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Referrer Madness & Pushing Buttons

With the big increase in traffic to this blog because of my writing about the NDP leadership race (sorry everybody who comes here for library & technology related stuff – less than a month till I'm back to that beat), I thought it might be interesting to see some of the search strings that are bringing people here.  I only looked at my May stats though I'm sure that you'd see a similar array for the last couple months since I started writing about the leadership campaign.

Obviously, there were all kinds of results which were variations of any of these terms: “ndp”, “leadership”, “saskatchewan”, “race”, etc. 

“Ryan Meili” and “Dwain Lingenfelter” each had tons of hits as search terms – I didn't count but would say it was probably neck and neck, maybe with a slight edge to Ryan.  I saw “Yens Pedersen” a couple times (and “Shea Pedersen” as well ) but no results for “Deb Higgins”. (Note to self: write more about Deb Higgins!) 

“Obama meili librarian” was actually searched for a couple different times which
kinda surprises me – could more than one person have remembered that
I'd done a blog post about the similiarities between Ryan and Obama
and that I was a librarian?  Oh, speaking of Obama, I can add another
similarity to my list of those similarities – I didn't know this
before but apparently Ryan spoke at the NDP convention a couple years
ago – echoing how Obama introduced himself to the Democratic party
with his speech at the 2004 DNC convention.)


Some other one-offs which probably give a pretty good indication of what's on people's minds out there (or at least where it intersects with the things I've written)…
“Ryan Meili nuclear”
“membership northern Sask”
“CBC news Saskatchewan NDP leadership”
“lingenfelter blog”
“saskatchewan NDP blogs”
“lingenfelter membership scandal”
“lingenfelter facebook”
“dwain lingenfelter memberships may 2009”
“dwain lingenfelter first wife”
“facebook faceoff meili”
“ryan meili wife”
“link saskatchewan ndp”
“waterhen gate lingenfelter”
“the jurist lingenfelter”
“saskatchewan ndp membership list”
“reliable property management saskatchewan”
“ryan meili arrested”
“youtube ryan meili”
“yens pedersen grandstanding”
“Tommy Douglas thousand member button” 

I want to write a bit more about that last search string because when I saw it, I had no clue what it meant and it was so different than the other types of queries I was getting, my curiosity was piqued. 

I looked all over the web trying to find what this was about but couldn't find anything even though there are tons of sites dedicated to Tommy Douglas, his legacy, his quotations, his policies and so on. 

I finally let it go last night around midnight and was planning to come into work today and go back to the librarian's best friend – real books! – to see if they would provide any clues.  But then, while doing a web search this morning for the different candidates (I wanted to see if my assertion yesterday about Ryan Meili having more photos on Flickr than any other candidate would also hold true for YouTube videos), this clip popped up, having just been uploaded a couple days ago.

The Bob Hale Report into Waterhen Gate (I suspect he's not going to call it that in his report ) was supposed to be submitted late yesterday but I don't think it's been revealed whether it will be fully made public, released with some of the details blacked out or withheld completely.  But in light of the confirmed purchase of 1100 memberships for everyone on two reserves near Meadow Lake by Dwain Lingenfelter's campaign, this clip is pretty damning. 

(Frankly, it's hard to believe that Tommy Douglas and Dwain Lingenfelter are part of the same party sometimes…and I guess depending on the year and the location, maybe that's not so far-fetched after all?)   


Posted 13 May 2009 § Main Page ‡ Comments (1) °

Meili 2.0: Party Renewal In The Information Age

I slipped over to the University today to sit in on the press conference for Ryan Meili's official launch of his campaign videos.  The release of these videos was tied into the larger theme of the changing role of technology and especially its abiility to level the playing field in modern politics. (See his press release below.)

Of course, all of the NDP leadership candidates are doing the tech things you'd expect in this day and age – having a web site, having a Facebook page, having online donation forms – but Ryan has taken his use of technology to another level with a personal blog, a Twitter account, an up-to-date Wikipedia page, tribute videos from supporters, more pictures on Flickr than any other candidate plus his utilization of a popular online project management system for his behind-the-scenes communication with campaign staff and volunteers. 

