The League of Technical Voters

The League of Technical Voters

Project Overview

February 2007

Project Overview

February 2007

Contact: Silona Bonewald / silona@leagueoftechvoters.org

What is the League?What is the League?

The League of Technical Voters (LoTV) is a non-profit,

non-partisan organization of technical experts

dedicated to facilitating effective communication

between government and the public through Internet

technology.

The League of Technical Voters (LoTV) is a non-profit,

non-partisan organization of technical experts

dedicated to facilitating effective communication

between government and the public through Internet

technology.

What are our goals?What are our goals?

Transparency of government budget and legislation

Influence of individual citizens in the legislative process

Collaboration within the activism community

Transparency of government budget and legislation

Influence of individual citizens in the legislative process

Collaboration within the activism community

ContentsContents

Project Overview

Rollout and Adoption

LeagueOfTechVoters.org

Sustainability

Project Overview

Rollout and Adoption

LeagueOfTechVoters.org

Sustainability

Next-generation social networking and Wikipedia-style databases get us there.Next-generation social networking and Wikipedia-style databases get us there.

Budget &legislationcommunitydatabase

Identity andreputation info

Meta-network

Reuniting Americasocial network

Addtional socialnetworks

MoveOnsocial network

Christian Coalitionsocial network

Our meta-network incorporates fundamental differences from today’s social networks.

Our meta-network incorporates fundamental differences from today’s social networks.

Entity-based architecture

Identity & reputation

Social network interoperability

Collaboration tools

Entity-based architecture

Identity & reputation

Social network interoperability

Collaboration toolsMeta-network

Reuniting Americasocial network

Additional socialnetworks

MoveOnsocial network

Christian Coalitionsocial network

An entity-based architecture brings groups into a social network.An entity-based architecture brings groups into a social network.

Entities in the network can be individuals or groups

Network can reflect diverse relationships such as membership or group partnership

Provides a meaningful basis for groups to collaborate in the network

Entities in the network can be individuals or groups

Network can reflect diverse relationships such as membership or group partnership

Provides a meaningful basis for groups to collaborate in the network

ACLUsocial network

Bob

Julie

Sarah

ACLU NRA

Friend

Friend

Partnership

Spo

nsor

Mem

ber

Mem

ber

Red’s Firing Range

Customer

Identity and reputation let users understand who they are dealing with.Identity and reputation let users understand who they are dealing with.

Entities (individuals or groups) receive identity and reputation authentication from other entities on the network. Objective: Name, job history, titles, etc. Subjective: Testimonials

Reputation becomes a part of network interactions Identity fraud mitigated Real-world influence starts to translate online Validates budget & legislation database content

Entities (individuals or groups) receive identity and reputation authentication from other entities on the network. Objective: Name, job history, titles, etc. Subjective: Testimonials

Reputation becomes a part of network interactions Identity fraud mitigated Real-world influence starts to translate online Validates budget & legislation database content

Social network interoperability allows many networks to act as one.Social network interoperability allows many networks to act as one.

Reach: Collaborations become possible between users who would not otherwise be connected

Growth: Less need to fight other networks for users; everyone wins

Sustainability: Meta-network stays healthy even if an individual network fails

Reach: Collaborations become possible between users who would not otherwise be connected

Growth: Less need to fight other networks for users; everyone wins

Sustainability: Meta-network stays healthy even if an individual network fails

Meta-network

Reuniting Americasocial network

Additional socialnetworks

MoveOnsocial network

Christian Coalitionsocial network

Collaboration tools will help users actually get work done.Collaboration tools will help users actually get work done.

Event calendars facilitate online coordination and real-world events

Consensus wikis (“c-wikis”) facilitate collaborative authoring (e.g. whitepapers) Voting mechanisms supported for formal collaboration Event calendar integration to organize proceedings

Other tools include forums, blogs, petitions, and more

Event calendars facilitate online coordination and real-world events

Consensus wikis (“c-wikis”) facilitate collaborative authoring (e.g. whitepapers) Voting mechanisms supported for formal collaboration Event calendar integration to organize proceedings

Other tools include forums, blogs, petitions, and more

The budget and legislation database will be built upon the success of the meta-network.

The budget and legislation database will be built upon the success of the meta-network.

Meta-network

Budget &legislationcommunitydatabase

Identity andreputation info

A Wikipedia-style database will house the budget and legislation data.

Data entry will be crowdsourced -- populated by the meta-network community of activist individuals and groups.

Identity and reputation information from the meta-network will maintain the quality and accuracy of the data.

A Wikipedia-style database will house the budget and legislation data.

