Comments on: Obama Campaign’s New Media Staff was NOT a Part of the Tech Team

By: e.politics: online advocacy tools & tactics » The Online Strategy Behind Scott Brown’s Victory, Plus Details on His Massachusetts Moneybomb

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:33:27 +0000

[...] the Brown campaign respected the “web guy” and didn’t stick him in the basement (sound familiar?), they understood that social media is called SOCIAL media for a reason. they realized that [...]

By: e.politics: online advocacy tools & tactics » Winning in 2010: Putting the Pieces Together

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:42:19 +0000

[...] Obama Campaign’s New Media Staff was NOT a Part of the Tech Team [...]

By: Fiducia Strategies | Online Creative Design

Fiducia Strategies | Online Creative Design — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:16:11 +0000

[...] Delany makes a crucial point at e.politics (and techPresident) about the importance of (a) integrating new/internet/social media with the rest [...]

By: We Need Service-Oriented Infratructure - Fiducia Strategies

We Need Service-Oriented Infratructure - Fiducia Strategies — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:20:20 +0000

[...] by admin in Uncategorized on 02 2nd, 2009 | no responses Colin Delany makes a crucial point at e.politics (and techPresident) about the importance of (a) integrating new/internet/social media with the rest [...]

By: J’s Notes » How Obama Treated His New Media Team

J’s Notes » How Obama Treated His New Media Team — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:53:19 +0000

[...] as technology but as communication: At a New Organizing Institute presentation this morning, former Obama new media director Joe [...]

By: K Street Cafe » Blog Archive » Obama Campaign’s New Media Staff was NOT a Part of the Tech Team

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:28:09 +0000

[...] Cross-posted on e.politics [...]

By: Alicia

Alicia — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:10:25 +0000

Amen, Colin!
And, yes, that whole “we put this URL in an ad running in the Post next Thursday, can you build us something – oh and we have no content” card is still constantly played. Ugh.

By: cpd

cpd — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:30:52 +0000

Joe, that bit about the comms people using URLs without telling the web team was one of my pet peeves for years — they sometimes wouldn’t tell me about it until AFTER the ad started running…when they remembered to put in a URL at all. Great idea — let’s spend a bunch of money on ads without bothering to give people a way to follow up on them. Genius.

By: cpd

cpd — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:13:37 +0000

Man, this one hit a nerve! If only we could capture and channel the frustration of advocacy-group online communications staff, we could power America for decades to come.

By: Joe Flood

Joe Flood — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:37:30 +0000

Absolutely. You and I share a former employer and, in that organization, online was always thought of last, when we were that of at all. Granted, it was the 90s, but compared to the print publication and direct mail, we were small fry.

I’ve also worked in a couple of organizations where the communications folks make up URLs, include them in ads, and don’t bother to tell the online folks. Glad to see that the Obama campaign was so much smarter.

By: Charles

Charles — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:27:19 +0000

Yes. Double yes. That being said, a lot of times folks in communications depts. are obsessed with crafting messages, and aren’t in the trenches dealing with people. Communications folks don’t see themselves as ‘organizers.’ I think those of us in the emerging online organizing field do see ourselves that way.

By: Isaac Luria

Isaac Luria — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:13:51 +0000

So absolutely the case. Progressives have to understand that an online position is communications, not tech. I’m lucky that my organization recognizes that – and the growth and ability to leverage the online space has been really tremendous.

By: Kevin Bondelli

Kevin Bondelli — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:46:49 +0000

I had the same experience when I was working for the AZ Democratic Party. I was expected to manage all of the tech resources, provide tech support, show people how to mail merge in MS Office, etc.

Not only that, but my internet department was treated like a 3rd class dept., and eventually was even removed as a department and demoted to a sub-communications position.

What was so positive about the Obama campaign was not only that they separated the IT from Online, but that they respected the online dept. as a stand-alone senior level component of the campaign. A lot of local campaigns and parties are wall behind on this.