Tech
Toronto Mayoral Candidates Online
The Toronto mayoral candidates are starting to surface, but how web savvy are they?
I was sad to hear the news of Toronto Mayor David Miller's exit from office next year. As a member of Toronto's tech community I was always happy to see his willingness to embrace tools like Twitter, his presence at technology events like Mesh and TEDxToronto, and his projects like Toronto Open Data.
But as the saying goes, out with the old and in with the new. With Mayor Miller on his way out the city has been abuzz with potential Mayoral candidates - the air is rife with speculation, and people are already taking bets on who will win the race. So how will these new candidates follow in Miller's tech-friendly footsteps? Before the race officially starts on Jan. 4th I'd thought I'd outline five potential candidates' tech prowess. Read their Twitter stream, take a look at their websites...and maybe you'll find a candidate that resonates with you.
CANDIDATE 1: GEORGE SMITHERMAN
Website: http://www.georgesmitherman.com/
Twitter: @Smitherman2010. No updates on Twitter yet other than one advising to stay tuned in the Spring of 2010. Is a Twitter account for the purpose of sending election updates better than no Twitter account at all? You'll have to ask Obama.
Facebook: No official fan page, but there is an "Elect George Smitherman Mayor of Toronto" group with over 1,000 members.
CANDIDATE 2: JOHN TORY
Website: He owns JohnTory.ca, but hasn't done anything with it yet.
Twitter: Personal account: @John_Tory - First update on November 6th, and a steady stream since then - mostly related to his talk show on Newstalk 1010.
Facebook: Official fan page with 314 fans
CANDIDATE 3: ROCCO ROSSI
Website: RoccoRossi.com - another page under construction.
Twitter: @liberalrocco Rocco has over 1,000 Tweets and followers, and throws around hashtags and Bit.ly links like a pro.
Facebook: Official fan page with almost 2,000 fans and constant updates
CANDIDATE 4: JOE PANTALONE
Website: JoePantalone.org
Twitter: It says on his website that Joe has a Twitter account, but the link doesn't work. And I'm assuming @JoePantalone isn't really him...
Facebook: His personal Facebook page is private so you have to be friends with him to see any of the information.
CANDIDATE 5: GIORGIO MAMMOLITI
Website: Doesn't seem to have a personal website - only his page on the Toronto.ca site.
Twitter: The @giorgio_4_mayor is the only Twitter page I could find - with only two updates.
Facebook: He also has a private Facebook page.
VERDICT
George Smitherman has the best website, and Rocco Rossi has the most comprehensive Twitter stream and Facebook fan page. John Tory has a ways to go in terms of building up his following online, and leveraging each tool. And I'd love to see a blog of the campaign trail from each of the candidates. While these things don't reflect what they stand for, they show how willing they are to embrace new online tools - something Mayor Miller does extremely well. Do you care how wired your candidates are? Would it make or break your decision to vote for them?
Discussion
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Being sad to see Miller go just because of things like him picking up on a new tech fad is weak, the man helped drag this city down and he and his cabal seem intent on not listening to the public or common sense.
I suppose we can thank you for helping him to two terms - or did you vote?
Whether it is chasing third-rate sporting events like the Pan-Am games, or rolling over in support of the city workers at the expense of the taxpayers, David Miller has been a failure as Mayor.
@hazelmccallion
So is Sarah Palin. Not worth listening nor reading too, also.
What a sad sack of candidates. Dinosaurs like Mamoliti and Pantalone! Jeebus!
And that Smitherman. Who made a quick exit after his botched Health Care Ministry stint, smells to high heaven to me~!
Look forward to more misinformation from George.
Gimme a break.
Regarding the 140char limit - the good ones are able to figure out how to use. They can keep things light, often humorous and for more important things they provide links to full press release or story. Miller's updates usually concern where he is and what he's doing and often posts a link to a picture he just took. It really opened my eyes just how many things this guy does!
And I can't believe you left out @rebelmayor ! He's gonna wave his musket at you!
That being said, I was never a fan of David Miller, despite him and his Twittering ways. I will not be sad at all to see him leave. And why is Joe Pantalone running? He should retire. He seems like he doesn't have any clue as to what is happening in this city anymore. We need people who have fresh exciting ideas to bring to the table, to help grow our city culturally. We don't need the Pan Am games here. What a bad decision that was!! We do need better public transit funding. We need our new exciting restaurants and cafes to be supported, not unfairly restricted. We need someone who is not only tech-savvy but also eco-savvy. Does such a person exist?
As for the upcoming election, I'm voting for the one that gets rid of the stupid 5 cents a shopping bag. New plastic bags are now biodegradable. And who wants to pay more tax on those bags if the HST kicks in?
As for all these posts about technology; of course it's a relevant way to reach out to citizens. But at the end of the day, substance has to come from the candidate and not from the fancy look of their website design.
So although the candidate official fan pages are still maturing, they are also likely to use their personal friend networks which are not insignificant in size and also speak to how effectively the candidates are interacting online.
Food for thought :)