And of course, his YouTube videos which are probably the single best demonstration of any of the campaigns' embracing and understanding of Web 2.0 technology that I've seen.  (Online broadcasting is a personal interest of mine so I'm following this aspect of the campaign particularly closely.) 

(I just noticed that Dwain Lingenfelter's Wikipedia page has finally gotten a long overdue update after being pretty basic, even up to…(looks at page history)…today actually!  And honestly, if i had to pick a winner just based on the look of their sites, Deb Higgins' site is really well-designed.)

Ryan's press release announcing his campaign videos [Edit: I used a draft of the press release originally and have replaced it with the final version.] and the role of Web 2.0 in his campaign is after this brief message…

NEWS RELEASE
May 12, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NDP leadership candidate Ryan Meili wants to reach a new generation
of political activists. To do so, he’s using the power of online social
networks to change the way politics is practiced in Saskatchewan.

Today, the campaign officially released a series of digital videos
on party renewal, agriculture and rural life, the environment, First
Nations and Métis issues and health care. Meili hopes that his
supporters will promote the videos across their online social networks
and in the blogosphere.

“When M.J. Coldwell and Tommy Douglas were building our party, they
depended on people sharing the CCF story and vision with their friends
and neighbours,” said Meili. “We’re just doing the same thing in a 21st
century way. Online communities created through social networking allow
people with common political values to organize and to inspire each
other.”

The rise of social network sites like MySpace and Facebook has had a
profound effect on election campaigns in the United States. Although
federal parties in Canada have successfully adopted some of these
techniques, the use of new technology in Saskatchewan politics has been
limited to fairly staid websites. The use of online video in
Saskatchewan has been limited to posting traditional political speeches
on YouTube.

“The Meili campaign is different because it’s exploiting the full
potential of the Internet as a campaign tool,” said Dr. Chanchal
Bhattacharya, an Alberta political scientist who studies the use of new
technology in political campaigns. “Three of the campaigns are using
the internet like it’s still 2000. Despite very limited resources,
Meili is effectively using Web 2.0 social media like YouTube and
Facebook to reach new voters and energize existing ones. It’s a
21st-century Saskatchewan campaign.”

It isn’t just the mode of delivery that’s new. The videos are also
different from the usual political commercial, online or otherwise.
More like short documentaries, the videos tell the stories of people
from across Saskatchewan; north and south, rural and urban, young and
old.

According to Meili, “This is a test run for the next election
campaign, where we will use technology to share the voices of real
people.”

“These online tools equalize the playing field and empower those who
were once excluded from the political process,” says Joshua Hannigan of
Loud and Clear Marketing and Communications, the producer of the
videos. “Social media will be one of the most important tools in the
next election. Electoral success will depend on using these tools to
their full potential.”

-30-

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Malcolm French
(306) 550-2277
504 – 20th Street West
Saskatoon SK S7M 0X5
(306) 370-4334
www.RyanMeili.ca

Posted 13 May 2009 § Internet § Main Page § Politics § Saskatchewan § Video ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Music Monday – "Either side of Saskatoon/That is the longest leg/813 miles, she's my prairie girl/And the longest stretch of road in the world" (May 11, 2009)

This song was going through my head while driving up to Saskatoon for the SLA conference last weekend…

Posted 12 May 2009 § Main Page § MusicMonday § Video ‡ Comments (0) °

Happy Mother's Day! (to the three mothers in Pace's and my lives…)

My mom…



Shea's mom…


And our favourite mom of all…


Posted 11 May 2009 § Main Page § Pace § Photo § Shea ‡ Comments (0) °

Canada Commuter Challenge

This got sent around at my work so I thought I'd pass it on to readers elsewhere who may be interested in participating.  It's a Regina-specific e-mail but people in other places across the country can register as well.

—
Hello Everyone!

