Technology and Alternative Politics

Exclusive places are just that. These are password protected areas on a campaign web site that allow campaign managers, volunteer co-ordinators, key operatives and influencial donors and activists to meet, discuss strategies and tactics, and coordinate campaign activities. Exclusive places serve a number of valuable functions to a campaign. First, they are a secure way for those working on the campaign to communicate and coordinate in real time despite geographical restraints. Second, they increase the stake that key supporters and donors have in the campaign by giving them a forum in which to make suggestions, ask questions, request and procure materials, and hold the campaign to account. Thirdly, it allows the campaign a mechanism to control the campaign's message by getting all of the troops on the same page and provide them with talking points and marching orders in a way that promotes confidentiality.

The process of creating an exclusive space is as simple as providing a password protected link to any of a number of sites such as InvisionFree that provide forum services. Passwords should be exclusive and logged to ensure confidentiality. Within the system, further security levels can allow smaller and smaller circles of people to access and discuss key information and strategies.