Bloggers Get Good Seats At Convention, National Journal Online.

According to new-media guru David All, "The sheer number of bloggers that have been credentialed this year is very indicative of how the establishment views the importance of modern media."

In 2012, he predicted, "the last thing you are going to see is a step backwards. You will likely see a flattening effect, with people being credentialed strictly on their audience size and influence."

Pajamas TV - Background, Pajamas TV.

Pajamas Media (PJM) was established in 2004 and is a network of about 100 bloggers that covers news and issues of the day in a refreshingly thoughtful and civil way. Led by CEO Roger Simon, the network includes well know personalities such as Glenn Reynolds (voted one of the top 10 law professors in the United States) of Instapundit and Michelle Malkin (well known tv commentator).

Facebook Ads Target You Where It Hurts, The Washington Post.

Facebook's data miners know much more about us because we tell them a whole lot more. Facebook knows my birthday, my relationship status and which book I'm reading, among other personal tidbits. The site started turning this information into dollar signs last November with the launch of Facebook Ads, which targets users' presumed areas of interest (or psychological soft spots).

A Qik Hit, Condé Nast Portfolio.

Qik offers an alluring new twist to Internet users increasingly comfortable with sharing their lives online: the ability to stream cell-phone video to the Web in real time.

Earlier this month, Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister of Singapore, demonstrated Qik in a speech about how his government is embracing technology. And Rep. John Culbertson, a Texas Republican, has used the service to broadcast from the U.S. Capitol. (The Secret Service wouldn't let him broadcast a meeting with President Bush live from the Oval Office, however)

The Democrats Lose: Comparing the Convention Web Site, Conversation Marketing.

Not that I have anything against John McCain except that I'll never vote for him. But I'm a pretty staunch Democrat, and it'd be nice to blame my own party for the world's problems for a change.

 

Fast forward. It's 2008. The Democratic National Convention is going on now, and the Republicans start theirs in a week or so. So I decided to compare their respective convention sites based on simple stuff.

I may just have to change my party affiliation. 

The Republican National Committee has launched its latest micro-site: GOPPlatform2008.com.

From the introduction!!!!!:

Welcome to the most grassroots-driven platform development effort in the history of American politics!

The Republican Party is seeking your input as we develop the policies and principles upon which we should stand for the next four years. On this website, you can share your thoughts, participate in polls, and communicate directly with the policymakers who will be shaping the party's agenda. All comments and feedback will be reviewed and taken into full consideration as we prepare for our convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

We hope that this process will guarantee the greatest amount of public input into any platform in American history!

"Input" from the American people can be interpreted anyway you like. Will any of this "input" make it to the actual platform? To be determined.

In the same spirit as the 92-page platform from 2004, and just in case anyone actually listens and cares, I'll add my two cents:

* A choice between nationwide high-speed Internet access and dial-up.

UPDATE 9:43 AM: Just a quick FYI - I submitted my text entry under Jobs & Economy >> Technology Policy and it hasn't yet surfaced so there's clearly a moderation policy.

UPDATE Saturday, 9:34 AM: Eric Pfeiffer has more on this over at the Ground Game including some more feedback from me. Also, shortly after I wrote this post, a top RNC official emailed me to explain that the moderation policy was only to prevent liberal bloggers from taking over the site. He explained my comment was posted within seconds.