The 12th Politics Online Conference takes place this week in Washington, DC. This event is put on by the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet and each year it draws a bigger crowd. There will be all manner of speakers involved in Internet politics, keynote speeches with leading Internet and political figures, and breakout sessions on topics including online fundraising, organizing and campaigning. I myself will speak on a panel described as follows:
Database and Internet technology is an integral part of modern campaigns. Our panel of experts will discuss the latest techniques and tools for "Integrating the flows". They will show you how to integrate campaign data from supporter acquisition to voter management, from microtargeting to financial compliance, from online contributions and volunteer signups to blast emails. If you want to make the most of your resources and information, this panel should not be missed.
As someone who has been in the business of computers and politics since well before the Internet arrived on the scene, it is wild for me to see what an industry it has become. I am not that old, but I remember well when it was possible to identify on a pretty short list everyone in the country who worked in politics and technology. Now I see new firms, new experts, and new innovations crop up nearly every day. Moderating my panel will be Chris Casey, who probably feels pretty much the same way I do about this. His web site for Edward Kennedy, built at the dawn of political Internet time back in 1994, was the first official congressional site.
I look forward to the conference, and meeting some of the new players.