As someone in Tech sales who voted yes and with some experience of Community Management I have found myself caught in the cross fire of these two worlds. I know the value of collaborating with a competitor as I helped save one from going out of business. I have also tried to encourage #VoteYes and #VoteNo people to come together to collaborate in the same way that I am used in the Tech world.
Any time I have suggested "Hey we could connect to see if and how we can collaborate" in Technology, it's either a "Yes," "No," or "Let's explore further." To make the same suggestion in this #indyref thing to take advantage of getting the whole nation connected to explore some mutually beneficial ideas appears to be an act of treason.
#The45Plus is Not Divisive: They Are!
Please don't think that I am having a go at people for having an opinion, or expressing it... at least as long as you allow me the same courtesy. I am providing the benefit of my experience and taking the time to detail this. Please don't throw this back in my face!
What I would say however, is that
Politics is a popularity game and the leader seems to be who ever is the best at talking their way out of a jam, or come up with the best excuses and put downs. Disagree? Have you seen Prime Minister's Question Time? Or BBC Question Time? This argumentative style enters into the Youth Parliaments, I don't think I've ever seen a politician say "That's a great idea" from the opposite side of the Common Room.
When you apply for membership does it say "You agree that our party must have the monopoly on good ideas?" Or that "Only card carrying members have ideas worth listening to. I get frustrated with having ideas that I am confident would work but not being able to implement them... but we all have good ideas, but our policy makers don't listen to us.
Arguing Over #The45Plus
The politicians culture of division and argument has seen a diverse audience leave so only the political activists are left. And the conversation then becomes one dimensional. And with politics comes the arguing. Today the argument is because of a mis-understanding of how the process for cultural change works.
No one outlined the process for how, why and when the "Auld Enemy" the #VoteNo Better Together camp would join with that roudy rebellious #VoteYes mob. I was working on this, and was the subject for todays post... but I've been working flat out since Friday. Anyway people saw the "45" as being divisive when they just didn't understand that #the45plus had gone from an "Us" and "Them" brand to a #45plus Mindset.
Politics... Why Does it Kill Opportunities for Growth?
We WERE doing very nicely as a nation on Twitter... Trending for 2 days just talking amoungst ouselves randomly, just like Jane Jocobs advises. Well OK, maybe not quite randomly! Maybe when the Unionists were rioting some of #the45 wanted to criticise this behaviour changing the tone of the discussion... and maybe a small group were DM'ing to each other ways to keep the convo positive with comments like.
"Look both #VoteYes and #VoteNo are trending on Twitter. Us for the right reasons... keep it positive!"
This is in line with Jacobs ideas as the diversity of the streets makes it self policing. This harmony left when the politicians came in with their ideas. The "order" that arrived when the politicians came to Twitter town caused "chaos". Their idea of order looked a lot like political in-fighting to me, which has affected the momentum... I don't think #the45plus group has been trending since those first two days.
The Opportunity: Uniting Good Causes
I thought that if the indyref had a couple of more days we might win the election because... every time Better Together talked they put their foot in it. I have written previously about how The45Plus have the ability to change the world. And it has had a big impact, but it could be so much more.
While those election days are past now and, as the Unionits quite rightly say, in the past they must remain. But my Scottish friends, we can still rise now and be a nation again... Erm On Twitter? What? That's not right... Oh were's that bloody song sheet. Here you guys go slag some politicians off while I look for my lyrics.
Unity... Out of the Union
Scot's on both sides of the #VoteYes/#VoteNo camp seem to be unhappy with Wesminster and this might allow us to help consolidate #The45Plus brand and mindset, and increase our reach. We could put a call out to others (Please see Welcome to Scotland for more info)Maybee we can turn up the volume by adding to the 1.6 million voices, in a unifying way, maybe we are Better Together...
#The45 + No Thanks + All MSPs + England + Wales + Northern Ireland + The rest of the world, as long as you want to see change...be fun and positive, and do your part to #BeTheChange you want to see. Come on in!
