Digital Democracy Reflection Week 8

I thought at the beginning of this class, that digital democracy was about bringing true democracy to campaigns, now I know that goes beyond campaigns.  Digital democracy is about bringing the people to right to speak and communicate with others about all kinds of issues. Before these issues were not noticed, but know people are talking about them. I also learn that it is also use in other country for the same purposes, this was really great because now more people are more connected to make a change.

Traditional Newspapers in Danger or in Need of Transformation?

Newspapers have been “endangered species” since 1976 according to David Shaw. The question about whether newspapers (as we know them today) will disappear has been a dilemma for many years. Now with more people using the internet and getting their news through electronic newspapers or blogs, this question of “survival” has become a major focus of discussion as the digital news become the future and advertisement revenue from the Web continues to grow. Some suggestions have evolved as a result, like radical changes in the way that newspapers do their business or provide the news. However, as David Shaw stated, this survival issue for newspapers has been a problem for many years, even before the internet. Carl Sessions Stepps suggested that newspapers need to go through a transformation to meet the needs of the audience which will generate advertisement business and keep traditional newspapers alive. Therefore, if traditional newspapers change the way they do business, just as they have done in the past, then they may have many years to come.

Digital Divide Matters

Back in Mexico City in 1985, only few people had a telephone line. In order to have one, you have to be very rich or have been placed in a waiting list for about 10 to 15 years. I remember wanting to have a telephone at that time. I was 15 and I wanted to be able to call my mother to let her know I was going to be late or call some of my friends who had a telephone. Ten years later, I was living in USA and my mother called me from Mexico to inform me that she finally got her telephone line. However, by this time had a cell phone and an e-mail account, something that it was not available in Mexico to everyone. Thirteen years later my mom called me to give me her cell phone number; she finally got one after all my aunts, uncles and cousins had acquired one. But now, I have my own blog,

Presidential Election 2008 Video