Regina's 11th Annual Commuter Challenge is coming soon.  And, that means it's time for Regina workplaces to start gearing up for another great event!  It's set to take place during Environment Week, May 31-June 6, 2009. 

You can sign up yourself and/or your workplace at www.commuterchallenge.ca. For those of you that already have, thanks for getting things moving so quickly.

As you may recall, the Commuter Challenge encourages employees in Regina's workplaces to find a 'green' way to work, such as walking, jogging, cycling, inline skating, carpooling or taking the bus.  As compared to driving alone in an automobile, these modes reduce the amount of energy consumed as well as harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. As an added bonus, using many of these modes helps people work physical activity into their busy days.

Everyone who participates contributes to Regina's participation in the national Commuter Challenge where communities go head-to-head to see who can get a greater of percentage of their citizens to participate. 

After a few years of coming in second, last year Regina broke free and placed first in our size category!  But, it wasn't easy…and this year is all about defending that title!  So, we're asking everyone to think about what they can do to both participate themselves as well as how they might encourage others to track their participation.

Regina-specific posters and prize information to help you promote the event within your workplace will be available shortly.  

To sign up your workplace today, visit www.commuterchallenge.ca and get ready to have some fun while doing something good for the environment!

For more information on the Commuter Challenge, please contact [contact info deleted].

Happy GREEN Commuting!

Kim and Sheri
City of Regina

Posted 10 May 2009 § Main Page ‡ Comments (0) °

Friday Fun Link – "If there was one book you could read again for the first time, what would it be?" (May 8, 2009)

Ask.Reddit has some interesting responses to the question “If you could read one book again for the first time, what would it be?”

Hmm, one book?  There are a few that pop into my head and it's pretty hard to pick just one.  Whenever asked the other impossible-to-answer book question, “What's your favourite book of all-time?”, I usually pick “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut.  So I guess I'll make that my pick here too.

Posted 09 May 2009 § Library § Main Page § PopCulture ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Ryan Meili – Agriculture Video

I don't know how many of these videos Ryan has up his sleeve but the first on Aboriginal Issues and now this one on Agriculture make me excited to see the rest – they're very professionally done and give a great insight into his way of thinking. 

The strategy of creating these videos reminds me of this post I did about how there's been a transition from text to video in how people learn.  The post starts from an article I read which claimed that YouTube is actually surpassing Google as a search engine of choice for many people.  To put it another way, you can read a web page about how to change the oil in the your car or how to carve a turkey.  But watching a video rather than reading a text description can really bring the experience home in a way that flat, 2-D text can't.  Same with Ryan's videos – you should read Ryan's policy statements.  But hearing and seeing him and others speak to the ideas really brings it home in a different way.

Also of note – Ryan's also getting some fairly big names to appear in these videos – people who haven't formally endorsed him (yet?) but whose appearance in these videos probably means they're sympathetic to/supportive of his campaign.  That should draw some attention within the general party ranks and show that he's a serious candidate in case there are still some out there who have their doubts. 

Posted 09 May 2009 § Main Page § Politics § Saskatchewan § Video ‡ Comments (2) °

Ryan Meili's Favourite Endorsement and a New Tribute Video

Found this on Ryan's Facebook page where he labeled it “My Favourite Endorsement Yet…From a U of S Student”

Dear Ryan Meili,

I was in attendance at the U of S leadership forum. Of all the candidates, I thought you were the most compelling.



However, and I mean this with no disrespect, how do you expect to win
the leadership of the NDP? A soft-spoken, intelligent, articulate
doctor with a passion for social justice and democracy who does not
engage in partisan spin and wants to lead the party because he truly
cares about people and not politics… well that's the craziest thing
I've ever heard.



I'm almost certain that someone like Mr. Lingenfelter who knows how to
speak like a politician, needlessly attacks the SaskParty and Brad Wall
and compares them to Harper and Bush, draws unreasonable comparisons
between himself and Barack Obama, has the backing of business leaders,
and plays with his BlackBerry when he is at a leadership forum —
someone like that will probably win the leadership and fail to defeat
Mr. Wall's SaskParty in the next election.



