"Government e-petitions give power to the people"

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on November 27, 2009 at 13:57

As long as we don't end up with binding referendums like they have in California....

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on November 28, 2009 at 21:26

Tom Steinberg's websites are already becoming obsolescent. As is this e-petitions initiative.

As I've mentioned before, Clay Shirky explains why in the TED talk here.

These are screenshots from Shirkey's video.

Shirky argues that the twentieth century solution for getting out a message was stage 1.
The central core organisation sent the same message to everyone.

Now, he says, most organisations have accepted stage 2. "The audience can talk back. And that’s a little freaky. But you can get used to it after a while, as people do."
This, of course, is the stage that Tom Steinberg and e-petitions are at.

But Shirky then says we're seeing stage 3. "The really crazy change that we’re living in". . . The fact that we’re no longer disconnected from each other. The fact that former consumers are now producers. The fact that the audience can now talk directly to one another.”

It's the talking to one another which has the most potential significance. Shirky points out the relative freedoms from central control. And also the numbers of people who can now share ideas and information cheaply and easily.

I think there's an even more significant reason - far more important for empowerment and democracy than e-petitions and FixMyStreet. And that's because - potentially at least - the new tools offer the possibility for some valuable old ideas to have a fresh application. Ideas like: the Chartists' People's Parliament; New England Town meetings; and all other forums where people come together to share ideas and knowledge. Including those which adopt Quaker-influenced ideas and methods about consensus decision-making and building united judgement.

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