NationStates Jolt Archive

the obama team are at it again, asking for actual policy ideas and proposals this time. same game as before with the questions - you go on, submit an idea, people vote on it, and the top rated ones will apparently make their way up the chain.

http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/home

so what are you guys' thoughts on this method of public participation? will it amount to anything, really? will it be at all effective at sorting out good and bad ideas?

I think its more the illusion of participation, but I dont object to the intention.

In short, I doubt anything will come of it.

http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004sMV

Fantastic suggestion--combining xenophobia and terrible spelling. We should all relearn how to spell like this guy :)

The Pro-Life nutter who throws Bible passages around and talks about the "Will of God" and God not blessing the Obama administration was funny.

There will be the odd diamond in the rough but I'm not holding my breath here.

There will be the odd diamond in the rough but I'm not holding my breath here.

but do you think this methodology will allow those diamonds to be discovered?

also, if anyone sees anything that looks worthy, might as well post it here. for example, http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004sKO

but do you think this methodology will allow those diamonds to be discovered?

Given that those who are likely to be involved in this are also likely to be the more engaged and educated type of folks (there are going to be exceptions, of course), I'd expect a degree of success. Given that it's a voluntary thing, the type of individual likely to self-select to posit ideas and vote will be significantly better than if random people from the general population were chosen from above to be involved.

I give it a 35% chance of success.

Given that those who are likely to be involved in this are also likely to be the more engaged and educated type of folks (there are going to be exceptions, of course), I'd expect a degree of success. Given that it's a voluntary thing, the type of individual likely to self-select to posit ideas and vote will be significantly better than if random people from the general population were chosen from above to be involved.

I give it a 35% chance of success.

i think the biggest problem would be the sheer volume that will need to be sorted through

i think the biggest problem would be the sheer volume that will need to be sorted through

Hopefully a few gems will be selected through the voting mechanism, which might work if enough uninformed people stay off.

*I might add that my standard for success is that a single policy initiative makes it through the jumble.

so what are you guys' thoughts on this method of public participation? will it amount to anything, really? will it be at all effective at sorting out good and bad ideas?

I don't like the internet having that much power. I prefer a transparent debate between real-life people; it's much more democratic that way.
If citizens want to partecipate, well, lobbying and political activism (within or without political parties) exist just for that.

I don't like the internet having that much power. I prefer a transparent debate between real-life people; it's much more democratic that way.
If citizens want to partecipate, well, lobbying and political activism (within or without political parties) exist just for that.

but this is more or less just a method for getting ideas noticed - it's not like anyone is asking the internet to anonymously set actual policy.

haha, oh wow

http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004t8y
"I feel that public schools should observe all holidays of every culture..."

And thus, it begins. We had the same rubbish with Rudd.

My god...The horror of some of these proposals.

haha, oh wow

http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004t8y
"I feel that public schools should observe all holidays of every culture..."

Either a moronic adult wrote that one, or a startlingly clever middle schooler did.

I think it might lead to some ideas, although realistically all of them will be filtered by people who know what they're doing to avert disaster.

I mean, seriously now...a $2 trillion Sovereign Wealth Fund investing in US companies? On the list of worst US economic policy ideas ever conceived, that ranks somewhere in between Smoot-Hawley and the Embargo Act. It's not like that would be the biggest fountain of corruption, mismanagement, and utter devastation of any pretense to government accountability and honesty ever created. Maybe we could get Bernie Madoff to manage it and have Lehman Brothers securitize it.

http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004tm8

O lawd. I love the 2nd to last line. I'm sure dem dern ebul terrorists are planning to use a bunch of M80s to destroy your mailbox.

also, if anyone sees anything that looks worthy, might as well post it here. for example, http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004sKO

come on, somebody must have seen something worth supporting...

but do you think this methodology will allow those diamonds to be discovered?
i didnt look

but its a good idea. it gives people a way to give a bit of input, to put forth their own ideas, to get other people interested in their ideas.

i think that some few will be brought to the president's attention. thats a good thing even if he doesnt take the suggestions to heart.

Im actually really tempted to troll the shit out of this.

I wont, because I have better things to do, but its tempting.

Im actually really tempted to troll the shit out of this.

I wont, because I have better things to do, but its tempting.

Obama's job is hard enough. Don't make it harder just because he's nice enough to give everyone a voice.

Im actually really tempted to troll the shit out of this

how?

ok, something really needs to be done to control the volume of proposals - especially very similar ones

Especially the really really bad ones. Please.

Oh christ -_-

Case in point - http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004q2x&srPos=12&srKp=087

how?

By sumbiting dumb, trollish, and insulting proposals. Like ones calling for racial purity, ect.


Im not going to, because Im more mature then that, have better things to do, and think its great that Obama is at the very least giving everyone the illusion of participation, but Id be lying if I said the thought didnt cross my mind.

By sumbiting dumb, trollish, and insulting proposals. Like ones calling for racial purity, ect.


Im not going to, because Im more mature then that, have better things to do, and think its great that Obama is at the very least giving everyone the illusion of participation, but Id be lying if I said the thought didnt cross my mind.

but those would just be down voted and forgotten within an hour. to truly troll the joint you would need to propose something subtly evil and then get like a couple hundred people to support it, so that it showed up among the popular ideas.