How I Plan to Use this Site
There are two things I wanted to accomplish when I set out to build this web site; My first goal was to establish two-way communication in an transparent environment with constituents and other interested parties; Second, I wanted to provide readers with a window into my role in state government through a quick and easy to read format using micro-blogging as a backbone to the infrastructure.
This site has been set up for me to to quickly and easily update all day, everyday…so hang on. Along the way, you’ll get a glimpse into my life as a state legislator, businessman, husband and father. By the way, a lot of people don’t know this, but being a legislator in South Carolina is a “part time” job…my “real” job is in real estate so expect to see a little bit about that occasionally.
Here are a few tools I will use along the way to make this happen:
Twitter — Twitter is a micro blogging format with “posts” limited to 160 characters. This is a simple application that makes it easy to provide a one or two sentence update. I can update Twitter from any computer with an Internet connection, on my phone through text messaging or with my iPhone using an application (more on that later). My Twitter updates throughout the day will automatically post to this website, providing you with real time access to my thoughts on current events or pending legislation. I plan on providing readers with unprecedented access to what is really happening in Columbia. You can follow me and others by going to twitter.com/dphamilton.
Here are a few of my fellow South Carolina Legislators you might want to follow (in no particular order, well, OK, Republicans first): Rep. Eric Bedingfield, Rep. Shannon Erickson, Rep. Nathan Ballentine, Rep. Joey Millwood, Rep. James Smith and Rep. Anton Gunn.
Facebook — Chances are you have heard of Facebook. It is a very popular social networking site originally used for colleges but has grown acceptance in nearly every facet of life. It can be used to build a “community” of like minded people around a person, idea or cause.
iPhone (with applications) — My iPhone has become one of my favorite tools in life. It it vital for my business to stay in touch with clients, pull up maps and search the Internet…all while on the go. It will also be indespendible tool for me to use at the State House. My iPhone is loaded up with some great applications to help me communicate and stay in touch.
Some of my favorite applications on the iPhone are:
- Facebook — See above.
- Twittelator — Manages my Twitter updates on the go.
- Evernote – Mobile note taking application where I can take pictures, write notes or even record audio.
- vlingo — Allows me to control certain aspects of the phone by voice command. I can make phone calls by speaking a name and even update my Twitter and Facebook status by speaking. Very cool and a big time saver.
- The Bible — Yes, I even have the Bible on my phone. It comes with lots of translations and background notes so if you see me looking at my iPhone in church, I’m reading the Bible and not checking email.
We have a few more ideas we’re working on to make the site even better. For example, I plan on adding lots of links to help constituents work with the state government, provide access to my Legislative calendar so you can see what I am working on in Columbia and a link to other Legislators’ Twitter updates.
In the meantime, please give me your feedback and ideas of what you would like to see on this site. Its a blog format, so feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Also, please make sure to sign up for email alerts when the site is updated to you will be the first to know.
December 13th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
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December 16th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Hi Dan,
I believe you are on the right track with the use of the technology. Whether it is the political culture you work in or the educational culture I work in, its not about the technology–its about the conversations, the collaborations, the learning, the bridging of all cultures–and yes, the transparency. I believe the transparency goes both ways as I wrote in a recent blog post where I encourage educators to follow policy makers and vice versa–we all have a lot to learn from each other. In the end, for all of us, its about working toward preparing our children for their (and our) future.
In an increasingly networked world, we can no longer afford to keep our heads in the sand when it comes to how we communicate. The knowing-doing gap is huge and I appreciate your willingness as well as the others in politics to forge new ways to communicate and invite the conversation thru blogs and tweets.