Mobilizing Youth

The country's new robots.txt file

This is a great post. It implies that the new administration has opened their website right up...made it totally transparent:
http://www.kottke.org/09/01/the-countrys-new-robotstxt-file

Who knows if it means anything... the structure of the web site could be totally different now or search engine optimization scheme different, but it sure does seem, on the surface, to indicate a new kind of transparency.

Digital pens and voter registration

Wow, this is really cool:

Penvote.  We use digital pens in combination with cell phones (via Bluetooth) to send voter registration directly in the field to the board of election's database program. www.penvote.com

This method avoids a whole suite of problems/logistics/expenses that we ran into with our txtVoter initiative in 2004-2006 - namely setting up an account at a mail house, preprinting reg forms, and postage. Although I'm not sure how the Registrars are going to accept this method - given that they're a wiley bunch inclined to do it like they've always done it - namely by accepting paper sigs only. Also, there's the problem of getting pens to the field...