Let's make any one who stops by whether to lurk or chat feel welcome. But to get people all together again we're going to have to
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| #The45plus: Doing Good While Having Fun |
Let's make things fun, just like #Indyref was for us... it was part of everyones daily routine. If we can get this buzzing it could have all kinds of positive outcomes, for example:
1) It could raise the noise level for our causes and campaigns and #The45plus voice to their campaigns and vice versa
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2) Connections we make online can lead of offline engagement and collaboration. Maybe the friendliness, humour, intelligence and quick wit present to the world online will encourage people to visit Scotland for a holiday or open a business once they get to know us.
So let's show how and why we made boring old politics a part of our daily routine. We've lost a little bit of this because there has not enough attention paid to cultivating the culture of #the45plus.
I love the potential of this and how the right culture means that we can do so much: Like arrange a popup food bank in seconds while doing a mock up of Alex Salmond as Obi Wan, or giving him SuperHero status, SuperSalmond and the YesAlliance complete with A New Hope and new opportunities, like a YesAlliance comic? "Doing good while having fun!"
I can see why the Government didn't want to play Braveheart or Outlander before the election.
I Had a Dream...
I had a weird dream after watching Braveheart just now that I wanted to share with you. The scene in the dream was the part of the film where William Wallace tries to get his fellow Scots from leaving the battle field
Sons of #The45plus Hashtag
Some random idiot #1: Alright lads I'm not talking to these b*****ds! Come on lets go to #indyref #Voteyes #voteno #bettertogether #the45 #the45plus
Enter Wallace (In my dream Wallace was a lot more scrawny than you might be picturing just now).
Wallace: If this is the mighty 1.6million who trended for 2 days solid and made the world news... and if you care about Scotland, policy and #bairnsnotbombs, why do you leave?
Useless Politician: Where does thy salute... I can't stand politics! I am here because we can if this is your wish too... Why is your army splintering?
Some other Ejit piping up: We didn't come here to fight for change, we came here to fight about politics... We'll go to another hashtag because the politics is more partizan... we don't like people with different colour shiny badges than ours. [Tone softens] look have you seen my badge... it's very pretty isn't it, all shiny and bright.
Look on Wallaces face says "Good grief! where did these people go to school... How bad are the funding cuts for schools! Who let the politicians run the education system?!"
Wallace: Sons of the I want change! I demand change I see the ability to unslum our most depeived areas and return Jane Jacobs diversity to the City (Remember the buzz on the streets at the commonwealth games).
I see a whole army of my country men here in defiance of Westminsters tyranny...You have come to debate as free men with an open mind.... and open minds you can have.
Some random idiot #2: What will you do with that... will you chat on hashtag?
Scotland's Next Nobel Peace Prize Winner: Chat with THEM? NO we will run and chat where we can agree with ourselves.
Look on Wallaces face says AW For goodness sake! where do we get these ejits! I think I'll go join the other side so I can give them a good kick in!
Wallace: Aye run yea wee weed and go talk yer party politics with all yer "Yes" men... the people you agree with... Stay and it may be uncomfortable. Run and it may feel safer for a while.
And having the same system of politics many years from now would you be willing to trade all those days from this day to that for ONE CHANCE, JUST ONE CHANCE to tell the politicians that they can try to manipulate us but WE CAN THINK FOR OUR SELVES and WE CAN COLLABORATE! WE CAN BE THE CHANGE THAT WE WANT TO SEE!
If anyone from #the45plus community would like to hear some international voices on the topic and/or feels that we'd be #BetterTogether with other countries in order to be heard, you may want to Tweet something like this to welcome people
#BairnsNotBombs supporters may want to send this before Friday. Try to do it without fighting!
Sons of #the45: There is strength in you I see it. Unite. Unite us. Unite the #nowar #syria world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sa_OQgWiPA … Use #the45plus & RT
NB The Title of this post (Bairns being children) is not a personal opinion about any action on any proposals for going to war, don't know enough about the facts here to comment. The title of this post is in reference to one of The Yes Scotland campaign messages where they wanted to put the welfare of our children before war. Now that I most definitely DO agree with!
Thanks you for all your hard work I tweeted what you wanted.. Good luck.
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