White House Joins Facebook, MySpace, Twitter 144
theodp writes "The official White House Blog called the move WhiteHouse 2.0 as the Obama administration unveiled its membership in a trio of the social-networking leaders: Facebook (157,606 fans and counting), MySpace (174,817 friends and counting) and Twitter (34,612 followers and counting)."
Facebook (Score:5, Funny)
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Yeah, I'm not really sure what this is going to accomplish. Besides, I already make enough of a spectacle of myself to the government. Why the heck would I want to point out all my social networking names to them?
Also, this could wind up being the cause of World War III depending on who Obama puts in his Top 8. Wars have been waged over less.
Re:Facebook (Score:5, Interesting)
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I wonder if through ANY of this, Obama is going to keep one of his election stump promises, to publish every bill he's going to sign, in its entirety at least 5 days before he signs it?
Already broken, according to PolitiFact.com [politifact.com]. And boy did they get a lot of mail about that and several other ratings, from both sides, which says to me they probably are one of the more impartial reporting sites out there if they're pissing off everyone...
More to the point, I wonder if/when the webfilter @ the site I work at will start allowing Facebook, since it's blocked "as a security threat or inappropriate for government use". I can see the justification now: "But, see, the GSA has signed a deal, and
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It's all on THOMAS - eventually.
However, it is not on THOMAS a minimum of 5 days before any non-emergency bill is passed. There is also no ability to comment on THOMAS (that's not the point of THOMAS).
Don't get me wrong -- I think THOMAS is great, it just doesn't do what Obama's promise said:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/234/allow-five-days-of-public-comment-before-signing-b/ [politifact.com]
[President Obama] will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days.
Re:Accomplish (Score:1, Troll)
NewsSnips can potentially revolutionize govt.
Normally Govt is "closed door/access only".
But it would be funny if they didn't lock it down to start.
"Republicans Filibustering."
"Republicans Still Filibustering."
/.ers Don't Seem To Like Obama's Direction So Far (Score:2)
So far Obama has appointed some people to a number of positions that seem to show pretty concretely that he is following the same policies laid out by George W Bush regarding laws and policies around the DMCA, Business Process Patents, and support for the legal terrorism conducted by the RIAA. And now, here he is joining in on a number of technologies somewhat favored and very familiar to those people who generally detest these anachronistic abominations: Slashdotters.
So why not take advantage of this newly
Re:Facebook (Score:5, Funny)
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But I suppose it isn't about the 177863 friends, it's about reaching people and informing them. Just wish the comments didn't make us all look like asshats.
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Your wife is more than welcome to send her buttery nipples my way.
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@CHINA "Oh $&&#*"
@RUSSIA RT @CHINA "Oh $&&#*"
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it does make you wonder how many people are going to send "buttery nipples" to the White House
Let's hope they don't get too many Australian friends then, as that drink has far less palatable name [wikipedia.org] down under
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None, as it turns out -- the White House on Facebook doesn't have any friends.
"My Fellow Americans"... (Score:2)
var params = { allowscriptaccess: "always", allowfullscreen: "true", wmode:"transparent"}; swfobject.embedSWF("http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/04Jh_rNFxEU&hl;=en&fs;=1&showinfo;=0&showsearch;=0", "flashcontent", "480", "295", "8", null, {}, params); Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash...
(for srsly, that was on the facebook one)
Is it possible to have enemys on facebook? (Score:5, Funny)
Just like /. I want to make obama my enemy. Mod him troll/off topic/flamebait.
Guess I should prep myself for the poor mods ;) I think my excellent karma can take it though
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You know, I am SO sick of Obama kissing everyone's ass and working hard to be popular rather than fixing problems. You might say he's fixing the economy, but he's repeating mistakes which resulted in the great depression so many decades ago. How is racking up $11 TRILLION in debt in 100 days going to help the economy in the long terms? The banks which were the cause of the credit crunch are in need of MORE money and have blown the money they were given on toys and bonuses rather than making credit available
Re:Is it possible to have enemys on facebook? (Score:5, Informative)
How is racking up $11 TRILLION in debt in 100 days going to help the economy in the long terms?
Obama has contributed $500 billion to the national debt so far. The total national debt stands at $11.2 trillion, of which Bush II contributed nearly half (45%).
But if Obama continues spending at the current pace he could pass Bush II around the end of his third year.
Re:Is it possible to have enemys on facebook? (Score:4, Interesting)
Sick and tired of conservatives rewriting history (Score:2, Insightful)
By repeating the mistakes, do you mean 'doing nothing and letting the free market sort it out,' which is what Hoover did? Or do you mean, 'Enacting mildly socialist, temporary policies that begin to fix things immediately,' like FDR did?
