VasGk | Κοινωνικό Νερό

I came across an OSCE update on facebook asking: "Can social media help us prepare for peace?" In the new Report " Preparing for peace Communications in conflict resolution " the OSCE explains the role of Social Media in conflict resolution, detailing challenges and opportunities. OSCE/Curtis Budden Definitely recommending reading this OSCE publication. It is great that an Organization such as the OSCE is keeping active in Social Media, and at the same time "Mapping the blogosphere, reporting on negotiations, using social media to overcome divides" . Credit to the OSCE PPIS, Ireland’s 2012 OSCE Chairmanship, the US Mission to the OSCE and the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the OSCE.  Having worked for the OSCE in 2009 , I launched the official OSCE presence on facebook and twitter , along with Issuu . It was an excellent start, and I am happy to see that the team in PPIS are keeping up with the OSCE presence in Social Media and are launc...

The 2012 campaigns for President have been very interesting in terms of Internent communications and voter outreach. In this article I have collected all of my comments during the past months and years leading up to election day. These are my unbiased honest opinions as an observer, not as a voter.  I have Blogged on numerous issues, mostly focusing on Internet Political Communications, Political Marketing and Political Issues that I felt passionate about. You can browse though my articles here:   The problem with political emails asking for money: TV Ads  I do not oppose online fundraising, I understand that both campaigns are tapping into their hardcore supporters; The problem is that for the most part both campaigns are asking contributions in order to outspend the opponent on TV air time! Barack Obama Vlogs on YouTube   During the past few days I enjoyed the videos coming from the Obama campaign on YouTube. #debate politi...

During the past months both the Democrats and Republicans have send an abundance of emails, driving home their message for the future.  At the same time all emails asked for money in the form of donations or contributions. Here are some punch lines the campaigns used to urge supporters to click-through and donate: Please chip in $5 or more today. Chip in $5 or more before our final budget deadline. Your generosity and efforts can make a great difference. Chip in $5 or whatever you can today. Don't wait. Supporting this campaign once more will move us closer to victory. Please don't wait any longer. Help us out with a donation of $5 or more today. Donate $5 or more right now to keep this campaign strong straight up until the last vote is cast on November 6th. Contribute $5 now to be automatically entered for a chance to win. Chip in $5 or whatever you can and you'll be automatically entered. Close the gap -- chip in $5 or more now. Thanks to you, our camp...

I must say that I enjoyed watching the first debate between the nominees for President of the United States. It was quite clear from the start that Romney was in charge, and President Obama seemed settled in reciting talking points. Some of my tweets included:  To start, disappointed with @ barackobama - @ mittromney is doing a good job. — Vas Gkinopoulos (@VasGk) October 4, 2012 hmm @ mittromney is definitely in control of the #debate — Vas Gkinopoulos (@VasGk) October 4, 2012 I was quite surprised to read some articles on social media and politics, that suggested TV debates were obsolete, or that it was an "old media" approach to political campaigning. Such smug approaches are missing the point. The statistics show 10.3 million Tweets in 90 minutes. An amazing number that not only is a first in presidential debates, it makes the #debates more dynamic than ever! So I look forward to the next 3 debates for 2012.  Internet engagement makes the #debates ever more impor...

Having read through a lot of information on how the Obama and Romney campaigns are utilising the Internet and Social Media, I wanted to focus on their political photography campaigns. After looking at their respective flickr accounts ( Barack Obama - Mitt Romney ), I was really amazed with the Romney campaign... in not using flickr properly. Dinner with Barack and Michelle—August 20th, 2012, Dinner at Mintwood Place in Washington DC, Photograph by Scout Tufankjian for Obama for America It is really weird that the Romney campaign does not use flickr as they should in order to attract more views, spread the campaign photos across the web, and drive traffic back to MittRomney.com The Romney campaign does not title their photos, nor do they provide a description to each photo. So each photo is " Untitled" and the campaign does not even give credit to the respective photographers. Moreover, none of the photos are even taged with keywords, and also the Romney campaign...

I found this update of " Mitt's VP App " on the iPhone. I must say that it made me laugh! A few days before the VP announcement,  Mitt Romney gives his  VP nominee "Performance Improvements".  The Mitt's VP App states: There's no telling when Mitt will choose his VP. But when he does, be the first to find out with Mitt's VP app. Share with friends and earn exclusive campaign gear. Reading  Picking Through the Romney VP Chatter , I wondered whether there might be a clue in this recent App Update... In any case, the update on the App only contains bug fixes and enhancements or  "Performance Improvements" . If you read more into this, you're probably hooked on election news.

