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Senator Releases First Senate Mobile App
GovTechGuy writes "Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) released an official application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, making him the first Senator to offer an official mobile application. The Chambliss app allows the public to call Chambliss' offices directly from the app and find in real-time information on the Senator's positions on current political topics."
Positions on current topics
not
Current positions on topics.
Really? The ability to call someone by downloading an app instead of dialing the phone should be mandatory?
This thing is more fluff then substance, there's already apps that look at positions on issues and voting histories for all of Congress.
Just what was missing! An app for a cellphone that enables you to... call someone?! Wait, what?
Now I wish I had an iPhone so I could give him an earful that way.
Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
Sounds like a web site. They stuck "app" on it. Booooring. Wake me up when you have an iCloudApp. Now, that would be truly revolutionary. Bonus points if it has synergy.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
When has samzenpus ever posted anything that was truly newsworthy? About only thing he posts is idle shit, idle shit posted outside of idle to get around the fact that almost everyone has blocked idle, and shill reviews for Packt Publishing books.
Does it come with free Cleland attack ads?
Right, because 3 apps is just way too many. Its not like we have gigs of memory. All of our iPhones are so maxed that we just can't spare less space than angry birds for keeping up to date with our representation in washington.
If I can just reach out with my words and touch a butthole, just one, it will all be worth it.
I hear the corporate version comes with a button to make campaign donations and change his position on issues.
Does his position change so frequently it has to be updated in realtime?
WTF, this is exactly what has been missing.
How has it been missing? Chambliss, like almost every other Senator and Representative, already has a webpage with all that information already. This app is just some lame repackaging of his webpage and a call feature.
Why do I get the feeling if Chambliss was a D, people would love his embrace of technology?
Because you're an idiot?
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00089
I'm sure it's not terribly mobile-friendly nor is it organized particularly well, but the information is out there. They should publish this data over some sort of API so we can make it presentable (whether as an app, a mobile site, or a stack of printouts), but unfortunately I can't fault them for not providing the data at all.
The piece about getting info on the Senator's stance on various issues is interesting. They should digitize that and then replace all of these guys with a small shell script.
How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?
You have to forgive them. Only a few years ago did they realize that the Internet was a not a big truck but a series of tubes.
Because far too many "smart" phone users cannot be bothered with politics except on message boards. Far too many would never venture near a Congressman's website but I bet quite a few would download an app just for the sheer chance they could ridicule it or his positions. They would in fact be getting the information he wanted that they normally would never access.
So make information cool, if that means repackaging it, then by all means. Just because you and I know where to look for information does not mean others do. As I said above, many who could probably would not unless it was stupidly easy - like an app.
I know people with apps for the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Bible, Koran, and other easy to find documents, why is that?
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.