Harper or Layton? Online P2P Power can decide
p2pnet news view | P2P | Politics:- It’s the last weekend before we learn if Canadian voters will allow Stephen Harper to continue to ruin (sorry, run) Canada.
You’ll have various political party representatives from various political parties banging on your door (and you), trying desperately to convince you their party is THE party.
Same as it always was.
But there’s a difference, this year, and it can be summed up in two phrases:
- P2P People Power.
- Young voters.
Big fat goose egg
If there’s any kind of consensus growing, it’s that putting Stephen Harper back into power would be a very, very bad idea.
Nonetheless, Christopher Lombardo of Shark Guys 2008 election bloopers fame reckons that’s how it’ll shape out — that it’ll be another Conservative majority/Liberal minority, “with NDP candidates available come spring for hot-tub parties.”
And, “For all May’s stellar showing in the debates, the Greens will come up with a big fat goose egg in terms of seats,” he predicts.
Right or wrong? We’ll see.
But so far, with the notable exception of Jack Layton’s New Democrats video, I haven’t noticed anyone making any kind of major effort to specifically tap into the online community.
Big mistake, as Ahnold would say.
The younger the individual, the more likely she/he is to be online
As Canada Online, the Canadian Internet Project (CIP) reports states,we continue to be among the world’s most frequent and heaviest Internet users.
Close to four out of five Canadians 12 years and older currently go online.
In other words, penetration levels are high and increasing, “particularly among traditionally marginalized social groups,” says the study, going on »»»
- Internet penetration levels in Canada increased from 72% to 78% from 2004 to 2007
- 95% of students, 87% of employed citizens and 47% of retired individuals use the Internet
- Age is strongly related to Internet adoption — the younger the individual, the more likely she/he is to be online
- Internet use is almost universal among those 12-17 years of age (96%)
- While 22% of adult parents (18+) do not use the Internet, many of them report having youth aged12-17 in their households who use the Internet (87%), as well as children aged 11 or younger who use it (21%)
That’s huge.
But the Net isn’t only used by younger generations.
Half of Canadian citizens 60 years and older are also online (51%), exceeding national adoption levels for all ages in many other countries around the world, says the CIP report.
No need to say more.
Someone speaking for us
I still think a major change in government is possible with the NDP taking the lead position.
But if the Conservatives do manage to get back in, IMHO, it’ll be largely because four of the the five major parties have all but ignored what’s now arguably the most important segments of the voting population – the online people-to-people communities.
The NDP did come up with a video (see below), although it may have been too little and too and late. And it’s still the only party to have appointed a federal spokesman, Charlie Angus, to specifically handle digital issues.
So whatever happens, we’ ll have someone in the seat of government speaking for us. But if the NDP is actually in charge instead of forming part of the opposition ……….
Cellphones, IM, chat, texting
Do you want to see Harper ruining (sorry, running) the country?
If you don’t you, and everyone reading this, can still make a difference.
You’ re probably also a member of all kinds of other online forums and sites.
Post. Post again. Tell anyone you can get to pay attention to vote anything but Conservative or Liberal.
And don’t forget cellphones, IM, chat, texting.
Pass the message on.
YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
SO GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!
AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME!
Should Harper stay or should he go?
You decide.
Jon Newton – p2pnet
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