I’ve often used the phrase “don’t reinvent the wheel” when dealing with people in world of politics and government – more often in political campaigns. Now, I’m starting to adopt a newer attitude. It isn’t time to reinvent the wheel, but keep up with it, since it’s been rapidly accelerating, particularly over the past few years. For example, the instant messaging software I had been tweaking and writing FAQ’s for in the mid to late nineties – ICQ – is considered ancient today. It was replaced with AIM, Yahoo! and MSN Messenger, and even those are rarely opened on my desktop these days.
Social media is the new game in town, and even that has its relatively obsolete platforms (MySpace, etc.). Today, I try to keep up with the governmental additions to Facebook and Twitter, operative word being “try.” While trying desperately to keep up with additions on the Federal level, I feel as though I have to beg, borrow and steal to get even a little enthusiasm out of most of the State politicians. I live in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and for better or worse, I decided it would be a good idea to encourage our government officials – starting with our legislators and senators – to get on Twitter.
As with anything other project I attempt, I jumped in with both feet, thinking that I wouldn’t be met with a great deal of resistance. After all, didn’t I have the Obama administration keeping me busy with new accounts practically daily, and touting transparency and communication at every turn? I was wrong, but it’s still a job that needs to be done. So, while the wheel is spinning very fast everywhere else, I’m left pushing it in the hope that I can get Pennsylvania’s wheel to at least compete in the race.
Thankfully, there are resources everywhere on the importance of social media in today’s world. From the business world to inside the world of social media itself, it seems everyone is willing to put in their two cents – including me.
My idealistic side tends toward the idea that social media can change the world. In some ways, we are all witnesses to that fact. The 2008 presidential elections were fueled to a great extent by social media. The realist in me accepts that the technology can be used for evil, with hate groups using it congregate. But that just gives me another point for my arguments with those in government who are determined to avoid social media. If they aren’t using it themselves, how can they know what the evil people are doing with it? For that matter, how can they know what our children are doing with it? Honestly, nothing turns off the public more than watching news coverage on the good, old-fashioned TV showing our lawmakers trip over their tongues trying to explain what they want to do about one problem or another with technology. My father used to say, “the least they could do is learn what they’re talking about before they speak!”
The irony is that I have quite a few Pennsylvania agencies and organizations on my Twitter lists now. Also have many news sources and journalists. Honestly, Twitter has rapidly become my replacement for RSS feeds and is my primary source for most of the news I read. Given how many followers the press in general have on Twitter, I know I’m not alone. It’s not hard to understand why, either. Real-time news updates mean that I can weed through the headlines at record speed. I guess I just have to hope that more public officials see the worth of social media here in Pennsylvania.
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