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Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Politics Direct Democracy Meets Direct Action

Posted by ERICA C. BARNETT on August 1 at 12:15 PM

The People’s Waterfront Coalition, which advocates for the surface/transit alternative for replacing the earthquake-damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct, has teamed up with the new wiki-based direct-democracy site moreperfect.org “as a means to engage the public in direct conversation about the specific details of their proposal.” (The PWC’s moreperfect page, with links to pages defining the problem, discussing solutions, and outlining alternative views, is here.) The site allows anyone to add issues, edit pages, and start or join discussions.

The success or failure of moreperfect.org will depend largely on how many people participate in building and maintaining its content. (Right now, the site is very local, its content driven by a few dedicated Seattle activists.) But the site’s potential is vast. The guy behind the web site, Tim Killian, is a local campaign veteran who worked on Washington’s medical-marijuana initiative and is currently managing the campaign against Seattle’s new strip-club regulations. Though media coverage of moreperfect.org has been pretty limited, the site has gotten some positive press in the Seattle P-I and at WorldChanging.com.

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1

Hm...the wiki format barely works for an online encyclopedia - a host of volunteers are employed undoing vandalism and misinformation that web denizens love to contribute - and you think it will work for political discussion / policy drafting?

I'm doubtful.

I think we're gonna need something more Web 2.0 for that - better tools, and a social network you have to answer to if you misbehave.

Posted by Utopus | August 1, 2006 12:53 PM

2

I had the same reaction as Utopus. After all, a LAMP solution is usually easier.

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 1, 2006 12:59 PM

3

Is that the same Tim Killian who led the monorail recall drive?

Posted by Steve | August 1, 2006 1:04 PM

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one could argue that a wiki is the eptiome of web 2.0. moreperfect.org is using wikimedia which is a LAMP solution... though it can also work on windows and IIS, which the /.ers like to call WIMP. anyway. utopus makes a good point. a political wiki makes no sense because there is no editorial control so you're going to spend all your time watching the two sides re-edit pages so that they favor one position over another.

Posted by charles | August 1, 2006 1:10 PM

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*mediawiki not wikimedia. my bad.

Posted by charles | August 1, 2006 1:12 PM

6

Yes, Tim Killian also ran the anti-monorail effort.

Posted by ECB | August 1, 2006 1:12 PM

7

UH OHS. One has to wonder what Tim Killian gets from this... partnership, especially given the monorail was Plan A to the PWC's viaduct teardown Plan B.

Posted by Gomez | August 1, 2006 1:15 PM

8

"Is that the same Tim Killian who led the monorail recall drive?"

Yep and his partner Chad Maglaque is the same guy who campaigned and worked on the monorail. So looks like they've got all side covered. :-)

Posted by Chad Maglaque | August 1, 2006 1:23 PM

9

So, basically, Tim Killian just hates anything?

Um, didn't we just outlaw gay marriage here? Aren't they supposed to be shacking up with pre-pregnant women in loveless marriages like the God Emperor Bush wants?

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 1, 2006 2:16 PM

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So wait, are they just activists for the hell of it? Just to stir shit up and waste people's money and time?

Posted by Gomez | August 1, 2006 3:42 PM

11

Thanks, Erica, for the mention.

Yes, I've been on various sides of different political issues in this State for more than a decade. It is precisely this direct experience in local politics that led me and my "partner" :-), Chad Maglaque, to found more perfect.

The question has been raised here: can wiki technology be used in the political arena? I believe it can be, and I believe that what we are doing is fundamentally different than what Wikipedia is doing. That difference matters.

I've blogged a more detailed response here: blogperfect: Wikipedia and Politics; Why We're Different.

Thanks for the feedback and good questions. I hope some of you take the time to sign-up on the site and begin to participate.

Posted by Timothy Killian | August 1, 2006 5:46 PM

12

Remember, as the Fremont Arts Council says (ok, after a few beers - or in my case, pints of hard cider), blogs are the new art form of the 21st century.

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 2, 2006 1:14 AM

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