On Tue, 13 Aug 2002, Mike wrote:

> The problem with "WEBlog, WEBpage, or mailing list" is that they only 
> reach the people who are online and are looking for them.   I know that 
> they have staff that search the papers for items of interest, but to they 
> also search online?   

  Weblogs do influence the mainstream media, and there is a considerable
amount of government monitoring of the mainstream media (One of my
clients, the same folks who sued against departments having "microsoft
only" in procurement --- and won, does this -- http://www.plcom.net )

  They are also great research tools for those who interact more directly.  
I know that my mailing list participation, which contains many links to 
blogs, greatly influences what I say when I am in front of an MP or 
bureaucrat talking about Open Source.

> I  don't think  many politicians surf for information online. 

  It is a method of access that gets people that much closer.  It isn't 
perfect, but nothing is.   A citizen that doesn't feel comfortable 
inviting themselves to sit down and chat with an MP needs to do 
whatever they can.

---
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
 See http://weblog.flora.ca/ for announcements, activities, and opinions
 Submission to Innovation Strategy         | No2Violence in Politics
 http://www.flora.ca/innovation-2002.shtml | http://www.no-dot.ca/


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