THE HUMAN FACTOR
So you want to reform democracy
"It’s not a technology problem. It’s not something that a slick website solves. Building power is a social, societal, institutional challenge."
At his blog, open government activist Joshua Tauberer writes about the need to understand democratic reform as a human collective project, rather than a merely technological one:
"It’s not a technology problem. It’s not something that a slick website solves. Building power is a social, societal, institutional challenge.
If you’re trying to use technology to help people build power, keep in mind that technology often excludes segments of our society with the least power and who are in need of the most help. Technology is something only available to those who can afford it (and the time to use it). If your target audience is people like you, your idea could easily exacerbate problems for people less well off than you.”