New Feature Ideas

Technology is expanding at a rapid pace. I have recently begun to ponder whether I am trying to create just another social networking site, or if I have something that could truly be distinct and beneficial to the populace at large. I have no interest in creating something that fails to empower citizens and their representatives, nor do I have any interest in creating a monstrosity that endangers people's right to privacy, or violates their trust.

One feature that might be beneficial, if implemented with privacy, end user control, and freedom at the center, would be to allow people to join organizations that want to operate over the precinct structure. Campaigns would benefit greatly by making it easy for citizens in their district to opt in or out of getting materials or contacts.

I'm hoping to get back to work on this project soon.

Domain Names and Further Design

I've purchased two domains (citizensbrigade.org and citizensbrigade.info) which are temporarily pointed to this blog. Eventually, those domains will have the web site that is under development hosted that helps facilitate the goals expressed by this project.

I've further fleshed out the structure of the site design, and hope to include the following elements:

Content structure

• Issues will be assigned to a certain scope of influence (which people can be involved in this issue)
• Issues will have one Poll associated with them
• Issues will have a summary of the best moderated Pro and Con points
  
• Issues can have any number of posts
• Posts can contain points / arguments that attempt to either support or oppose the issue
• Points should contain citations to back up the arguments within

Moderation

• Members of the site will be allowed to moderate the structures within their scope.
• Points will be allowed to be moderated as
  
• Pro -- This argument supports the issue's statement
  
• Con -- This argument contradicts the issue's statement
  
• Irrelevant -- This argument does not relate to the issue's statement
  
• Citations will be allowed to be moderated in two categories:
• Context
• Subject -- The citation is used from the primary purpose of the source material
• In Context -- The citation is used in a way that is similar to the source material
• Out of Context -- The citation is used in a way that is contradictory to the source material
• Validity (this might be able to be programmatically determined)
  
• Valid -- The citation appears word for word in the source material
• Invalid-- The citation does not appear in the source

The moderation values of the Point will determine whether and for which side it could appear in the issue summary. Points will have more value with more and higher quality citations attached. This will enable someone to come looking for well reasoned arguments to assist them in deciding how to vote. The issues could potentially be arranged into the ballots as they will see them at the polls.

I have very high hopes for this design, but it will require the efforts of many many people to succeed.

Theoretical Structure

I'd like to expand upon the ideas that I think are central to this movement, and hopefully in doing so I can work towards making this dream a reality.

In a previous post I sketched out some of the ways that I think the real citizens brigade should work, and I feel I should attempt to elaborate on the things that need to be done to start getting this off the ground.

1. Finding co-sponsors
I'd like to find other people that are interested in this idea, and are willing to share this idea with the people around them.

2. Face to Face spreading the word
Going around the neighborhood and asking for opinions about voting and citizenship. Telling them about citizensbrigade.org

3. Create a Presense at the Polls
First research would need to be done in regards to how close to the polling places we would be allowed to set up a table. Next would be to man a table with information about this organization at as many polls as possible.

Specifically, I'd like to have a precinct head for each precinct that coordinated efforts in a given precinct. This person would coordinate all neighborhood walks for registering voters, reminding people about upcoming elections, and of course sending people to the website. These volunteers would also be able to register people for the website so that citizens can contribute to the information and discussions on the site.

So what will the real web site look like?

I'd like it to be an issue-centric web site. Organization for these issues will be related to the scope of the issues. As I mentioned in the other post, county issues should be visible on the pages for each citizen in the county. In addition, since people will be able to view the site anonymously (but not post), there will be the option to specify a particular location to view issues about. Maybe they want to go ahead and tell us exactly what precinct they're in, and we can go ahead and show them all the topics that should be of interest to them. Other people may only be interested in the Federal topics, so they could just pick a US Congressional District.

I'd like to have frequent polls on the site. These polls would also be subject to the scoping that I've been referring to. This would be nice so that people in other areas don't get to vote on a poll about a Springfield area power plant.

We are entering into a new age where the younger generations get so much information from the internet, yet so few are engaged in civic affairs. So many are disillusioned into thinking that there's nothing that they can do to affect the government, and I think the mainstream media tends to reinforce that idea. I want to have a place that people of all ages can be involved, get the information they need, and hopefully provide their thoughts to influence their neighbors, and ultimately to improve our communities, our cities, our states, and our nation.

First Issue

The first issue that I would like to have information about for an example of what this site is all about is Missouri Amendment 2.

My first goal is to provide links to the important resources. The first and most important resource of course is the actual text of the proposed amendment. The second is the text that will appear on the ballot.

Next, I'd like to provide links to both proponent and opponent websites:

Pro:

Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures

Con:

Missourians Against Human Cloning

Finally, I'd like to attempt to provide a summary of each side's arguments. More important than this summary is to attempt to read the actual text of the amendment, and compare that to the arguments given by each side.

Pro Summary:

1. Protects your family's access to future medical cures.
2. Protects stem cell research and cures - and bans human cloning.
3. Makes good economic sense for our state.
4. Stem cell research does not involve abortion.
5. Strictly bans human cloning.
6. Protects Missourians' access to any federally-approved stem cell cures.
7. Bans the sale of human eggs or embryos.

Con Summary:

1. Constitutionally protects human cloning.
2. Exploits and endangers women.
3. Grants public money for private profit.
4. Is intentionally deceptive.
5. Is funded by elites.

It's VERY VERY important to become informed about this amendment before choosing which way to vote.

Inspiration

One of the major factors for this site's existence is the inspiration that I've found from the complacency of generally intelligent and responsible people around me. Friends and co-workers that I've encouraged to vote in all elections have complained that it would be irresponsible to vote when they don't understand the issues at hand.

I want this project to be a location that distills all the issues. This project should provide a location for fair presentation of both sides of issues that affect the voters so that they may make informed decisions.

The first method to attempt to ensure this is to create sites that are specific to the exact community that needs to vote on an issue. If the issue is going to be voted on by the entire county, then the county site should contain the information on the issue. Comparisons and discussions regarding the candidates for a state representative seat should only be participated in by the people living in that district.

How I propose to accomplish this requires a great deal of personal volunteer effort. Only in-person registration for the web-site will be allowed, and noone will be allowed to post anonymously. The first reason for this is that I believe those that are anonymous will tend to be more hateful, derogatory, and careless with what they say. The second reason for this is that it is not fair for people outside a district to dominate the discussions that affect a given district. When a person signs up for this web-site, they will be required to present both photo-id, and voter registration information. This will place them into the appropriate voting precincts, and give them posting rights in all their districts.

I feel that the complacency, the fear, and the ignorance can be attacked and defeated with hard work. This project will need hundreds upon thousands of volunteer hours to make it work, so I have my work cut out for me.

If these ideas seem sound to you, and you'd like to get involved in any capacity, please contact me through comments to this blog. They are currently moderated, so private messages will be kept private.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Citizen's Brigade. Our purpose here is to arm citizens with a two way communication channel between them and their elected representatives at every level of government.

The basic concept that this site strives to encapsulate is the idea of grouping communications and citizens within their voting precincts so that we can not only reliably offer communications to the representatives, but provide a concise location for citizens to learn about the issues that face them, right down to their neighborhoods.

This site will serve as a launching pad, as well as idea central for this project. Separate web technology, apart from the publicly available blog space will be required to enable users to easilly communicate with their community in a secure and organized fashion.

Further posts here will elaborate on the ideas that are being bounced around for this project, along with many pleas for refinement and enaction.