Credit: OSCE/Mikhail Evstafiev I strongly believe that Foreign Affairs Organizations have the opportunity to become pioneers in developing a comprehensive Digital Diplomacy and Social Media Strategy. The Internet as a whole and the different Social Media applications provide an opportunity to connect with various stakeholders, online communities, interest groups and individuals. The advantages of developing a Digital Diplomacy Strategy: To communicate the message directly to the public across the world. Without having to rely on International Media, Journalists or the Foreign Press. To harness public knowledge, share it with the world, so as to pursue national interests abroad. To maintain contact with audiences online and to utilize Social Media to listen and target important groups of individuals with key messages. To influence major online news leaders and International news agencies. To listen and gather information in order to anticipate emerging political mo...

Message by Dr. Stefanie Babst (NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy). A new initiative from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, part of a public, or better framed, digital diplomacy. As stated, the WE-NATO platform is:  "... A n interactive social media platform which will enable NATO officials to engage directly with the global public and netizens in an open and transparent dialogue on issues related to NATO’s current agenda." Although I do applaud this new communication and outreach campaign, I must say that this could have been done from the current website of the organization, without having to create a new online presence or introduce the public to a new name (WE-NATO).  At the same time, just to add a bit of constructive criticism, I must point out that throughout the website comments are encouraged,   WE want to listen to what YOU have to say!  however at the bottom of each page its states:  Comments are clos...

First of all I want to say that I don't believe in websites that debunk Internet rumor. As I said in a previous post Debunking smears on the Internet :  "When you make it an issue, it becomes an issue"  AttackWatch.com is a new website that seeks to put the record strait (according to the Obama campaign).  The Obama campaign also keeps FightTheSmears.com a website actually created for the 2008 campaign! The website is still online, along the new  AttackWatch.com . Both of them! Comes to prove that websites that re-produce smears and rumors, do just that: re-produce smears and rumors.  FightTheSmears.com is a 2008 Obama campaign tool, that still keeps the 2008 smears online! The Republicans instead of "Getting the record strait" they just serve "the facts" not the rumors; with the  StimulusSpotlightProject.com  The difference is that they do not re-produce the smears. The website offers bullet point "facts" that target on...

The Mitt Romney campaign has the message "Believe in America" beneath the Romney logo ( my opinion on the 2012 Romney logo ) but just beneath that, it has a Donate button. In doing so the message becomes:  Romney - Believe in America - Donate So, Romney believes in America, you should too.. oh, and donate to the campaign..  I know that that this might be considered a detail, however, when you look at it, it looks like the message is with the word " donate ".  Anyway, I just wanted to bring this to your attention in order to point out that: The way you create an email newsletter can be proven to be crucial in changing or shaping your message.

In a recent email to supporters, the UK Conservative Party asks people to become full members of the party in order to help shape party policies, attend party Conferences and select the Party's candidates. Also worth mentioning.. members get a free Membership card. That's all good, but then the email also offers a £40 wine voucher if you register now! WTF? As an added bonus, new Members will also get £40 off at Naked Wines . After joining online, you'll be directed to the Naked Wines website - where you'll get £40 off any case of wine worth £59.99 or more. (You must be 18 years old to take advantage. Terms and conditions apply More info about the free wine at the Conservative website here .  I believe this offer from the UK conservatives is hilarious!  There are so many ways to rip on this move! But as they say in their email (after ordering the free wine):  join today and help shape the future of your Party and your country .  I wonder if the deci...

David Plouffe, Senior Advisor to the President, in a recent email said: We're about to change the way Americans engage with President Obama and his Administration by launching a new way for you to join with fellow Americans to petition the federal government on a range of issues. We the People  is a new e-goverment solution from the Whitehouse in order to engage with people online. I hope this is not just another 2012 campaign tool...   Although the Whitehouse is not the first administration to launch this sort of opengov initiative, it is always good to give people new ways to interact with Government.  Another initiative like "We the People", that I clearly remember, is from number 10 in the UK. I remember this e-Petition being in place even from the previous labour administration of Tony Blair.  The UK version also states that: You can create an e-petition about anything that the government is responsible for and if it gets at least 100,000 si...

It's good to see that the GOP is engaging with the Obama twitter townhall #AskObama . Something that they didn't do during the Obama facebook townhall. In my post " President's facebook townhall & creative online campaign tactics " I wrote: I expect to see more smart and creative online campaign tactics; hopefully the 2012 campaigns will use more creative thinking in the coming months. Reince Priebus send out a tweet , the GOP ReTweeted and posted an update to the GOP facebook page . One short comment: it doesn't matter if it's facebook, twitter or any other Social Network. Internet communications technologies are used by people at the same time. So, why not let facebook people take part in a twitter townhall? The Obama facebook page does not ask supporters for twitter questions; the GOP asked facebook a twitter question!

