I don’t know, today the community is becoming even smaller than what it was in ancient and medieval times. Sadly, the values of democracy have failed to reach to a common person at least in India, they are not aware of their political scenario. Isn’t it a task of enlightened ones to approach common herd of humanities (who’re oblivious of what’s happening around them, who’re pathetically ignorant, who’re sadly apathetic) and spread the values? Afterall, when will be democracy successful in any nation? When everybody will at least know where they stand. Unless everybody participates in any process, how can we judge it s success or failures?

Of course, there are drawbacks of any technique, but then it will be a responsibility of a person who’ll resort to it, isn’t it? Just because some technique is objectionable, it would not be healthy to throw it completely, would it? Moreover, Microtargetting can only persuade, it can’t really force an action upon individuals.

I don’t think political microtargeting is particularly useful for persuading anyone but naïve independent voters who are ambivalent and can’t discern much of a difference between their options. This voter is likely to decide shortly before or in the voting booth and opt for the most recent plausible position that was suggested by whomever.

If ONLY!

I WISH the party of Lincoln had such an ethos; it would be a huge improvement over what we have now where the GOP continues to expand the power of the government to impose one narrow group’s idea of morality about everything from TV and radio content, to the definition of marriage to flag burning, on everyone. The GOP used to have a libertarian component to it, which could be counted on to look out for private interests, but like deficit hawks, they are yet another species made extinct by our (political) climate change.

Microtargeting could be used by women’s health groups (to remind people most at risk to get certain kinds of health screenings), child welfare groups (to reach out and educate people about parenting skills), charities (finding people most likely to contribute), etc.

This issues that govern how microtargeting will be used primarily relate to privacy and data security — the availability of data on individuals, the rules relating to unsolicited contact of people, and identity theft protections, e.g.

It reminds me of what was said during the experiments in democracy show (I forget who said it) that elections should be about the voters (or the people) and what we want, rather than about what aspects of the politicians are exciting or interesting. I think micro targeting, used well, gets us closer to that.