Reach out, reach out for me
I kept quiet about last week’s furore that split LibDems down the middle. I felt that we should all just take a deep breath, count to 10 and remember why we joined the party in the first place.
No, I’m not talking about the EU treaty shambles, that was D.U.L.L.-O., I talking about the blog spats between Alex Wilcock and Nich Starling which were far more entertaining reads than anything put together about policy or what-not. I wouldn’t be a proper LibDem if I didn’t unreservedly, categorically, throw my hat into the ring and say that I am not taking sides in this (although as a Suffolk boy born-and-bred and a Ipswich town supporter I have to say it would take something special for me to side with a Norwich season ticket holder :-)). My post is about the eminently sensible suggestion that Jo Anglezarke posted in the comments section of Liberal Bureaucracy:
“Hellooo!!! Email?!! IM?!! Internet!! There must be a way us mere mortals outside London can ask questions of the MPs when something like this is going on? :@P
It could be like a e-conference for bloggers, true democracy and accessibility in action…:@)” Jo Anglezarke 2:40pm March 04 2008
As you sit here reading this you are probably over 400 miles from where it was actually written, although when I pressed “Publish” on LiveWriter and it went up on my blog (which itself is hosted over 5000 miles away) you were able to see it almost immediately. That’s, like, Wow!! Space-age, futuristic shit! But we all don’t give it a second thought as we spout out mindless drivel out there into the ether. You hardly have to be physically anywhere anymore to interact. You certainly don’t have to be in London to be able to question an MP. A Skype conference call could be set up, either audio or visual, with minimal fuss allowing people from anywhere to join in - be they in cold environs of Switzerland or the windswept flatlands of North Norfolk. Or even Somerset. Incredible. Chat functionality in real-time can be added to any website, something like coveritlive.com could be used to allow others to take part who don’t pay for the privilege of living near our masters.
The point that I have taken 365 words to make is that a) there is a way around most situations if you want to solve a problem and b) the world moves on from HTML to Flash to CSS to Ajax, from Blogger to WordPress to Facebook to Twitter. Although all of us, either readers or bloggers or both, obviously understand the world of computers and technology there are many more things out there to discover and, particularly important for politics, that aid accessibility and information sharing. I for one applaud those that try new technologies in an effort to reach out to the electorate. Sometimes they work well, sometimes they don’t, but at least they try. I really do wish more officials (and the party itself) would take part.
So if you feel disconnected because you don’t see Nick Clegg walking to work every morning, don’t despair, if they are happy to, you can talk to Clegg, Cable, Gidley or Goldsworthy as easily as if they were snuggled up next to you - all you have to do is use the right technology.