If the NDP wants to attract young people, someone like yourself is
needed. Nay, YOU are needed. But allow me to get to the gist of my
letter. How dare you give me hope, sir? I have been wearing a Ryan
Meili button on my jacket, I donated $20 to your campaign (all I can
spare as a student) and I even intend to vote for you on June 6.



And if you still lose the leadership race, where will I be? I'll be
heartbroken and just as cynical as before. Well then, give'em hell,
Doctor. Rejuvenate this NDP!



Sincerely,

IND

I also see that somebody else has done a tribute video to Ryan using a different song than I did with mine and more of the publicly available photos of Ryan that are floating out there in cyber-space.  So if you want a few shots of Ryan when he's not being a politician or a doctor, check it out – very cool! 

(When I first posted my video, I debated uploading a couple different versions since there are so many good songs to choose from – “Revolution” by the Beatles seems obvious and I always thought “The Canadian Dream” by Sam Roberts would be a good fit lyrically although it's a bit low tempo for a video like this.) 

Posted 07 May 2009 § Main Page § Politics § Saskatchewan § Video ‡ Comments (0) °

Some Random Observations Around the NDP Leadership Race

Something in this CBC story caught my eye and I thought I'd share it here.  David Hale, the lawyer who's been charged with investigating WaterhenGate made this comment:

“'We just need to do this for Mr. Lingenfelter; we need to do it for Ms.
Higgins; we need to do it for Mr. Pedersen; and we need to do it for
Ryan Meili,' Hale said.”

Notice anything?  The use of the more formal Mr/Ms construct for all the other candidates and the full name for Ryan Meili probably means nothing from a lawyer who, by all accounts, will be impartial and is well-qualified to handle this investigation.  But you wonder if, on a subliminal level, that familiarity in how he used Ryan's name versus the other candidate's means anything deeper?  I mean, it's a small detail but possibly quite telling. 

Of course, don't break out the tinfoil hats yet.  I know a detail like that is roughly on the same level as counting Facebook friends to determine popularity (660 Link, 434 Meili at this moment!  Though probably, if I went through and once again counted only those identifiable as actual Saskatchewan residents, I expect it'd be something like 130 Link, 431 Meili ) 

[Edit: someone mentioned it and I alluded to it in this last paragraph but just to be absolutely clear, Lingenfelter is getting a very large amount of support on Facebook from people from Columbia, his wife's home country, who are ineligible to vote in the leadership race.  Nothing wrong or illegal with this other than the fact that it could create a misleading impression if someone only looked at the raw numbers without digging a bit deeper.]

Actually, this is a good chance to do some momentum math.

In my last post on Facebook support…
Link was at 543 and is now at 660 = 117 new supporters which is 18% growth since March 22.
Meili was at 290 and is now at 434 = 144 new supporters which is 33% growth since March 22.

Another interesting thing I noticed poking around on Facebook…
Ryan Meili (as an individual) is friends with Deb Higgins and Yens Pedersen but not Dwain Lingenfelter
Deb Higgins is friends with Ryan and Yens Pedersen but not Dwain Lingenfelter
Yens Pedersen is friends with Ryan and Deb but not Dwain Lingenfelter.

See a pattern here?  I mean, a lot of the Link defenses I've seen coming out since WaterhenGate say that if you're a good NDP'er, you shouldn't call Lingenfelter out for this screw-up because it's bad for party unity or it reflects poorly on the party.  Guess what?  It appears that's already the case and there's a big divide between three of the candidates and the other one.  (It's harder to wade through the hundreds of people on each candidate's fan pages so I didn't check there but I would imagine you might see something similar.) 


Oh, and still with Facebook.  Before they created the option to make Fan pages for politicians, celebrities, organizations, etc., some organizations would create profiles as if they were individuals.  That worked well for the most part but can lead to some embarrassing or confusing situations for organizations, especially those that you would expect to remain neutral or equally support all candidates who may be one day responsible for their funding. 

