The Daily Blagica

With the Republican side of the Presidential campaign heating up, I know the Obama camp is getting down in the trenches for a tremendous 15 months of long hours, multiple brainstorm sessions and data streams that go on for miles. President Obama's recent use of Twitter to urge movement with a debit ceiling decision is a solid step forward. Here are some other ideas:

Tweet Tracking
Obama's team provided the Twitter IDs of various Republican members of Congress.  If each tweet included a link to the landing pages of those states' pages, a whole stream of insight could be found. Which state reps were most popular?  Who seemed to get the most traction in phone calls and tweets? By using a tool like Simply Measured, Team Obama can also look at spikes in Twitter conversation and track which Twitter stream of the Republican Congress members get the most attention.

This same method should be used for understanding what the American people are talking about. Which issues matter most? What tag clouds can be created? Is there a group of Twitter users with a high Klout score who are talking about a niche topic that shouldn't be considered so niche?

Facebook Mining
I'm sure there are citizens who comment on POTUS' Facebook page every day or every week.  By keeping track of the volume of conversation by fan page member, it may be possible to cross reference this name with the overall donation list.  Is this person also donating $5 every week?  Could this person be turned into a local organizer or community leader?  By organizing advocates and dissenters, the Obama camp can use this information to motivate both a new voter base, but also those voters on the fence. Throw in demographic data and you have deeper layers to understand voters.

Getting on Google+
At this point, Ford Motor Company is the only official Google+ test account.  I wouldn't doubt that the Googlers and Obama-ers are talking about ways 2012 can have a place in Google+. Can you imagine the Huddles? There could be Huddles for Community Organizers and, within minutes, an instant video conference call can begin. Those advocates I mentioned from Facebook can be in an Influencer Circle - an easy click away for Obama 2012 to bounce ideas off of.  SEO would be a dream.  The more issues are discussed in Circles, the higher likelihood they are to be indexed.  A voter who may be confused about President Obama's stance on Issue X can find the Google+ conversation (especially if it's public), see multiple points of view and decide from there.

Donations
This one is most likely going to be one of their most challenging tasks, but given the state of transparency in American politics today, I think it would be a pleasant surprise.  2008 was a banner year for using social media to galvanize a community, raise money and make a difference in standard issue politics.  Social media's made a tremendous leap in the comfort level of Americans, but it's also set the stage for a heap load of expectations. If there was a way that I knew the $5 I contributed last week went to a set of index cards at the Iowa Caucus, I'd Twitpic and Facebook post the heck out of those index cards. And my friends would see that. And my extended social network would see that. And I would feel like a mini rock star for the day.

Any ideas you have? Comment away because, in the world of social media, there is always another idea.

Before you dive into reading this,  let's set some ground rules.

This isn't going to be a 'Rah-rah-this-is-the-best-city-ever' post.
This isn't going to be a 'We don't get any cool attention' post.
This isn't going to be a 'What about us?' post.

No, this is simply a refreshing look at what's transpired in the innovation/tech/data world of Chicago in just under a year.  Aside from the continued success and investment around the startups you know so well, there has been some true elbow grease put into making information and utility easier for people to utilize.  A quick recap:

 

TechWeek

One week in Chicago with some of the most well known Fortune 100 professionals out there. Craig's List's Craig Newmark will be in attendance as will the CTO of the U.S. Keynotes given by Jason Fried and J.B. Prtizker. Definitely an amazing line up is in store.

 

 

The City and the County Get Open

Yes. Open. Not just open from the perspective of walking into City Hall and saying 'Howareya', but a bonafide effort to hire individuals who come from niche sectors of information technology. Our CTO is John Tolva, a former IBMer. The CDO (yes, we have a Chief Data Officer) is Brett Goldstein, once part of the Chicago Police Dept. Brett used predicting modeling to assist the CPD in getting better versed into the world of crime behavior. John and Brett are  on a mission - giving anyone who has an interest to look at public information. From who's lobbying the city to who's getting paid what, I've never seen this city so open to spreading information to its citizens.  Anyone with an Internet connection can look up reports on parking tickets or see which journalists filed FOA (Freedom of Information Act) requests. The City also appointed a new Social Media Director.

Cook County is sharing its love of open as well. New Board President, Toni Preckwinkle, is in full support of  the Apps for Metro Chicago contest (disclosure: Motorola Mobility Foundation is a sponsor). 175 data sets open to anyone with coding skills and the motivation to make a difference. Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey is an avid open data supporter and is the man behind the Open Cook County Plan. I met Commissioner Fritchey at an open government meetup and was happy to see his passion for the effort.

Excelerate Labs

Another batch of companies are spending their summer getting immersed in the world of building, raising capital and learning the ropes from seasoned businesses. I'm delighted to know a few of them personally and I couldn't be more excited for what's in store for their ideas.

The Data Liberation Front

Google' is a global powerhouse, but you may not know that the first engineer in the Chicago office, Brian Fitzpatrick, is the person behind Google's  Data Liberation Front. Brian recently teamed up with Chicago's CTO and CDO to host an Open Data Hackathon in Google's offices. I missed the event, but am having a field day with some of the projects developed. Take a gander at ChicagoLobbyists.

Built in Chicago

Founded by Viewpoints founder, Matt Moog, Built in Chicago has grown to thousands of members.  A recent investment from some of Chicago's best known entrepreneurs is another testament to the commitment the business community is making in providing support, resources and events for startups in Chicagoland.

SocialDevCamp

It's back. The summer camp for the social web.  A weekend of conversation, coding, hacking and building. The price for this event is really low and the talks are stellar. You may want to make room for it. If it wasn't for a trip to see family that weekend, I'd be there.

Social Media Week Chicago

I am excited to be on the Advisory Board for Social Media Week.  Chicago and LA are the only two U.S. cities that will participate in this yearly event. I join folks from ConAgra, the Tribune, Zocalo, the City of Chicago, Unilever, Northwestern and Facebook to put together a week long series of informative events, highlighting the social media industry. It's going to be awesome.

Obama for America

Yep. The headquarters for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is in Chicago, a stone's throw away from Millennium Park. The marketing and technology talent coming into this organization continues to rise, including a solid hire in their CTO, Harper Reed.

Indeed, quite a bit going on. I'm sure I left out some events and hard working people that are making a difference - please feel free to remind me in the comments.

Conducting some research about what needs you small business folks need in the world of social media. Care to respond?

 

Coincidence?

I recently learned that there have been a series of afternoon muggings happening right near former Mayor Daley's home. Literally in front, across the street, up and down Indiana Avenue between 14th and 18th streets. The muggings are planned, with someone waiting in a car nearby. 

This is around the corner from where we live and is a path we frequent on runs and with our toddler.

Up until recently,  a police car sat in front of some rowhouses, near the Daley home. I don't know if there is a direct correlation between the muggings and absence of the police car, but it sure seems convenient for the muggers.

Out of nowhere I decided to make baked ziti, blueberry muffins and potato/leek soup. My mother in law swiped 3 muffins...which means they must have been good!

Now it's officially back to work. I will admit that I skimmed email while on vacation...when things move fast in this industry, anything can happen, right? Big thanks to my team for holding down the fort.

Breathtaking views

Now this is a bakery. Pain au chocolat was amazing