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The power of communities

February 5, 2005 by Keith Seabourn 2 Comments

I read an interesting article about the power of communities, as demonstrated in the recent election. The important part is quoted is below. My highlights are in red.

These numbers from Meetup.com ought to be Exhibit A in countering those who still pooh-pooh the Internet’s ability to bring about meaningful social change in a rapid manner:

About 750,000 individuals registered for various political Meetup Groups, with some 450,000 attending at least one of 25,000 meetings held nationwide.

Kerry supporters alone numbered almost 132,000 strong in 653 cities worldwide, and they conducted 8,700 events between them.

President Bush’s supporters numbered fewer than 5% of the Kerry total and Bush events fewer than 10% . . . but these folks held much cheerier post-election bashes.

Myles Weissleder, Meetup’s vice president of communications, sums it up thusly: “Twenty-five thousand meetings where no meetings existed before. Community connections where there were once none. Meetup Groups helped spur millions of dollars raised, tens of thousands of signatures signed, record voter turnouts and best of all – a newly empowered electorate.”

Some will carp that all those newly minted activists holding all those living-room meetings didn’t do Kerry any good where it counted. They are shortsighted.

This is how political campaigns are going to be run from now on.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. IndyChristian says

    February 9, 2005 at 6:52 am

    Keith…

    Agreed. At least intuitively agreed: Meet-ups are good ways of hooking people up.

    That being said, a Meet-up that only brings together unbonded participants is of SOME value. But the way G.W. did his groups (not via Meetup.com) was by friends inviting friends… ie, EXISTING (bonded) friends inviting other bonded friends. A much better model (IMHO). “Bonds” are everything when it comes to making a compelling case for Christ… or G.W… or whomever/whatever.

    The strength of the links determines the strength of the net they weave.

    YBIC,
    Neil Cox
    IndyChristian.com

    [hat-tip, Rob Williams, Effective Web Ministry Notes]

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  2. David M says

    November 9, 2005 at 3:07 pm

    Hi Keith, I saw a page listed in a profile at http://www.SchoolBuddies.com. that talked about Finding Old Friends and somehow it sent me here. I’ll check out your site while I’m here. Have a good day. See ya.. Dave.

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