Dirty Digital Tricks Or Just Satire?
Friday, October 30, 2009 at 10:29AM The last presidential election was significant not only for the outcome but also for the use of technology during the campaigns. For the first time, a candidate grasped how important new tools like social networking sites and Twitter were, using them to connect to supporters and focus their collective will. I think you know which candidate I’m talking about. The other OTHER one, however, didn’t do so well (besides the obvious losing-the-election thing). His party’s efforts were haphazard, slipshod and paid little more than lip service to the idea that technology is a fundamental part of how people live today.
It looks like they’ve come around, though. Last week, Twitter shut down 33 bogus accounts using the names of state Democrats. The accounts were created by the state Republican party and were, as Twitter pointed out, a violation of the no-impersonation policy. Chris Healy, Connecticut Republican Chairman, had the following to say when he was told Twitter had closed the accounts:
"That's unfortunate. I'm not quite sure what the issue is, other than that the Democrats were successful in stopping free speech. That's not impersonation; that's satire."
The accounts are completely gone, so there’s no way to see what exactly they were tweeting, but I’m sure it wasn’t good stuff, judging by the content of one of the 33 websites the Republican party in Connecticut also runs using state Democrat names. Those sites are still going strong and there no plans to shutter them.
Is this ethical? Morally upright? I’m not sure (though I’m leaning pretty strongly in a particular direction) but Chris Healy has a firm opinion:
"I really don't care what a bunch of college professors from liberal colleges think."
Fizzle, PPorter Novelli Seattle, Twitter, politics in Technology
Reader Comments (3)
seriously how could they defend themselves on this? satire? wow.
Hmmm, not sure this retort does the argument's justice, but it's entertaining. http://www.chrishealy.info/. Healy's comment about professors from liberal colleges really baffles me. I just don't understand why anyone, a politician nonetheless, would so blatantly block out some of the most influential people in society.
Satire.... but that requires wit. So Fail.