FDR fixed the Great Depression with socialism, much as conservatives hate to admit it and try to rewrite history, the facts speak for themselves. Just look at economic data from the time. When Hoover did nothing, things got worse. When FDR started enacting his policies, thin
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Or do you mean, 'Enacting mildly socialist, temporary policies that begin to fix things immediately,' like FDR did?
That is a definition of "temporary" with which I am unfamiliar, unless meant in the same sense as "copyright limited to eternity minus a day".
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Right, we still have the WPA, and that's why our infrastructure is in such great shape and our bridges aren't falling down and such.
FDR's socialist policies fixed the depression (Score:5, Informative)
Modding me down won't change the facts. Look at the economic data from the time. This is why everyone loved FDR. This is why he was elected for FOUR TERMS. He fixed things with socialism, where Hoover had left things up to the free market and made them worse.
You may hate the truth, but the truth doesn't care.
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DingDingDingDingDing! We have a winner!
Socialism didn't solve the problems then, and communism won't now either.
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> The truth is it's going to result in massive tax increases which will go
> toward paying many times the original outlay for decades to come
No it won't. Tax hikes are politically difficult. Inflation is easy, because no one give enough of a fsck to understand that it's the same damn thing (except that it punishes savers and rewards people in debt and makes economic crises like the current one more likely).
Please consider supporting HR 1207, in the name of transparency. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/ [govtrack.us]
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Does anyone have a good list of tech sites that actually discusses tech issues? Most /. stories these days seem to devolve into partisan crap like this - people talking out their ass about things they don't understand. I'd filter the stories, but it doens't seem to matter. This story is under "Technology", posted by CmdrTaco for christ's sake.
There's gotta be something out there better than this. Do people still use usenet? Have all the trolls left there? Please advise.
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You know, I am SO sick of Obama kissing everyone's ass and working hard to be popular rather than fixing problems. You might say he's fixing the economy, but he's repeating mistakes which resulted in the great depression so many decades ago. How is racking up $11 TRILLION in debt in 100 days going to help the economy in the long terms?
I think the problem is that everyone fails to understand what it means to live in a fiat economy rather than a commodity based on.
First of all I can't believe you are saying h
Re:Is it possible to have enemys on facebook? (Score:5, Funny)
Just like /. I want to make obama my enemy. Mod him troll/off topic/flamebait.
Guess I should prep myself for the poor mods ;) I think my excellent karma can take it though
There are easier ways to get yourself put on an FBI watch list. Why not try the tried and true method of sending him a death threat through the mail? You'll be on his enemies list in no time flat.
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oblig xkcd (Score:2)
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My problem is he's playing too much of a moderate. He's not pissing off everyone enough. Of course, Bush did exactly that--pissing off everyone--and I will continue to spite him.
Hmm, it's probably a good thing I'm not president.
It's not that I necessarily agree or disagree with your sentiment, but there really needs to be a "+1 Yet I disagree."
It would make modding so much more fun and interesting.
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Well, so far, he doesn't have to show his true colors. He has Pelosi out there able to push the very liberal agenda, even the stuff that is unpleasing to many, many Americans (many who voted them in even).
That way, he can get the stuff through, but, not take the heat for the legislation. Pretty smart actually. He gets to stay above the fray, while that 'nasty' congress goes a little too far partisan.....all the while he still quietly signs the bills int
Re:Is it possible to have enemys on facebook? (Score:4, Insightful)
Guess I should prep myself for the poor mods ;) I think my excellent karma can take it though
Around here, just saying that pretty much guarantees you will be modded up to +5.
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Guess I should prep myself for the poor mods ;)
Looks like you're at "5, Interesting" to me. If someone had made the exact same post with "Bush" instead of "Obama" they would have been modded down to -1, Troll. Good old slashdot echo chamber. :)
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Oh, come on. Slashdot was full of anti-Bush posts when he was in office, and lots of Bush bashers did not get modded down. Even if they did, maybe it just says something about the greater benevolence of Obama fans that they can take a topical joke.
Well, except for the ones who whine about the past =p
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(Sounds like AC is playing the role of a victim ... where's my "-1, Alanis Ironic" mod?)
"White House 2.0?" (Score:5, Funny)
We're just over 100 days in, people. How about "White House 2.0 RC1?" I don't think we're ready to go gold just yet.
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breaking news: (Score:3, Funny)
9:53 AM: shit, no tp
Hopefully.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Hopefully.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Only in Hollywood.
I don't think the Commander in Chief or anyone in his cabinet will touch these once over the next four years.
This is almost certainly handled by the Office of the White House Press Secretary, and I would imagine there are several staffers who will do the actual writing before passing it by the Secretary himself for approval.
