The Internet can empower groups whose aims are in fact antithetical to democracy.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
The Internet is an empowering force for people who are protesting against the abuse of power.
The Internet has brought democracy to so many other things. It's about time the Internet brought democracy to democracy.
The potential for the abuse of power through digital networks - upon which we the people now depend for nearly everything, including our politics - is one of the most insidious threats to democracy in the Internet age.
It is not inevitable that the Internet will evolve in a manner compatible with democracy.
I come from the school who thought the Internet could be the great democratising force, that getting rid of the gatekeepers was a positive move.
The critical question is: How do we ensure that the Internet develops in a way that is compatible with democracy?
The web's democratic in one way and distinctly undemocratic in another way. And I think a lot of the confusion about the political ramifications have to do with that one word having so many meanings. So, it's democratic in that it quite literally delivers power to the people; it, it essentially opens up participation in the public's mind.
Contrary to the utopian rhetoric of social media enthusiasts, the Internet often makes the jump from deliberation to participation even more difficult, thwarting collective action under the heavy pressure of never-ending internal debate.
The Internet has really democratized ideas. There are no real gatekeepers any more, because if you have a great idea, and you put it online, people will find it and it will get in front of who it needs to get in front of.
A short exposure to the convention convinced me that the Internet may save the Democracy in that it is a way for the people, for the citizens, to have some direct influence on the government.