PoliticsOnline is conducting a poll to…
“…help select the top 10 individuals, organizations and companies having the greatest impact on the way the Internet is changing politics.” The award “seeks to recognize the innovators and pioneers, the dreamers and doers who bring democracy online.”
Top 10 lists are always somewhat problematic in that they invariably include and/or exclude wankers and/or winners. POL’s list of finalists is an eclectic and international group of nominees that span broad cross-sections of politics, activism, and technology. Notable amongst the group are:
DailyKos: DailyKos has been at the front lines of the blogospehere and challenging the MSM at every front. DailyKos has led the way for citizens to engage in serious discussion about the most challenging issues the world faces today.
John Edwards: John Edwards works hard to communicate directly and succinctly by speaking through the internet about actual and desperate problems faced by all of us as we try to maintain our standard of living.
CNN: CNN made history on July 23, when it teamed up with YouTube to give voters from around the world an opportunity to directly ask the Democratic presidential candidates for answers to the pressing issues of the day.
CNN may be a dubious choice in that, while they did initiate an innovative partnership with YouTube, they also tightly controlled the selection of questions as opposed to letting the online community decide. But many of the remaining nominees from around the world are engaging in acts of citizen journalism, civic activism, and political reform. The list even includes the Foreign Minister of Sweden. However, everyone on the list is not necessarily a true Internet angel:
Cong. Ron Paul: Ron Paul voted against the amendment for internet neutrality which forsakes the free market in favor of government price controls, would chill investment in broadband network and deployment of new broadband services, would reduce choice for internet users and disrupts experimentation and innovation of the internet.
To include Paul on this list might have been justified for his focus on Internet campaigning and his popularity amongst the Libertarian blogosphere. But by citing his opposition to network neutrality as the reason for his inclusion, along with an argument straight out of the Telecom industry’s PR playbook, POL casts suspicion on the whole awards program. Nothing could have a greater negative impact on the way the Internet is changing politics than snuffing out network neutrality.
I may or may not agree with some of the other, more exotic nominees, as I am not an expert in international tech-affairs, but I am now more skeptical of POL’s intentions. That said, it probably wouldn’t hurt if more honest progressives were to go to the site and vote for DailyKos or John Edwards. That would send a message that real progressive online activism is flourishing and those who would slam the gates closed are floundering.
