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Social Networking in action #debill

#debill actually made it to a trending topic on twitter today.  This reflects the huge amount of interest around the country on the subject of the Digital Economy Bill.

I watched it both on iPlayer and via Tweetdeck where I could see real time comments on what was being debated.  MPs inside the chamber were also following twitter – you could see them referring to their mobile phones whilst others were speaking.

I’ve actually changed my view on twitter since getting involved in #debill.  It is a hugely powerful medium and one that can spread messages globally very quickly.  For example one of my blog posts was retweeted by Jeff Pulver who has somewhere in the region of 355 thousand followers.  If you have a message to get across and push the right buttons twitter is huge.

Interestingly because #debill was a trending topic on twitter, ie one of the top topics being followed by people it also attracted its fair share of spam – people jumping on the bandwagon – notably today by people trying to flog iPad.

We are all still finding our way in this connected world.

PS there can’t have been more than 20 MPs in the house debating such an important subject – democracy in action. It is getting harder and harder to decide which way to vote.

Trefor Davies

By Trefor Davies

Liver of life, father of four, CTO of trefor.net, writer, poet, philosopherontap.com

6 replies on “Social Networking in action #debill”

i watched it via parliament tv as we cant watch iplayer in spain and also on tweetdeck – the most salient point for me was when twitter was mentioned a number of times during the debate – recognising that (a few) politicians inside the house were aware of what was happening outside it and was relevant to what they were discussing

i think it will serve as a very salient wake-up call to some politicians tomorrow morning

at one point there were only about 10 mps in the house. Its terrible, 20000+ emails and letters to them, and they can’t be bothered to show up. They don’t get IT at all do they? this bill is a scandal, it is so badly written it will take years to fix. It needs throwing out and writing properly with correct backup info and stats. The main consultation for the bill is based on suppositions not fact.Tera consultants Digital Economy report pdf http://bit.ly/9uJ0mq
The whole thing is a shambles, and is bringing shame on digitalbritain.

Good points Trefor – I’ve always been a bit of a sceptic where Twitter is concerned though I’ve been using it on and off for some time now however tonight I probably enjoyed using it more than ever as you highlighted in your blog.

The House had around 13 – 16 people in throughout the bulk of the debate until Timms opened his mouth then a few started to squeeze their heads round the door.

I’ll await my local campaigners knocking on my door before commiting to one or the other – They can earn my vote this time and listen to what “I” have to say on this subject 😉

To be fair, they don’t actually have to be in the chamber.
They can listen to and watch the debate from their offices or elsewhere if they have other work to get on with. Even if they are going to speak they may be well aware that won’t be until a certain time and go in around then in time to be called. It doesn’t necessarily denote a lack of interest or involvement if they don’t sit through the hours of people claiming copyright infringement is exactly the same as theft or that they are sure that while the language of the bill allows such and such to happen that it won’t really.

You are right Huw although as Cyberdoyle says they will all have had a lot of contact from constituents re this – dar more I imagine than for any other Bill they have been involved with before.

On the main subject of the post, I was told (by phone as offline during the ‘event’) that Tom Watson was monitoring Twitter and passed on outside comments to other MPs during the debate.

Had there been _more_, AND techsavvy, MPs present in the chamber, some of us (the electorate) might feel democracy was being given a chance, instead of given the cold shoulder by our elected representatives (and non-elected tw*tspanners- Quote: El Reg) in favour of the election. The voting will be all done and dusted in a month; the DEB could take years to untangle – where are your priorities, guys? Do we the voters understand the fundamental issues and technology SO MUCH better than those in the House? Why?

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