Open AccessDesigning Technology for Local Citizen Deliberation
Author(s) -
Andrea L. Kavanaugh,
Philip L. Isenhour
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the journal of community informatics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1712-4441
DOI - 10.15353/joci.v2i2.2088
Subject(s) - deliberation , democracy , public relations , focus (optics) , emerging technologies , focus group , political science , knowledge management , business , internet privacy , sociology , world wide web , marketing , computer science , politics , physics , optics , artificial intelligence , law
Citizen participation in democratic processes in the United States has been facilitated and enhanced since the mid-1990s with the diffusion and adoption of computer networking. In its current form, however, the web strongly favors information consumers over information producers. Emerging technologies, such as web logs and wikis, seek to address this deficiency. In a series of focus group interviews, adult residents in Blacksburg and Montgomery County, Virginia reported on their needs, awareness, and other aspects of the use of these new tools.