who're already wired into the #bcpoli chatter?
Let's see...
Here's a picture of what #bcpoli looks like on Twitter as of today, May 29, 2012 at 2:30. Using the SayZu data search and visualization tool, I've created a word cloud with the top 200 words (not including filler words, profanities, etc) from the 120 Tweets (approx 16800 characters) collected since I started the search at 12:30pm.
Will the iPhone App and "Rapid Responder" make a difference in the #bcpoli conversation?
Let's take a look at the "live," constantly updating version of the same SayZu.com "cloud." Click to make it go. Hover and/or click on words to see what they tell you. If the app and RR make a difference, we should see some interesting changes.
For example, I'm going to assume that Richard Branson wishes for a nude Premier, and Premier Christy Clark's witty rebuttal about Branson and Virgin will lose their dominance (fingers crossed, because we really have more serious things to talk about in BC politics - don't we?).
Interactivity - being part of the conversation
It's not just the pundits who get their moment of airtime now. Do you have something to add to the #bcpoli conversation?
You don't need the BC NDP iPhone app, though that makes it easy to keep track of what the party is saying, and easy to comment, reply, rebut, support, or otherwise "engage" with @BCNDP. All you need is a Twitter account (easy peasy to set up), and make comments about things that are important to you viz BC's political life, #tag your tweet with #bcpoli, and "send." That's it. Your tweet will show up in this SayZu.com cloud on this blog post.
You can also track the #bcpoli conversation using other tools like google or twittersearch.ca. But I think the SayZu tool is more useful for getting a quick sense of what everyone's talking about. It's also more fun.
Disclaimer
Yes, one of the things I do is consult on SayZu projects. And I know the developers personally.
But most of what I do with SayZu is for personal projects – because I think it's useful, and fun. And it makes the "firehose of information" inteligible. I mean, seriously, 16800 characters (approx 3360 words) reduced to the top 200? or 100? or 500? Within a few seconds I can have a snapshot of the major themes in any searchable Twitter stream (or blogosphere or RSS feed or ... the options are growing as the SayZu crew keeps working this beta release to be even more useful to people like me).
Plus, there's nothing like it out there. That's why I use it.
But, the real project isn't cool tech...
The real "project" isn't what's cool or fun. The real project in our greying and getting-tired democracies has to do with this question: What is it going to take to get young voters involved in "occupying" the poll booth?
New tools like iPhone apps, Twitter, analytics like SayZu - they may help make a difference. And for me, making that kind of a positive difference is the "real project."
hanspetermeyer
29 May 2012
