Ian On The Red Dot

Interesting article over at Today Online. Won’t be linking to it because it seems links to articles suffer from link rot over at the online properties of our newspapers.

Anyway, the article is about the PAP, our Ministers and MPs increasing their presence online.

Two interesting parts:

But while it would seem reasonable to keep a finger on the pulse of the wired citizen, just how much of the “flash and bang” of the Internet translates into real life — particularly votes?

MP Baey Yam Keng (Tanjong Pagar GRC) agrees on the latter point. “There is still a big proportion of Singaporeans who do not rely on the Internet as a source of information.”

Here is the thing. Sure, there is a big proportion of people who do not rely on the internet as a source of information. But the internet isn’t just a place for us to get information. It isn’t just a place for us to waste time. It isn’t just a place for us to give feedback that you can pretend to be interested in. It isn’t just a place for us to ‘debate’.

It is a place where we organize, manage and coordinate.

The article makes it seem that the population online are a frivolous bunch with the label “YouTube generation” (thanks to a plurker for this point). How condescending.

The truth is there is a lot of excess attention, time and energy that is being diverted online. This attention, time and energy can be harnessed.

And no, it isn’t just to get votes.

Here is the thing, engaging us just to make sure you don’t lose votes or even win votes is crass.

Be our leaders. Set us on fire with a vision. Realize that the Internet can be a more effective tool for us to fulfill that vision.

When I read that article, it just seems that our leaders are trying to figure out how to use the Internet to manage us.

ZZZ…

Why not use the Internet to inspire us.

And you know, lead us.