A new weapon is in the technical arsenal of the 2008 Presidential Campaign. I created this tool to support Barack Obama and the Democrats by turns any PC computer into a real time electronic billboard spreading up-to-the-second information on the race to the White House. It is called the Obama Real Time Screensaver. When a computer is not in use, it will display what any lawn sign would do with a huge twist. Instead of having a static message, it can be updated instantly with information from Obama campaign headquarters.
This is another first for Democrats since 2004 when they used the internet to reach out and get millions of dollars for their campaign. Barack Obama tapped into this creative energy once again allowing his supporters to use new tools to get word out about his campaign. Along with videos from YouTube and social networks like Facebook, the Obama Real Time Screensaver is changing the meaning of what it means to stump for a candidate.
This tool works like a normal screensaver, but when the computer is connected to the internet, it will display news, speeches, and responses to the other candidate's remarks. It also has images taken by Barack supporters and songs created by Barack supporters. At the Democratic Convention, it was displayed in several suites and was used on the Jumbo Tron. When the televisions screens were not in use, a computer was hooked up to them displaying the information taken directly from the campaign. It is available for you to download at http://www.realtimewebsite.com/Screensaver/Patriotbasic/index.htmlThis is the same type of tool used by airline pilots to increase awareness to dangerous weather conditions. The original concept of the Real Time Screensaver in 1998 was to display real time weather to pilots across the nation beyond the range of their radar using the tools already available to their companies. The tool also had to not allow users to access a computer's sensitive data.
Northwestern University's Transportation Center uses this tool by displaying Highway and Air Traffic images in real time. Besides showing the information about the Transportation Center, it shows real time images of traffic congestion for the Chicagoland area with data directly from the DOT. Also airport congestion is displayed with real time images straight from the FAA. There is also space for supporters of Northwestern to have their images displayed.
The company I created, Proactive Information Corporation, donated its time and expertise to create this tool to help with the 2008 Primary and Presidential election for Barack. The concept was first reviewed by CNET as the Real Time Weather Screen Saver in 2004 and has to this date has been downloaded over 15,000 times. A year prior, it had to pass the scrutiny of commercial airline pilots when it was presented to them at one of their safety seminars. With years of safety information displayed, Proactive Information Corporation has launched into the world of Politics.
So what will this instrument develop into next? How about an interactive version that allows the user's computer to be used by anyone while keeping all sensitive information secure. Passers-by will be able to click on the word, image, or video on the screensaver to obtain more specific information on a position. The direction of obtaining that piece of specific information will be controlled by the campaign at a moments notice allowing a reaction to what the opponent said in real time.
So what will happen to the screensaver after the election? I hope to keep it with up-to-the-second information from the DNC. I also hope to have critical real time information to help warn supporters of dangerous natural phenomena like Hurricanes, Tornados, and Forest fires. The Interactive version will allow users to click on the critical image to received real time information on what to do and where to go.
This Real Time Screensaver has been available to the campaign in January of 2008 to help Barack Obama win the Democratic Primary. Soon afterwards, a version of this technology is now being used by MSNBC and CNN in August and September, respectively. The main difference is the others don't display the information as quickly because they have to write the story for the screensaver files instead of going directly to the campaign.
The roll of technology used by the Obama Campaign has been an effective weapon in the 2008 campaign. With the Obama Real Time Screensaver, there is a new paradigm shift from paper to a new sort of personal newscast turning an individual's computer into the permanent political personal computer lawn sign of the new millennium.
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