Session Database / 405 Sessions
The Personal Democracy Forum was a conference that ran for over 15 years and took place in NYC, Europe and Central America.
2004
Money, Votes, and Community
The money race is on. From now until the conventions, campaign strategists are rushing to fill their parties’ coffers with as much cash as possible, and rushing also to spend it, carefully, state by state, county by county, spot by spot. Each message, each thrust and parry is evaluated and measured by pollsters, with a…
Bloggers, Journalists and Politicians
Relations between bloggers, journalists and politicians are often strained. Each of these groups has a different history, set of pressures and intentions. Journalism is objective… or is it? Often these groups’ goals and tactics run at cross purposes. Sometimes, the snobbery of history causes one to disdain the other, to write them off. Such denial…
New Tools and Dynamics
Weblogs, Google and other technologies have entered the vernacular. They’ve already altered how many people learn things and disseminate them. Weblogs, for example, aren’t merely an interesting way for individuals to publish materials online. They are the modern loom, with which people are weaving a new fabric of ideas and opinions. They are the modern…
What’s Next
Theories fail and morph in the harsh light of reality. Some survive. Conventional wisdom is often proven wrong in real settings with real voters. The panelists in this Session have experienced the intersection of politics and the Net first-hand. In this session, we will shed light on what works and what doesn’t, raise some unspoken…
2005
Buzz, Blogs, and Beyond: A Study of The Internet and the National Agenda During the Fall of 2004
No description is available.
Rethinking Organizing
A Conversation with Andy Stern, President of the SEIU interviewed by Micah Sifry, Executive Editor, Personal Democracy Forum
Lessons from the International Stage: England, Canada, Iran and the Middle East
No description is available.
2006
Introduction and Opening Plenary: The Changing Nature of Political Media
Morning Plenary: The changing nature of political media. The old media system irrelevant? What would bloggers do if it didn’t exist? And what’s the best way to lead public opinion, now?
Making Online Work Offline and in the Field
How to use your list to strengthen your field and communication operations and vice versa.
MySpace for Politics
How campaigns and advocacy groups can use online social network platforms to create powerful political communities.
Regulating Online Politics?
Will the feds crack down on online politics and should they? The experts speak
Keynote Address by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
Followed by a conversation with ABC News’ Mark Halperin.
Keynote: Elizabeth Edwards, in conversation with Andrew Rasiej
Elizabeth Edwards, in conversation with Andrew Rasiej
Fundraising Best Practices For Turning Supporters Into Donors
How to turn supporters into donors, how to choose the right fundraising software, mistakes to avoid.
Why Your Website is Probably Obsolete (and How to Fix It)
Top political website designers will show what works, and what doesn’t (submit your own site for discussion, if you dare).
Is Online Video More Powerful Than TV Ads?
Do you YouTube? Hear from pioneering videobloggers and top campaign strategists who are integrating interactive video into their efforts.
How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Blogosphere
Developing smart relations, and how to deal with a “blog-swarm.”
Crashing the Gate” book signing with Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas
No description is available.
To Blog or Not to Blog
Should campaigns or advocacy organizations adopt a blogging strategy, and if so, how to do it right.
TxtMessaging and Mobile Politics
Hear from leaders in the rising field of phone-based fundraising and mobilization on what’s over the horizon.
Online Political Advertising–With and Without Money
Where to spend your money (i.e. Flash movies? Google ads? Blogs?), and how to get attention cheap, or for free.
Free, Easy And/Or Cheap Tools That Anyone Can Use
Working on a small budget? You can practically run an organization or campaign for free with these tools.
Plenary: How Online Politics Will Affect Who Will Win in 2006, and Beyond
Afternoon Plenary: Who will win online in 2006, and beyond? Top campaign strategists, technologists and bloggers will survey the landscape and place their bets.
“Net Neutrality” or “Hands Off the Internet”? A Debate
Plenary Debate: “Net Neutrality” or “Hands Off the Internet”? Are big telcos on the verge of creating a two-tiered net? Should government get involved? Whatever the answer, we can’t afford to be indifferent to this timely discussion.
2007
Politics is Flat I: What Happens When a Billion People Own the Means of Production of Ideas Description
No description is available.
What Will Congress Do Next? Net Neutrality, Copyright, DOPA, etc.
What Will Washington Do Next? Net Neutrality, Open Access, Copyright, etc.
Money Online: Where Is it? How to Get It? When Can You Quit Your Day Job?
No description is available.
2008
Breakout: New Tools for Political Transparency Press Briefing, Sunlight Foundation
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A New Activist System? The Changing Role of the Net-roots and the Right-roots
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Making “ONFFline” magic: Converting online “friends” to on the ground activists
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Covering the “Click-ocracy”: Tracking the Internet’s Impact on Politics and Journalism
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First Day Closing Plenary: Inside the Presidential Campaigns: What Worked, What Didn’t
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Deploying the Cognitive Surplus: How Social Technology Can Help Solve Global Problems
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Design Principles for Online Democracy: Connecting Government and Constituents in the Internet Age
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The Cross-Partisan Movement for Political Transparency and Watchdogging Government from Below
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2009
From Participatory Politics to Participatory Medicine: The Coming Revolution in Health Care
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21st Century Statecraft: Fostering Citizen-Centered Diplomacy and Development
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The Machine is (Changing) Us: YouTube Culture and the Politics of Authenticity
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Mapping the Networked Public Sphere: How Blogs, Mainstream Media and Official Sources Interact
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Local Campaigns After Obama: Tools and Tactics Turning Online Action Into Offline Results
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The Blogging of the Bureaucracy: How to Use Social Media From Inside Government
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Why Blogging Still Matters: The Ongoing Vitality of the Netroots and the Rightroots
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New Business Models: How to Survive and Thrive Financially in Online Politics
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2009 Europe
2010
Online Advertising for Beginners: How to Reach the People You Need to Reach Most Efficiently
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The Leap-Frog Effect: How the Mobile Internet is Altering the Digital Divide
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Refining Your Social Media Smarts: Campaign Successes From YouTube to Facebook to Twitter
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Becoming the Influencer: How to Make Your Organization the Center of the Conversation on Your Issue
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Using Web Analytics Tools to Make Your Organization More Effective: Case Studies in How to Start
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Search Engine Optimization: How to Make Sure People Are Finding You and Your Cause
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2011
2012
Money, Votes, and Community
The money race is on. From now until the conventions, campaign strategists are rushing to fill their parties’ coffers with as much cash as possible, and rushing also to spend it, carefully, state by state, county by county, spot by spot. Each message, each thrust and parry is evaluated and measured by pollsters, with a…
Bloggers, Journalists and Politicians
Relations between bloggers, journalists and politicians are often strained. Each of these groups has a different history, set of pressures and intentions. Journalism is objective… or is it? Often these groups’ goals and tactics run at cross purposes. Sometimes, the snobbery of history causes one to disdain the other, to write them off. Such denial…
New Tools and Dynamics
Weblogs, Google and other technologies have entered the vernacular. They’ve already altered how many people learn things and disseminate them. Weblogs, for example, aren’t merely an interesting way for individuals to publish materials online. They are the modern loom, with which people are weaving a new fabric of ideas and opinions. They are the modern…
What’s Next
Theories fail and morph in the harsh light of reality. Some survive. Conventional wisdom is often proven wrong in real settings with real voters. The panelists in this Session have experienced the intersection of politics and the Net first-hand. In this session, we will shed light on what works and what doesn’t, raise some unspoken…