Email newsletters can be considered to be the first direct to citizen tool of online political communications, before social media or other engaging technologies.  The Obama 2012 campaign is using a style of email communication that started in the 2008 campaign. People in our days are so overwhelmed by email, because everyone is getting so many newsletters that clutter their inbox with advertisements, offers, promotional messages and, in this case, emails from the 2012 campaigns. So, how can you make your political campaign email stand out? What the Obama campaign understands is that you don't need fancy graphics, banner ads, or digital signatures. The above email was "sent out" by the President with "(no subject)" in the title of the email. It has no banners, no photos, no videos embedded. Just like an email you would receive from a friend. Simple, Short, Single-Issued. (SSS) (Hey! I created an acronym...) You would except that each and every email that c...

I really want to commend Benjamin Netanyahu on his initiative to engage with people online. It is truly remarkable that a head of state is coming out openly and accepting questions from a global audience! The office of the Israeli PM states that: This will be a unique project since Prime Minister Netanyahu will be the first head of government to be in continuous contact will (with) websurfers, and will not suffice with isolated interviews only. ( small misprint there ) I have previously blogged on Israeli politics and social media, and the overall theme is that is clear, straightforward and open. Just like social media needs to be; especially when dealing with global political communications, or international political leaders being active in New Media. It's about being clear, honest and fully transparent. I am planning to address a question Benjamin Netanyahu soon, and hopefully he will respond. On a last note, I want to suggest a bit of housekeeping. ...

Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, came out with a video on April 15th in asking people to send YouTube videos and tell the GOP why they "Can't Afford 4 More Years". The winning submission will receive a $100 gift certificate to the GOPStore.com and could be showcased in the GOP.com website. My first comment is that this contest seems outdated. Yet another example of a safe political communications strategy in trying to copy-paste tried ideas. This has already been done before, it's not innovative or cool anymore, and by the looks of it, with 3,355 views of the Reince Priebus video in 6 days, the Video contest is not going to be a success. It all seems really amateur in setting up a YouTube contest. But worry not, I am sure the GOP online communications team is only just beginning, that's right, Reince Priebus also opened a facebook page ; I bet this comes really handy in getting the video contest " viral ". I don...

So, Tim Pawlenty tweeted before the President's facebook townhall: Have a tough question for @BarackObama 's Facebook townhall today, submit questions that are unlikely to be answered here When I saw this I thought that it would link to the facebook live page so that people would actually ask the President all the " questions that are unlikely to be answered " but no... it linked to a page at the T-Paw website with a condescending photo of Obama asking people to: "Use the form below to let us know what questions need to be addressed but won't be asked at tomorrow's campaign event." This is so wrong in terms of new media communications in Politics! If T-Paw actually directed people to the facebook live page it could have been a really great tactical move to actually get his followers to ask the questions that " need to be addressed " at the actual event that they could have been addressed! It could have been a really smart move by T-P...

Shimon Peres & Benjamin Netanyahu, in two different occasions, talked about the role of the Internet in the recent events throughout the Middle East. Peres at a Chatham House Conference: Sixty Years of British-Israeli Diplomatic Relations (30 March 2011), and Netanyahu in a recent YouTube interview (31 March 2011). Both messages carry the same principles. Peres said: It's actually a revolt without organizers. Nobody knows who organized it. It arrived from an unknown combination of sentiments and knowledge introduced to the younger generation by modern communication, the internet, smartphones, Facebook. For the first time, young people in the Arab world could have seen with their own eyes the ugly face of dictatorship, of corruption, of want. And they could have compared their lot with the lot of other young people in the world. And ask themselves why they're not here. And actually, it is really a revolt, unorganized, spontaneous, against autocracy, against oppressi...

I thought I received an email from the GOP; but no, it was from Melody Barnes and the White House. Melody Barnes is the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, she works as an advisor in Washington DC. In the email she states: The state of the American education system today is unacceptable. (...) For the sake of the next generation, and America's economic future, this has to change. It is unbelievable that a senior White House advisor is using a 2008 talking point. This is what Obama was talking about in the race for the Presidency. It was all about "Change we can believe in", "Vote for Change" and more... How is it that change rhetorics are still in use by the White House, is it a sign that change will be the main theme in 2012? After two years in the White House, the Obama administration states that "Something Must Change". So, what happened during the past years? nothing changed? I think that the 2012 Obama campaign needs to change the creat...

I've been following what is happening in Libya these days, and I am not sure why this uprising has not been hailed as a Social Media or "facebook revolution". Although this sort of tagging is mostly planted by mainstream media, I am sure that in the aftermath of the middle-east happenings there will be a lot of analysis and even research on how the Internet played a part. In one of my past posts, I wrote on " The Internet and Social Media in #Egypt, how It really matters ". Saif al-Islam Gaddafi , the son of Muammar al-Gaddafi , on a recent speech to the Libyan people (February 20th) referred to some people that want to drag Libya into: "what happened in Tunisia and in Egypt and it started by facebook, emails and twitter and in their media campaign". In an article " Libyan dictator warns against use of Facebook " Emil Protalinski confirms what Saif al-Islam Gaddafi said. So, not only citizens know how Social Media impact t...