Interview with Aldon Hynes

Over the past week, I've exchanged a few emails with Aldon Hynes, writer of Orient Lodge, a blog that revolves around the intersections of technology and different parts of the world. Aldon had some interesting things to say, especially in regards to Twitter, and how the Atlantic should utilize the technology.

Aldon suggested that the Atlantic needs to start using Twitter immediately, as in yesterday:

So, what does this mean for the Atlantic? They need to start using Twitter. Immediately. Any time a new story goes up on their website, it should be posted on Twitter. Whenever they are working on a story, they should be searching, and asking for tips on Twitter. They should add more user generated video and pictures. Ideally, they should set things up so that they can cut to a good live feed as it is happening.

I'm with Mr. Hynes on this. I think that Twitter could end up being an invaluable tool, a piece of tech that could help revolutionize the way that we find our news. If the Atlantic could stay on the cutting edge of that, by keeping reporters in the field microblogging at all times, our website could become a go-to spot for people. While Twitter may seem like a novelty to mainstream America today, there is no saying where it could be in 2010 or 2012. There's a real, distinct possibility that Twitter could end up as the next MySpace or Facebook, the Social Networks du jour.

However, Aldon was also quick to point out that for all we know, Twitter could have become old news by 2012, maybe 2010. With the speed at which the internet moves and evolves, technologies are usually quickly used and then thrown aside for something better:

It is not clear if it will be Twitter, or some other microblogging service that will be the top microblog in 2012. Afterall, the hot social networks in 2004 were sites like Tribe, Friendster, and Orkut, each of which has floundered. A key area for microblogging with be better catergorization, aggregation, and searching.

In other words, microblogging isn't a proven, tested commodity and there is definite room for improvement. Still, if the Atlantic wants to stay on top of the situation and out in front of the pack, Twitter is the first step. Yet, it'll also be important to keep an ear to the ground and quickly adapt to whatever next big thing seems down the pipeline. When that new tech seems ready to launch, the Atlantic needs to be one of the prominant places that takes something of a risk and jumps on early. Early adopters may get burned in some aspects but there is an undeniable novelty appeal that will draw people to the site. If it seems like what The Atlantic thought was the next big thing ends up as the next Titantic, you just need to quickly move on and hope that your innovative and adventurous thinking has brought some people to the site that otherwise, wouldn't have been there.

Mr. Hynes clued in on Ron Paul as the candidate who seemed to be the most technologically advanced in the past election. While the American mainstream, the Joe Six Packs of the world, may have believed that Obama was running a cutting edge campaign in term of tech, it was Paul who really led the tech charge, which is unsurprising, given his popularity inside the online tech community.

Mr. Hynes:

With that, I've often criticized the 2008 candidates for lacking an 'invitation to innovate'. The Dean campaign had it. The Ron Paul campaign sort of had it. The Lamont campaign did a good job of it. Right now, it is the long shots that get the importance of the invitation to innovate, but I hope and believe that this will expand. I do believe that the Obama campaign came the closest to it in the 2008 cycle of the major candidates.

Obama certainly utilized a variety of different online platforms as organizing tools but he never really utilized technologies that weren't "mainstream". We'll probably look back at the 2008 election and recognize that between the two major party candidates, Obama was far out in front in terms of exciting use of the internet, yet it doesn't necessarily mean that he was using exciting parts of the internet. Sure, he utilized the social networks to meaningful end and used YouTube and the like as a means to spread ads, behind-the-scenes features and interviews, but in terms of trying out a tech that the typical everyday American doesn't use, it wasn't exactly groundbreaking. However, the question that is raised from this is: Does it matter that he used some cutting edge tech if it doesn't reach a lot of voters? I suppose, that the answer is a simple no. With the type of populist politics that Obama utilized in the campaign, the most important thing was reaching mass groups of people, not specialize niche markets.

More later with Aldon Hynes.

Quick Hit Thoughts on the Atlantic

Here are some quick hits to get the week's blog postings started.

-In class, we discussed the idea of adding another section to the Atlantic, a new Voices tab. I think there is some promise there. My only hang up lies in the fact that I'm not sure that we want the Atlantic to be a spot to be a proving ground for up and coming writers. Given the code that we established for the magazine and knowing its history, there would have to be a concerted process to ensure that the writers we put in the Voices section are, in fact, up to Atlantic standards. If that's the case, and there is an extensive amount of checking out a writer, why just not put them onto the regular Atlantic role?

-Do the new Voices write only for a Twitter feed initially and leave the more heavy duty analysis up to the more established writers? I understand the value of injecting new blood and life into the magazine but I don't think we should completely overhaul who we are just to cater to a more mainstream crowd. Part of what makes The Atlantic unique and interesting is its non-mainstream stance. How do we bring in new readers while not betraying our regulars?

-As for the entertainment industry side, we need to cover the ways that candidates reach out to get celebs backing them. Whether we want to admit it or not, a large population of our country look to celebrities as guides. In 2008, Obama killed on the celeb front. That video has been viewed 15 million times since the beginning of Feb. John McCain couldn't dream of matching that. How much of an effect do celebs have on an election?

More later.