What does it all mean??

The Internet has provided government officials across the world with an unprecedented capability to communicate with their constituencies. All of these tools exist so that you can stay up-to-date on the work being done by your Senate Democrats. For those of you new to the internet and social media, here is a quick run-down of what websites we are using, what they do and why we think it’s important.

Social Networking (Facebook) —

Social networking sites connect people. Sites like Facebook and MySpace allow users to create their own web pages (or profiles) that can be viewed by other users. People can use these profiles to share information, photos, video and many other types of media.

Facebook –

Here in Oregon, the Senate Democrats primarily use Facebook to stay connected with constituents via social networking. Facebook not only allows us to share all different kinds of media with people, it also allows users to become “fans” of our work.

Blog –

Blog stands for web-log. Blogs are web sites that allow quick updates, almost in the form of an online journal. This format has spread across the globe and users generally recognize blogs are a frequently-updated place to find information.

Our frequently-updated home page serves as the chief Oregon Senate Democrats “blog”, where we share press releases, news stories, event listings, bill snapshots and other information about the Senate’s work.

Twitter –

The easiest way to think about Twitter is like an online text message. Twitter is a web site where people can “micro-blog” and share extremely brief messages of 140 characters or less. This information can be shared via the twitter website or can also be sent directly to your phone or website. We use Twitter to provide people with quick information and important updates on Senate news. Click here to visit our Twitter page.

Flickr –

Flickr is a popular photo-sharing web site. While you can share photos with some of the applications listed above, Flickr can produce great slideshows and excellent photo quality. We use it to host all of our official photographs. Click here to visit our Flickr page.

RSS Feeds –

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS feeds allow people to monitor when a frequently-updated website (a blog, for example) has new items posted on it. RSS feeds are completely customizable — you can have them sent directly to your phone, e-mail, or web site. To keep up with the Oregon Senate Democrats, you’ll want to direct your phone/email/website to http://www.orsenatemajority.org/feed