I joined the Opinion Space discussion last week. I am not really sure how this is supposed to be more powerful than, say, a blog. But here is what I noticed.
1. I chose to agree very strongly with the Secretary of State's positions, and I ended up very isolated and alone on the map!
2. I read other people's comments and found some rather blunt and rude comments directed to the SOS. I would not call it abuse, but it stopped just short of it.
3. I find the commenters on Dipnote are more polite and appreciative of the SOS.
Now, Having said all that, I also must say that if the object is to truly get honest opinions, a forum that is unmoderated is more likely to spur open debate than a heavily moderated blog like Dipnote. It is also more vulnerable to abuse. I wanted to answer some of what I read, but all I could do was rate it. I could not directly argue. Maybe I just need to become more familiar with how it works. Anyway, go over there and join up.
Secretary Clinton said she can't wait to be a part of the conversation. Yo! Hillary! Still4Hill here! I am over here in the hinterland backing your policies! Looks like I am all alone here!
Department of State Launches New Tool to Foster Online Open Dialogue
Washington, DC
March 15, 2010The Department of State today launches "Opinion Space", an interactive site hosted on State.gov that seeks to foster global conversations on foreign affairs.
“Opinion Space will harness the power of connection technologies to provide a unique forum for international dialogue. This is an example of what we call 21st century statecraft and an opportunity to extend our engagement beyond the halls of government directly to the people of the world. I can't wait to be a part of this exciting new conversation,” said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Opinion Space, developed jointly by the Department of State and the University of California at Berkeley’s Center for New Media (BCNM), is accessible to anyone around the world.
Opinion Space invites users to share their perspectives and ideas on U.S. foreign policy in an innovative visual "opinion map" that will illustrate which ideas result in the most discussion and which ideas are judged most insightful by the community of participants
"This map is not based on geography or predetermined categories, but on similarity of opinion," said UC Professor and BCNM director Ken Goldberg, "Opinion Space is designed to 'depolarize' discussions by including all participants on a level playing field."
To join the discussion on Opinion Space visit: http://state.gov/opinionspace and see where you stand with respect to others around the world. You can already see the emerging opinion map in response to the first discussion question: "If you met U. S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, what issue would you tell her about, why is it important to you, and what specific suggestions do you have for addressing it?" Future discussion questions will be on a range of foreign policy priorities.
For more information, please contact: Katie Dowd, Director of New Media @ State Department, DowdKW@State.gov or Ken Goldberg, Berkeley Center for New Media, at: goldberg@berkeley.edu or at 415-722-5649.
