1.1 Activity 2: Can you think about people who may not have access to online resources? What do you think the consequences are for them in this increasingly digitised world?

One example of differing levels of access given in the Did You Know 4.0 video was that of the 2008 American Presidential campaigns or John McCain and Barack Obama that states

“In February 2008, John McCain raised $11 million for his U.S. presidential bid. That same month, Barack Obama attended no campaign fundraisers. Instead, Obama leveraged online social networks to raise $55 million in those 29 days” (xplanevisualthinking 2009)

What this shows is while both candidates and their parties could access a computer and the internet, it was Obama who harnessed the power of those who were not just computer literate but who were also literate in online social networking.

This form of campaigning gave Obama access to a previously untapped market of voters- many of whom were of younger demographic, and also allowed him to stay in touch voters giving them a space to gather despite geographical dispersion. (Carr 2008)

While this campaign required a high level of computer literacy it also required a high levels in marketing literacy, for example - how to target specific demographics and how to develop a sense of trust, motivation and inclusion within targeted groups, both of which apply to both online and offline environments.

The statistics prove that in America - social networking is a powerful tool in election campaigning, and those without access or the knowhow can be left behind.

 Carr, D. 2008. How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks' Power. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10carr.html (accessed 2/9/11).

xplanevisualthinking. 2009. Did You Know 4.0. video. YouTube.