The speakers aren’t a “spectrum” but included all the web 2.0 gurus from a spectrum of A to B, and if McCain’s people were there, it was merely to ridicule them over McCain not using a computer or whatever.

Re: “Political agendas have begun to encroach on the technological freedoms we take for granted”

No, you’ve got it backward — technology, hijacked by social media gurus and Silicon Valley A-listers, has begun to encroach on the political freedoms we take for granted (http://secondth...oftware-de.html).

Let’s take the posing of this very question here about broadband, which is what the tech lobby is going to lobby on, apparently, when it isn’t lobbying for “net neutrality” or being nice to China to get market share for tech companies.

We’re falling behind on broadband, everyone knows that. What could be more laudable than putting in broadband and making it accessible to The People? Except…the path to this glory is about “increasing competition”. And *that* in turn sounds like some thinly-veiled knock on big telecoms, ever the enemy of the Silicon Valley tekkies I guess because they represent some separate bastion of power not dependent on them. Although you’d think they’d be all merged and Googlified by now, and maybe that’s what’s supposed to happen with “competition” *cough*.

So we get broadband, and then…Arrington gets to flood it and influence more people than he can get to with his blog and his WashPost column. OK, just so we’re clear on why we’re getting broadband here.

I’m with No. 30 Jim on asking a) what are technology freedoms (the freedom to make widgets? Your freedom to make stuff that we can never fix ourselves and always have to buy a new one? and b) why does the federal government have to make broadband accessible? That is, as with all social goods, there is always a debate to be had about the federal government evening the playing field, but entirely responsible for making this social good more available?

I often get the impression now with the marches on Washington being made by Arrington, Scoble, Winer, etc. that they just want to get to power for power’s sake, that they are making it up as they go along, that they don’t really *have* a really detailed agenda of a range of political issues, that they are just grabbing at this or that groovy tech issue of the moment to fan the masses. There’s something awfully troubling about all this…

Thanks @TechCrunch!

To learn more about how exactly the professionals are using technology to change politics as usual would be an incredible opportunity for myself, a 22 year old student and budding entrepreneur to engage in what we can officially regard as, the future of politics, at least here in Canada! Attending the PdF would greatly help me in creating a social space for Canadians to interact and engage in politics through the Internet. Connecting each electoral constituency in Canada at both federal and provincial levels is our goal, and I know all sorts of secrets will be told at the PdF that can surely help here north of the border.

Political information in the 21st century is extremely valuable to a healthy democracy, and with TechCrunch’s help, I will be better suited to enhance the health of my democracy by attending the Personal Democracy Forum in NYC.

-Mark

Politicians cant fix everything and they wont always be perfect people so the best we can do is select those who seem to have the fewest or the least-tragic faults who are also capable of keeping the wheels on the cart around here. While it isnt perfect, social media offers an outlet for humanizing candidates.

Most campaigns look at social media this way: “how can we get the most email in our database, the highest raw number of supporters and the most donations from these online people?!” In reality, the long-term investment in a community of supporters while providing a real face to a candidate (not a pre-canned press release) will yield people who actually might care about that candidate’s personal vestment in the campaign. Openness and sincerity=dedicated, knowledgeable supports.

That is the shift needed in politics; to understanding and exchange rather than blasting demands to government all the while candidates are blasting messages at you. Once this shift happens, people might actually be able to affect quality change with these newfound mediums we are opening up online.

So yeah, this got a bit long, but I have really wanted to go to PDF for a long time because I feel really passionately about the connections in my two scholarly loves: politics and social media. (And I will already be in town for the OMMA Social Conference which is the day before PDF)

-Andrew

I would love to go to this conference (a la free tickets) because besides for being an information addict, (150 feed+) I also love following politics. This year has brought too many late nights watching the election results and not getting enough sleep (sorry, honey).

Thanks TechCrunch!

“Gas prices are what they are, no matter what our usage is.”

Apparently you don’t understand the concept of markets.

On a daily basis, the citizens of the United States vote for the price of gas. They have collectively decided to purchase ~25% of the world’s daily supply of crude oil. Call it the wisdom of the crowd.

Coupled with increased demand for crude oil from China and India, tight refining capacity and speculation in the financial markets, the price of gas has risen.

While we should not oversimplify what is a very complex market, your country’s primary problem is one of consumption. Your politicans have exercised some ability to guide consumption but they have had no reason whatsoever to do so because they need look no further than their constituent’s consumption patterns to realize that Americans love oil more than they hate the price of it.

Those who have chosen to lead a lifestyle that affords them an ability to purchase less gasoline have mitigated the impact of its price and thus should logically have less to complain about.

Those who are complaining, like you, are usually the ones who have chosen to lead lifestyles that require greater consumption of gasoline.

“LS9 offers a great alternative…”

With all due respect, unless you’re an energy expert, you shouldn’t make such statements.

There are many promising alternative fuels but until the companies behind them can produce those fuels commercially on a large enough scale to supply enough a large market, they are not viable.

You see a conspiracy when there is none. Crude oil is an entrenched energy source because it is an ideal energy source.

There are a variety of reasons alternative fuels have not become viable replacements for gasoline and the most common is that they are not yet ready for large-scale commercial production.

