How is the Internet developing?

Next was a panel session on How the internet is developing? How has the world changed through events like WikiLeaks, Occupy, the Arab Spring, SOPA/PIPA, and what are the driving forces behind these? How do we protect the open web where citizens can share content and express themselves freely? The panel was made up of some prestigious members including Rick Falkvinge, founder and first party leader of the Swedish Pirate Party, Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Member of the Icelandic Parliament for the Movement, Ahmed Maher, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and co-founder, April 6 Youth Movement and Ivan Sigal, executive director, Global Voices.

Lots about coalition building, and keeping coalitions going. All have used social media in some way.

I was particualry interested in the founder of the Swedish pirate party. He was disillusioned by way that swedish parties were treating connected young people. So, he put up a web page to see if he could get 220000 votes. Got it, and more. Got 2 seats in european parliament. Have already changed things. Got 25% of under 30 vote. Most coveted because people tend to stick with how they first vote. Virtually no campaign budget.
Used connected lifestyles of young people.
Normal lessons from marketing are wrong. One message doesn't fit all. Need to communicate vision, and then release control of it, and let all activists in your movement translate the vision in their own social contexts.
Have to be visible. Get supporters to wear t shirts with pirate party on. Had them on nearly every square in the country. Need to bridge the on lone and off line. Provide role models, and make people feel included.

Also interesting was Global voices, a community of writers and translators who amplify local voices, using citizen media and social media. For example, they translated tweets from a Japanese worker during Fukushima disaster. Coming to a conference like this which is so different to the ones I normally go to, is always good for discovering new things, and I had found their web site fascinating. Especially because it's bloggers rather than journalists.




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