What the White House has done is build a form on a website that corresponds with fields in a database that then accumulates and analyzes the comments and data points much like what most marketing data firms do to spot trends.
What is missing is the sense of individuality. It reinforces the feeling of just being a faceless number to the government. I think that is the part that people are finding difficult to adjust to. Your opinion doesn't count anymore unless it is a part of a larger group in a growing trend.
That need for a large group to send a spike in the charts in order to be heard is what spawned the spammers. It has become quantity over quality. The White House has found a way to lessen the quantity but they have yet to enable the sense of quality for the individual.
It's right in line with one of my long-time gripes -- can't remember which president started it, maybe Reagan. It's the habit of a president referring to Americans as "they," not "we." The habit has spread to the media. You'll think I'm a bit odd, but I find this kind of frightening. No separation of church and state, oh no, but big separation between leader and the led in a democracy.
My point was that there never was a sense of quality by emailing
[email protected] Most of the emails were just deleted automatically.
Tartarin,
That last gripe is interesting. I do think it goes both ways though. The people refer to the government as a separate entity as well.
My last word on this - really. First, my JFK request was filled back in the days before we had these automated response buttons. Today is different.
Second, I'm not arguing your major point, Craven. And I found your reference to a spitoon funny - gave me a picture I hadn't had. Maybe that's one of the basic probelms with electronic correspondence. It's fast and easy, but just as fast and easy to delete without reading.
Further to your gripe, Tart. This president uses "I" a lot - not we, or you, or they.
LOL, I think spitoon is apt.
I know someone who used to send a string of obsenities to the president's address every day.
I read about another guy who set up a program to forward all his spam to the address as well.
Electronic communication is so fast and easy that some people use it fecklessly.
