Final Paper Idea

 

For my Final paper I will prognosticate on the impact social media such as Facebook or myBarackObama.com are likely to have on American politics in the future? To that end I will need to explore the history of social media and the intersection of those networks and American politics. Specifically, what is the history of online social network (Facebook, MySpace, etc) and American politics? The online Journal Firstmonday.org has some interesting work on that topic, as seen here: http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1977/1852

Additionally, I will need to look at usage trends for online social media, (who is online, and why ). Also, I think a look back at the 2008 presidential campaign, and the inclusion of a powerful online component, as I believe that will be a powerful force in shaping future usage (because everyone will try to copy success). A brief look at Obama's use of the internet to win the presidency is here: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/propelled-by-in.html