Data entry will be crowdsourced -- populated by the meta-network community of activist individuals and groups.

Identity and reputation information from the meta-network will maintain the quality and accuracy of the data.

The database will contain data facilitating a number of meaningful applications.

The database will contain data facilitating a number of meaningful applications.

Text of bills

Fragmentation data: splitting bills into manageable pieces for action and discussion

Bill sponsor and campaign funding information

“Tagging” (human categorization) for easy searching and RSS feeds

Text of bills

Fragmentation data: splitting bills into manageable pieces for action and discussion

Bill sponsor and campaign funding information

“Tagging” (human categorization) for easy searching and RSS feeds

Crowdsourcing is a proven model which the meta-network will drive. Crowdsourcing is a proven model which the meta-network will drive.

Fragmentation of legislative bills breaks work into manageable chunks.

The meta-network community can be tapped for manpower.

Reputation credit within the meta-network will provide an incentive for ongoing contribution.

Contributors can be engaged at the city, state, and federal levels.

Fragmentation of legislative bills breaks work into manageable chunks.

The meta-network community can be tapped for manpower.

Reputation credit within the meta-network will provide an incentive for ongoing contribution.

Contributors can be engaged at the city, state, and federal levels.

Complementary efforts will drive the meta-network to critical mass.Complementary efforts will drive the meta-network to critical mass.

Bootstrap the meta-network

Open source software development

Marketing and community outreach

Bootstrap the meta-network

Open source software development

Marketing and community outreach

Useracquisition

Network size

Network utility

We will bootstrap the meta-network using a “seed” network and free software.

We will bootstrap the meta-network using a “seed” network and free software.

Launch “League of Technical Voters” social network to seed the meta-network

LoTV develops and releases the social network software for free to encourage adoption

Interoperability standards

Organizations may join the meta-network later if they do not want to integrate at first

Launch “League of Technical Voters” social network to seed the meta-network

LoTV develops and releases the social network software for free to encourage adoption

Interoperability standards

Organizations may join the meta-network later if they do not want to integrate at first

Meta-network (early)

Reuniting Americasocial network

LoTVsocial network

MoveOnsocial network

Christian Coalitionsocial network

Meta-network (later)

Open source software development will help build a community and increase adoption.

Open source software development will help build a community and increase adoption.

Community building will begin at start of development

Open source community is technologically savvy and politically active -- our ideal early adopter demographic

An open source approach will also maximize software security, vital for identity and reputation functionality

Community building will begin at start of development

Open source community is technologically savvy and politically active -- our ideal early adopter demographic

An open source approach will also maximize software security, vital for identity and reputation functionality

LoTVsocial network

Reuniting Americasocial network

MoveOnsocial network

Christian Coalitionsocial network

New social networks

Meta-network (mature)

Marketing and community outreach efforts will take us to critical mass.Marketing and community outreach efforts will take us to critical mass.

Presence at key technology, political, NPO conferences

Personal outreach tp key community members

Online advertising

Free technical training under Creative Commons

Volunteer code-a-thons

Online community for network hosts

Presence at key technology, political, NPO conferences

Personal outreach tp key community members

Online advertising

Free technical training under Creative Commons

Volunteer code-a-thons

Online community for network hosts

LoTVsocial network

Reuniting Americasocial network

MoveOnsocial network

Christian Coalitionsocial network

New social networks

LeagueOfTechVoters.org, the meta-network seed, is ambitious and exciting by itself.

LeagueOfTechVoters.org, the meta-network seed, is ambitious and exciting by itself.

The LoTV.org social network will:

Seed the meta-network

Provide a new bridge between the public and legislators

Become increasingly useful as the meta-network and data repository grow

The LoTV.org social network will:

Seed the meta-network

Provide a new bridge between the public and legislators

Become increasingly useful as the meta-network and data repository grow

LoTV.org will help bridge the public and legislators in myriad ways.LoTV.org will help bridge the public and legislators in myriad ways.

Sample Scenario

This is only one of countless use cases!

Lawmaker drafts legislation

Discussion on LoTV.org

C-wikis used to propose amendments

Lawmaker uses c-wiki as quality, informed public opinion

Revenue will come from membership fees for the LoTV social network.Revenue will come from membership fees for the LoTV social network.

Projected User Growth (thousands)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Projected Revenue ($M)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

The LoTV and the meta-network will help sustain each other.The LoTV and the meta-network will help sustain each other.

LoTVrevenue

Meta-networkgrowth

LoTVnetworkgrowthMembership fees

Mutually reinforcing growthSoftware maintenance

Training efforts Community programs

FinFin