Jennifer: I’m from the same planet as you, albeit I currently live in a country that exports far more crude oil than it consumes and I admittedly profit on a daily basis from the fact that your country has chosen to transfer its wealth to countries like mine.

What good is getting people “connected” with Washington going to do for the United States? You have stated that the country is run by big money and that politicians are beholden to the monied interests that get them elected.

Frankly, the notion that Americans are going to come together “en masse” is a pipedream and I can’t help but wonder why you seem to want to get politicians to listen to you when they’re the very people who you believe have caused your problems.

Finally, while I’m not so “simple” as to believe that one consumer can change the world, it’s worth noting Gandhi’s advice, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

If more American consumers lived by that rule, your country would be a lot better off. Unfortunately, like your politicians, you’re all talk but no action.

“I guess you could do the FDR thing and assign it to interstate commerce. A bit of stretch.”

The current jurisprudence on the Interstate Commerce clause would probably have no problem giving the Federal Government some power here. You might not agree with that jurisprudence…but that’s a different argument.

“Either way, why should my tax dollars go to pay for YOUR broadband access?”

Was someone arguing for tax-funded subsidization of broadband? I thought we were talking about creating a more competitive market so that prices naturally drop.

“I see nothing in the Constitution that grants us these freedoms. Please explain.”

Well, you see… with the exception of the Bill of Rights, the Constitution does not enumerate personal individual freedoms. It is assumed that those freedoms not explicitly reserved for the Feds or States through the Constitution- or Statutes created under powers granted by said document – are granted to individuals.

Let’s not forget, the politicians have the added advantage of getting their platforms out to us so we can make more intelligent decisions when we step into the voting booth.

I commend TechCrunch for getting involved in such a worthwhile conference.

I think the focus is more on the technology. Maybe a lot of the people doing the sites you mention are more into the politics. Still, it’s a pretty good list:

http://pdf2008....df2008/speakers

Josh Marshall, Jay Rosen, Joe Trippi, Lawrence Lessig, Matt Stoller… just to name a few. I don’t think the event suffers that much because it’s missing Markos Moulitsas…

Second, what “technological freedoms” have we been granted? And from where have they been granted?. I see nothing in the Constitution that grants us these freedoms. Please explain.

@Malthus Babe, you were the first person to mention high oil prices. Then when she basically agrees with you, and suggests a very viable option, you shoot her down. I guess that’s kind of a trend here, but in all honesty, she’s 100% right. Campaigns are funded by a lot of different people, and favors are definitely pulled. Those people expect favors in return. That’s how politics works. That’s personally why I support McCain, because he has the lowest campaign budget. Obama has the lowest salary out of all the candidates, and the highest budget. That means when he gets into office, he’s going to have a lot of people to pay back.

It doesn’t matter if she rides a bike to work or drives an Escalade. Gas prices are what they are, no matter what our usage is. Our usage simply affects how much money we spend on gas. Obviously everyone is going to try to cut back as best they can, but we still need to buy oil and gas. LS9 offers a great alternative, that will not affect the way we buy our cars or heat our houses. But unfortunately, because of the nature of politics small companies, such as LS9 are at a severe disadvantage.

As for the price of admission, these speakers have a price. If you want a great lineup, you will have to pay to see them. Two days at Lincoln Center isn’t exactly free either. All of these conferences are usually filmed, so anyone who can’t afford them can usually watch them after.

Now I’m in San Francisco doing an MBA in Sustainable Management at the Presidio School of Management, and thinking about how to make sustainability go viral. I’ll be in NYC during PDF, and would love to attend, but can’t afford the cost of admission.

Thanks for doing this!

Would love to grab a pass for one of our futureblogger.net writers who’d ask some tough questions related to the campaigns’ cognizance of near-term accelerating change (it does come into play over the next 4 years), the potential impact on policy / national culture, and also some specific energy and tech policy items. We’re hard core futurists that could help add a bit of full-court tech/future pressure (even if it just spreads the meme) in a critical election year.

If you have reduced your energy consumption, take pride in knowing that you’ve voted your conscience with your wallet.

Other Americans have voted with theirs. Nobody has forced Americans to purchase fuel-inefficent automobiles. I have yet to see a photograph of a Saudi holding a gun to an American’s head and forcing him to fill up his gas tank. And last I checked, poor urban planning in the United States was driven by consumer demand.

It’s sad that so many Americans, like you, feel victimized by government and lobbyists yet seem so disconnected from your power as a consumer to circumvent Washington by casting the most powerful vote of all: how and where you spend your money.

One of the great ironies about the United States is that its citizens seem so beholden to government yet continue to perpetuate government’s power by asking government to play a role in so many aspects of their lives.

When it comes to energy, please save us the complaints and start looking at how your country has willingly purchased ~25% of the world’s oil despite having only ~5% of the world’s population.

In other words, take some personal responsibility.

Hmmm. Why should I be selected for free tickets?

I’ve been interested in the political blogosphere for years (blame Paul Krugman and this column in particular from a few years back).

And, this past month I just earned a degree in Human Factors and Information Design. I would love to go, circulate some business cards, and socialize my startup ideas a bit (I have a couple).

However, as would not be surprising for a recent graduate, I don’t have lots of funds to buy a ticket, even though I live within striking distance of New York and could probably stay with a friend. It would be great to chat a bit with some of the people attending, many of whose blogs I’ve been reading for a few years now…