If you had to design a cyber-based campaign to advance the interests of a non-state group, what tools and techniques would you borrow from the groups studied in this week’s readings? How would you employ them?
Were I to design a cyber based campaign to promote an idea or political issue, I would take the approach Wael Ghonim described: organize a facebook group and facilitate a framework for direct democracy, allowing everyone to propose, embellish, and vote upon ideas and courses of action for the organization.
Through the use of instant and unified communication, more ideas can be represented, and more people can represent themselves, instantly mobilizing from the ground level to respond to any potential impediment to the mission goals.
My biggest concern would be infiltration. How could you prevent an opposing party from infiltrating your organization’s facebook group and subverting the mission statement by outvoting opposing policies. Depending on the geographical distance between the collaborators, you could exchange real life authentication keys, be it the new url for the new forum of communication and deliberation, for instance, reverting to myspace, because your fb friends network may be compromised.
Aside from organization, another medium to forward the agenda of an ideological or political issue is twitter advocacy. By utilizing a media conglomeration program, like whatsapp, your organization can, in no uncertain terms, declare their intent and agenda. By maintaining transparency and controlling the narrative, you can prevent other news organizations and philosophical opponents from describing you, instead of describing yourself.
With a well organized framework, and a soap box to stand on, any well meaning and relatable organization can make it’s voice heard in a democratic state, and see if the will of the people aligns with said organization.