

Can an Argentine startup reinvent governance through a smartphone app? - lvevjo
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/07/designing-an-operating-system-for-democracy/374526/

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joseakle
This is the github link of the project:
[https://github.com/DemocracyOS/app](https://github.com/DemocracyOS/app)

The initial implementation seems to be around discussing bills.

From the FAQ: "citizens can present projects to be debated, and representative
present for debate those bills currently in debate in Congress. DemocracyOS
has three basic actions: "get informed," "join the conversation," and "vote.""

How can an identified user remain safe? How can anonymous users be trusted?

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sorin-panca
If a problem is debated and the problem has 3 solutions, a, b and c; and a
representative sees that a is supported by 23.8% of people he/she represents,
b is supported by 3% and c is supported by the rest he/she would be stupid to
pick b, so he would definetely pick c.

But then again, if the representative is just a messenger, he could be
replaced by a device.

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dang
As
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8058496](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8058496)
has now been posted to point to the actual project, we'll demote the current
article.

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hepek
probably not

~~~
wavefunction
I upvoted you but I think you may be discounting "reinventing in a negative or
ineffective manner" as potential outcomes.

The comparison to Wordpress is certainly frightening when one considers the
ramifications of failures in security or anonymity. The whole article is
rather breathless and trite:

"must sign up using a national ID card and a second piece of identification
(early plans to use Facebook as a means of authenticating users’ identities
were dropped over concerns about making the platform overly reliant on a U.S.
tech firm). And how a person votes on the platform is not secret."

~~~
hepek
"Still, for all the publicity Mancini and the Net Party have received,
participation on the platform is low—debates on legislation rarely attract
more than 100 voters—in a capital city with some 2.5 million eligible voters
and an Internet penetration rate of 70 percent'

I just lack faith in technological solutionism. If there is an issue everybody
felt important people would've found ways to fight for it. Even take it to the
streets.

Sometimes I fear of "Like button" democracy more then I fear corrupted
officials.

