Comments on: Obama and canvassing technology http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/obama-and-canvassing-technology Confessions of a Non-Profit Executive Director Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:17:34 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Allan Benamer http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/obama-and-canvassing-technology/comment-page-1#comment-98581 Allan Benamer Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:18:44 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/?p=3602#comment-98581 Many phones are WAP-enabled and I would start there. This isn't a lot of data entry -- mostly 1 or rarely, 2 data entry actions per house. Assuming that phones are only going to get more sophisticated as the years go by, I assume that smartphones like Google Android will drive more and more adoption. The adoption curves for iPhone and Google Android are high -- frankly, this can also be designed to work on Sidekicks too. This doesn't have to be a whizbang interface. It just needs to be usable for a volunteer. Campaign literature in one hand, smartphone in the other is how I see canvassing in the future. By 2010, I think this is testable during midterm elections. By 2012, iPhone and Android will be ubiquitous enough so that you can start to reserve neighborhoods for those users. I don't think you can move from paper entirely in 2012 but by 2016, if you haven't already, you're going to get crushed by the opposition. It's just too easy to develop and adopt. I would probably design two flavors for a WAP-enabled phone and another one for Google Android and iPhone. In 2012, you could probably enhance the Google Android edition with a GPS locator. It's sometimes hard to find houses and my HTC Mogul's GPS locator allowed us to find homes quicker than randomly roaming a neighborhood. Many phones are WAP-enabled and I would start there. This isn’t a lot of data entry — mostly 1 or rarely, 2 data entry actions per house. Assuming that phones are only going to get more sophisticated as the years go by, I assume that smartphones like Google Android will drive more and more adoption. The adoption curves for iPhone and Google Android are high — frankly, this can also be designed to work on Sidekicks too. This doesn’t have to be a whizbang interface. It just needs to be usable for a volunteer. Campaign literature in one hand, smartphone in the other is how I see canvassing in the future.

By 2010, I think this is testable during midterm elections. By 2012, iPhone and Android will be ubiquitous enough so that you can start to reserve neighborhoods for those users. I don’t think you can move from paper entirely in 2012 but by 2016, if you haven’t already, you’re going to get crushed by the opposition. It’s just too easy to develop and adopt.

I would probably design two flavors for a WAP-enabled phone and another one for Google Android and iPhone. In 2012, you could probably enhance the Google Android edition with a GPS locator. It’s sometimes hard to find houses and my HTC Mogul’s GPS locator allowed us to find homes quicker than randomly roaming a neighborhood.

]]> By: Joe http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/obama-and-canvassing-technology/comment-page-1#comment-98580 Joe Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:38:16 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/?p=3602#comment-98580 Your suggestion makes a ton of sense assuming the presence of said mobile devices, but where do they come from? Do you only have canvassers who own such devices, or does the campaign need to get its hands on thousands of 'em? Your suggestion makes a ton of sense assuming the presence of said mobile devices, but where do they come from? Do you only have canvassers who own such devices, or does the campaign need to get its hands on thousands of ‘em?

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