Hello

I'm Jake McKee

People call me The Community Guy

I’ve found my next job

Posted on 06 Nov 2008 | 11 comments

Update: UserVoice has launched a site that collects and rates ideas about what tasks the upcoming Obama Adminsitration should start with. (Think Dell’s IdeaStorm for the new administration) I’ve added a new task called: “Developing a Community Manager for the USA”.

Please go vote it up!

Josh points out a genius idea, and it sounds terribly connected to my previous thoughts about Obama’s Social Media Campaigning:

I call on president-elect Obama to create a community of committed Americans to discuss the solutions to the problems that face us. I call on him to designate a US Community Manager, with a small staff, to moderate and harvest those discussions to solve the country’s problems. Forget polls. With a few million people in my.america.gov, Obama will be able to tap into the world’s largest focus group. Communities are cheap, compared to most of what the government does. Create a space for the brightest people you know; use them to attract the best ideas. And better yet, use this energized community to sell those ideas to America.

I’m quite serious when I say this: Where do I submit my resume??

One thing I’d like to take exception to with Josh’s idea is that the value is tapping into the world’s largest focus group. That’s the politics of (hopefully) the past, and it doesn’t truly deliver on the Social Media Promise. The true value of creating a project like this is that it helps to activate and motivate citizens to positive action.

With a community based on around a better connection to government, the citizenry could combine forces with their elected representatives to make decisions and implement solutions. They could do so together, using the my.america.gov site as a hub for such activity.

Certainly this community would inherently serve a focus group-like purpose, simply because information would exist and politicians could (and should) access it. But it’s more than that. This type of community, guided by successful community management could quite literally change the way a citizen base interacts with their representation.

  • http://www.feverbee.com Richard Millington

    Go for it. Is there anywehre we can sign a petition on your behalf? It’s something worth pushing for.

  • http://cathyma.com Cathy Ma

    Also on the note that America is facing the biggest financial crisis in history with so little reserve at hand, it’s time to create a repository for the world’s citizen to chime in a few quids (or bucks depends on where you’re from :D ) to help restore peace and faith in the world. pledgebank.com anyone?

    Global crisis calls for a global solution. Hope you do get through the whitehouse and kick some a**! Again, congratulations on America’s turning blue. :)

  • http://phoom.blogspot.com Scott Moore

    At first, I wanted to wrastle you for the position, but you being a family man (and my checkered past) means you would be a much better public figure. May I be the first to endorse you for the position.

    And have you seen http://www.usa.gov? I didn’t realize this was here. Take a look. Some of it is promising and some if it is odd.

  • http://thepovertyjetset.com Mark Schoneveld

    I agree. How awesome would that be. I'm happy for now to see we're on the right track. Obama just launched http://change.gov

  • http://www.buzzbright.com Daniel

    I’m all about how the internet can empower communities for change, so I hate to call you out on this but: “a community of committed Americans to discuss the solutions…” already exists. It’s called Congress.

    Why create another group to make bad decisions for us? I used to love Digg.com. But now it seems like its nothing but teenage boys yelling at each other. My view is no longer represented. I feel the same way about my goverment.

    I think Congress could learn a lot of lessons and get a lot out of opening up to more efficient means of communication and input (i.e. the Internet). But creating another group isn’t the way – and neighther is direct democracy (the Founding Fathers wisely understand that the more people making decisions doesn’t make a smarter group, it makes a mob).

  • http://blog.angelaconnor.com Angela Connor

    That's an amazing idea. I'd like to submit my resume as well!

  • http://www.rosshill.com.au Ross Hill

    Check out the foundation at change.gov

  • http://www.relationship-economy.com Jay Deragon

    You've got my vote. Just think of the possibilities for this community and the President elect. My bet is that this will be real and you will get the job.

  • http://www.117media.wordpress.com Beth Carls

    Jake, it's good to see that you're staying out of trouble! This would be an awesome job…I'll lend my support. Where do we sign up to volunteer to help you! It would be such a waste to have engendered all this enthusiasm and trust and not to carry it forward. The groundbreaking work is yet to be done!

  • http://www.serinteractivo.com Dario

    Hi Jake.
    I've found your blogs thanks to Forrester's Groundswell blog.

    I like your field of work. Actually I started blogging about it. But there is something I feel about your site that would like to tell you.

    After spending 4 minutes browsing the site, the message that stayed with me is that you are desperately looking for a job. “Pitch Me, Hire Me, Hire Jacke, Where do I submit my resume??”.

    All in one page.

    Wouldn't it be better to just show how great and interesting you are and add a Contact Form, instead of begging for a job?

    Anyway, I just added your RSS FEED to my Netvibes.

    Keep the good work.

  • http://www.serinteractivo.com Dario

    Hi Jake.
    I've found your blogs thanks to Forrester's Groundswell blog.

    I like your field of work. Actually I started blogging about it. But there is something I feel about your site that would like to tell you.

    After spending 4 minutes browsing the site, the message that stayed with me is that you are desperately looking for a job. “Pitch Me, Hire Me, Hire Jacke, Where do I submit my resume??”.

    All in one page.

    Wouldn't it be better to just show how great and interesting you are and add a Contact Form, instead of begging for a job?

    Anyway, I just added your RSS FEED to my Netvibes.

    Keep the good work.