So it's pretty surprising to see that the profile for “Saskatchewan Arts Board” is “friends” with Dwain Lingenfelter and Deb Higgins but *not* with Ryan Meili and Yens Pedersen.  The SAB profile is a “supporter” of Ryan on his fan page (I didn't check if the same holds true for Yens) so I don't know whether this was intentional or more likely, just a mix-up/misunderstanding about the different meanings that may be implied by being someone's “Friend” on Facebook versus being a “Supporter”. 

Finally, another small detail similar to the subliminal Hale comment I listed above.  The Jurist has already pointed out that the provincial NDP has done a really good job of remaining neutral with their coverage of this race but may have slipped up by allowing Lingenfelter space to post his own explanation of Waterhen Gate without providing the same space to the other campaigns.   But I wonder if the NDP itself has sent a subliminal message with how they ordered the candidates on the official leadership page?  In pretty much any situation where you are treating people as equals, you would refer to them alphabetically by surname.  So the order of the headshots in the page's header I'd expect to see would go: Higgins, Lingenfelter, Meili, Pedersen.  Instead, we get Meili, Higgins, Pedersen, Lingenfelter. 

Again, I'm probably reading *way* too much into this but you wonder if this was another subliminal nod – perhaps to a preferred order of finish? Or perhaps someone at NDP HQ was already familiar with the type of attitude Mr. Lingenfelter can show to his own party?

“NDP Leadership Candidate, Dwain Lingenfelter, today expressed concern
that the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party has decided to ignore the
Far North in its series of Leadership Candidate Public Forums next
month, and says he has decided to organize his own public forum in the
region and invite the other leadership candidates to take part.”  So he can call out party staffers for their lack of organizational skills yet anybody criticizing Lingenfelter for Waterhen Gate is endangering party unity?  Right…  

Anyhow, I'm very conscious that this is really small, off-the-radar stuff that most people probably don't even pay attention to or notice.  And that individually, none of these examples probably means anything.  But I also can't help wonder if seeing more and more examples of these little things adds up to something bigger?

Posted 07 May 2009 § Main Page § Politics § Saskatchewan ‡ Comments (0) °

Ryan Meili Takes *Slightly* Different Approach to First Nations Peoples Than Dwain Lingenfelter

When I first started following the NDP leadership race, I observed that there were many similarities between Ryan Meili and Barack Obama (and by extension, I saw Dwain Lingenfelter as playing the Hillary Clinton role – inevitable front-runner with name recognition and deep party ties being challenged by young upstart community organizer.) 

One of the most amazing aspects of Barack Obama's campaign was that he had an unerring sense of timing – something would happen and he would have an immediate response which made it appear almost as if he knew what was going to happen before his oppponent did. 

Ryan Meili appears to share this same skill which I see as a real mark of a true leader.  We saw a bit of this when Dwain Lingenfelter declared unilaterally that he was establishing a candidate's forum in the far north and Ryan Meili (in cooperation with Yens Pedersen) declared that this was an empty gesture since Link had scheduled his for after the membership deadline.  So Meili and Pedersen announced they would plan one – but for before the membership deadline.  (In the end, I didn't hear if Dwain showed up at his event to sit on stage alone but I believe the other candidates – including Deb Higgins – did show up at the alternate one – a development which is another indication of what it means to be a true leader.) 

And now, once again, with Water(hen)Gate erupting all around Dwain Lingenfelter after his campaign falsely submitted 1100 bogus memberships from two First Nations reserves, and with strong words of disapproval coming from bloggers (guilty!), the mainstream media, the NDP's opposition party and even other leadership candidates, Ryan Meili once again seems prescient in having this very professional, well-done campaign video ready for release today, one day after the NDP elected to throw out all 1100 disputed memberships and ask an investigator to dig deeper into exactly what transpired on the Flying Dust and Waterhen First Nations: 

Posted 06 May 2009 § Main Page § Politics § Saskatchewan § Video ‡ Comments (0) °