The Press Secretary is probably the only cabinet member who will even have this on his mind.
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"lol @ the republicans tryin 2 diss my stimulus bill"
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He keeps having to get the thing swapped out because some schmuck keeps giving Joe Biden his email address.
I've been watching this for a while (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I've been watching this for a while (Score:5, Insightful)
It may be partially about transparency in government, but it's much more about the perpetual campaign season. These days, politicians are always campaigning. The new mantra is it's never too early to start campaigning for the next race.
The Obama administration will use these tools to release a constant stream of positive spin. In the old days, Presidents had to rely on weekly radio addresses that no one listened to, daily press briefings that no one listened to, and press conferences that either happened too infrequently to sustain a message or so frequently that people got sick of them.
Now, with these services, the administration has the opportunity to campaign continuously in a low-key and less intrusive way that will, they hope, be more effective. Time will tell how well it works.
Re:I've been watching this for a while (Score:4, Insightful)
It may be partially about transparency in government, but it's much more about the perpetual campaign season. These days, politicians are always campaigning. The new mantra is it's never too early to start campaigning for the next race.
Are you new? The first job of every elected politician has always been reelection.
Re:I've been watching this for a while (Score:5, Insightful)
Sure, but the active campaigning was usually reserved for the campaign season, meaning the several months before an election. The rest of the time was spent governing, albeit doing so in a way that would play well with the electorate come campaign time.
Now, it's all about "managing the message" and staying in campaign mode all the time. It's not about doing things that will "play well in Peoria", it's about constantly reinforcing the message that whatever it is you're doing is good for the people. It's the difference between doing the people's work and making sure the people think whatever it is you're doing is the people's work.
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The only difference really is that we live in a more cynical age in which we know damned well how we're being screwed, but don't care enough to do anything about it. The internet and other forms of communication have enabled us to share information much more efficiently, and so we really are more informed on average. But as long as we have our bread and circuses, we will keep stamping out license plates... or some other mixed metaphor. Let them eat individually-sized cakes injected with whipped, sugared lar
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Not every politican. Polk promised to accomplish four goals in four years, and then retire. Without having to worry about re-election, he did so.
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The counterexample that proves the rule is particularly piquant when you can only think of one.
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You're misquoting. It's not a counterexample, it's an exception. And then you're misinterperting. If you see a sign saying parking in lot X is free on Sunday, that exception proves there's a charge the rest of the week. It's not saying you need more than one counter-example. But, if you must have more, George Washington voluntarily stepped down, as did Teddy Roosevelt (also the result of a campaign promise.)
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There; fixed that for ya. ;)
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Now, with these services, the administration has the opportunity to campaign continuously in a low-key and less intrusive way that will, they hope, be more effective. Time will tell how well it works.
Jokes, sarcasm, and political leanings aside, I always felt that the White House was 'above' this sort of thing. It feels silly and degrading that my national government is using pop culture outlets--the same ones that people use to discuss how wasted they got at a party, or how Fluffy is feeling today--to communicate with the world.
It's the modern equivalent of making the White House your pen pal. I don't care what president it is; this just feels a little less-dignified and un-stately.
I guess the bett
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Yes, but (Score:2, Flamebait)
Everyone is doing it....or else? (Score:5, Interesting)
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Especially since my mom got on FB, i have been more reluctant to use it aswell, but that might be off topic though
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It will be interesting to see if they just repeat whatever is on the RSS feed from the White House Press Office (they have been disseminating info from day one using RSS) or if the staffers assigned to the various social networks will adopt a voice that's tailored to that network.
If the latter, this could be a good thing, as it will reach more people where they live and play. But if they're just going to shoehorn every press release into 140 characters, then no thanks.
But if they DO send different messages
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I found it mildly amusing (or maybe scary) that at post time, there were more myspace friends than anything else.
In related news... (Score:5, Funny)
In keeping with the Obama administration's open adoption of modern American Pop Culture. The Whitehouse announced today of plans to start filming a new reality show called "Obama's BFF." The show will closely follow Obama in his search for a friendship with a world leader, akin to the Bush-Blair relationship. 16 world leaders will live in the Whitehouse for 8 weeks as they compete for Obama's friendship.
Who will be America's next ally? Find out this summer, only on Fox.
Re:In related news... (Score:5, Funny)
Barack of Love: President Obama tours the world in Air Force One with the other leaders present at the G-20 summit. They face off in a series of challenges designed to test their mettle, in a style reminiscent of American Gladiator meets Real World meets Bromance, to see who is worthy of becoming Obama's best friend and top advisor. 19 enter, one will remain... 8PM / 7 Central, only on Fox.
In all seriousness though, I'm intrigued by the Twitter feed. Not so much the Facebook / MySpace thing.
