Personal Democracy Forum - Sponsored by Google Blog Posts

boyd and Stoller talks are online

Micah Sifry — Fri, 18 May 2007 12:16:33 GMT

You can read and link to the full and unabridged versions of danah boyd and Matt Stoller's talks:

Digital Handshakes on Virtual Receiving Lines: http://www.personaldemocracy.com/node/1434

The Rise of the Netroots:
http://www.personaldemocracy.com/node/1432

Access will be limited...

PDF Attendee — Fri, 18 May 2007 08:17:50 GMT

We are going to limit login access temporarily to resolve some bandwidth issues, stay tuned.

thanks
Jon - Confabb

Don't forget to tell us what you think...

PDF Attendee — Fri, 18 May 2007 07:54:39 GMT

Use the reviews tab to rate and review the speakers, session and the confernce overall.

Real-time blogging the conference

Josh Bernoff — Fri, 18 May 2007 06:18:39 GMT

To see analysis from the Groundswell, go to:

http://blogs.forrester.com/charleneli

Would love your comments.

Let's chat!

Jon Mandell — Fri, 18 May 2007 06:02:27 GMT

We invite everyone to login to your PdF online account and click the link called live chat. Looking forward to you joining the live converstation and hearing what you have to say.

Don't forget to tag your content...

Jon Mandell — Thu, 17 May 2007 21:42:12 GMT

For all of you that will be blogging, taking pictures and videos please don't forget to tag your content pdf2007. You can watch all your content flow through the site on the media tab at the top of your screen. We have feeds from Technorati, Flickr, YouTube and more.

FAQs about PdF

Micah Sifry — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:34:39 GMT

The FAQs on Personal Democracy Forum

--When did we PdF get started and why?
Andrew Rasiej, former chair of the Howard Dean internet advisory council, launched PdF in early 2004 because it was already clear that the internet was going to revolutionize politics, most politicians had no clue, and people in the emerging and colliding worlds of new technology and new politics needed a forum where they could connect and network. He was soon joined by writer and editor Micah Sifry. Together they launched PersonalDemocracy.com as a daily blog where the conversations spawned at the first conference, held in May in NYC, could continue.

--Who is at the core of the PdF community?
We are a bridge between two important worlds: people who are making great new technology and people who shape political action. In both, there are a growing number who are figuring out the other side’s interests and needs: techies who want to “hack politics” and political hacks who realize that mastery of the internet will give them the upper hand. Plus there are the people in the middle of that Venn diagram: political bloggers, social network organizers, e-campaign directors, and online political operatives.

--How do you relate to the political world?
The political world is taking two approaches to the internet. One school wants to master it in order to, in essence, better game the existing system to maintain their top-down advantage. The other school sees an opportunity to change the game and open up the process to more participation, more transparency, and hopefully more accountability. At PdF, our heads understand that the former school isn’t going away anytime soon, but our hearts are with the latter because we know the internet is a game changer.

--Why is this year’s conference theme “The Flattening of Politics”?
We believe that as more and more people start using the new tools of communication and collaboration to express their opinions and amplify their concerns, the gap between the top and the bottom of all kinds of political entities—campaigns, governments, media operations, activist groups—is shrinking. The issue in this changing environment—where an amateur videographer with a little skill and a compelling message can reach millions via YouTube, or a volunteer organizer can build a support community for a candidate consisting of hundreds of thousands of people using MySpace or Facebook—is how do old and new candidates, campaigns and causes adapt? Who gets it? How can you more effectively move a message, raise money, or garner votes? And what are the trends and sites and tools of the future that people are launching and developing now?

--Where do we go from here?
We’d like to see the issue of technology’s role in America’s future injected squarely into the current political debate, as the country gears up to elect a new President and Congress. Who will be the first TechPresident? At this year’s conference we’re issuing a call to the presidential candidates to embrace the internet as a “public good” and accelerate universal access to affordable high-speed connectivity throughout the U.S. within five years.

WIN A FREE APPLE TV

Anthony Russomano — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:28:11 GMT

Plan to come early because we'll be kicking off the conference with a welcome from Andrew Rasiej at 8:15 and a powerful opening keynote by Larry Lessig. Also, we'll be raffling off a brand new Apple iTV at 8:20 in Schimmel Hall, but you'll only be eligible to win it if you're registered and in the hall by then.

Bag Check Area at PdF

Mr. Steven Petersen — Tue, 15 May 2007 12:23:38 GMT

Will there be a bag check area at the conference? I'm checking out of my hotel before I arrive at the conference and will be heading out of town from the conference. Thus, I'll have a bag of luggage that I won't want to lug around all day...

Networking breakfast!

Anthony Russomano — Mon, 14 May 2007 15:19:02 GMT

Breakfast starts at 7:30am, so come early and network. Andrew Rasiej's Welcome starts at 8:15am, and Lawrence Lessig goes on at 8:30am SHARP.

Lodging suggestions

Ruby Sinreich — Mon, 14 May 2007 09:24:35 GMT

The recommended places all seem to be sold out. Anyone have alternative hotel suggestions? Thanks!

Thursday May 17th: Deerhoof!

Joshua Levy — Mon, 07 May 2007 14:10:53 GMT

Come out and see the rock band Deerhoof at the Fillmore (formerly Irving Plaza) the night before the conference.

More details here: http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/908576

Google Scholarships:

Anthony Russomano — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:30:29 GMT

Are you a campaign staffer blazing a new trail in online politics? A non-profit professional trying new technologies with great results? An activist with ideas about the next big thing to change elections? Google and Personal Democracy Forum are teaming up to offer registration scholarships that cover the full forum cost for forty qualified political professionals to attend this year's conference on May 18th and unconference on May 19th. Successful applicants will receive free admissions to the conference based on professional experience, passion for politics, and an interest in the use of technology.

Go <a href="http://www.personaldemocracy.com/scholarship ">here</a> to fill out the application form. It takes less than five minutes to complete. The submission deadline is May 7th.

Wanted: A-List Political Geek

Micah Sifry — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 08:50:48 GMT

I'm looking for someone special to do a session at PdF this year, someone who you turn to for advice on dealing with managing your own personal IT craziness. Not a site manager, not necessarily a coder either. What I am hoping he or she will do is talk about their own tech secrets for managing their work life and all the incoming inputs (email, IM, RSS, etc) that they have to deal with. How are they so god-damned productive? If you're that person, or you know someone like that on this list or in this community, let me know. Email me at micah-at-personaldemocracy-dot-com.

Got a workshop you want to lead or a new tool you want to pitch?

Anthony Russomano — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:11:43 GMT

Let us know! Either reply here send your proposals to pdf@personaldemocracy.com with the word "conference" in the subject line.