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Re:In related news... (Score:4, Funny)
If it's on Fox, they'll rig it so his BFF is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Hilarity will ensue when Barak loses his half of their BFF bracelet and Mahmoud introduces Barak to his 'civilian nuclear program'.
Ah (Score:5, Insightful)
How interesting. All these sites, unlike slashdot, allow you to state your friends; not foes.
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In society, only losers have foes.
seriously is it that hard to separate the world in :
- friends/family/people I care about
- random guys/people I don't give a flying fuck about
I mean no need for a 3rd category consisting of people whose name I spit on whenever I've got 5min.
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In society, only losers have foes.
So, Bill Gates is a loser? I recall a saying, if you're not on somebody's shit list, you're not doing anything worthwhile.
Why White House? (Score:1)
Friending is one thing, but... (Score:3, Funny)
If I de-friend the White House on Facebook, will I get put on a watch list?
Will this be like his linkedin account? (Score:3, Informative)
I responded to his forum post to ask if he was really there to participate and have any kind of dialog, or if he was just there to make it look like he was tech-savvy and connected, and all I got back was an invitation to connect.
It's been done (Score:1)
Stupid waste of taxes (Score:4, Insightful)
I think it is a waste of taxes to have people writting post in twitter. Seriously. I'm not american so they're not my taxes, but still looks stupid.
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Law makers should be required to write laws on Twitter! 140 characters should be enough for any law!
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"While in the United States of America, it is unlawful to be in possession of any items capable of the mass production and/or spread of fire"
Fixed.
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I would LOVE to see the tax code done in 140 characters. :) My guess is, the body would only contain tl;dr
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Well, if it is as comprehensible as the average twitter post, it's go something like this:
Pay your taxes! Visit http://mini.url/taxcode [mini.url] for full tax code!
Re:Stupid waste of taxes (Score:4, Insightful)
Considering the cost of having a couple of interns posting social updates when they're not getting coffee for Michelle and helping Joe match his socks, this is probably one of the less worrisome taxpayer burdens in recent memory.
More communication = more accountability? (Score:4, Insightful)
If the Whitehouse is putting more down in writing, on the Internet where it can easily be archived and searched through, will this lead to greater scrutiny from the public? Will they be more likely to be called on their backtracking?
Or, more likely, will they just make sure to never say anything of substance?
Re:More communication != more accountability. (Score:4, Insightful)
If the Whitehouse is putting more down in writing, on the Internet where it can easily be archived and searched through, will this lead to greater scrutiny from the public? Will they be more likely to be called on their backtracking?
Or, more likely, will they just make sure to never say anything of substance?
It doesn't really matter if they're scrutinized or called on for their backtracking. There are entire TV shows (Daily Show) dedicated to pointing stuff like that out. I remember watching an episode where they were talking about the bailouts and showing footage of congressmen talking about how good the bailouts were going to be and then cutting to another clip of the same person talking about how much they were against the bailouts and never supported them to begin with. People chuckle about it, but no one really cares. Its sad that it turned out like that, but short of forcing open revolt and exile, I don't know what can be done. Chances are the next bunch would be just as bad as the current, if not worse.
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Yeah, that's a really good point.
Look at the whole WMD in Iraq debacle.
Maybe someone with a little more clout than The Daily Show needs to be confronting these guys. Someone who can bring about actual consequences would be a start.
The obvious next step (Score:4, Funny)
Towards the end of his tenure he will end up on FML.
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What Next...Second Life? (Score:1)
OpenLayers and OpenStreetMap at the White House (Score:2)
Related, there is more 'social data and social software' at the White House today. The WH Change website [whitehouse.gov] now uses OpenLayers [openlayers.org] and OpenStreetMap [openstreetmap.org]! Great to see such penetration of open data and open source :-)
White House 2.0? (Score:2)
I thought White House 2.0 would have been the post-1814 White House [wikipedia.org], but that must have just been an increase in the minor version number.
I can't wait (Score:2)
My Tax Dollahs @work... (Score:2)
OK; I'm find with transparent government, and I realize it'll take extra manpower to accomplish that (initially anyway); but having someone do social-networking sites it not the same as transparency.. wtf.
I want my $0.002 back I contributed to that persons salary!
Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter? Speaks volumes (Score:2)
flickr too (Score:2)
There's also now an "Official White House Photostream" [flickr.com] user on flickr, which has some excellent photos, with many interesting shots of life and work inside the whitehouse.
Many of the pictures are unexpectedly candid as well. The white house photographers (there are several, but most of the photos in the stream seem to be from Pete Souza) are apparently given a lot of freedom to lurk around waiting for a good opportunity!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse [flickr.com]
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Yeah, keep replying to yourself. It's helping.
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