Comments on: The Obama SMS: (Un-)gratifying instantification

The thunder of Web 2.0 campaigning was stolen by old-school TV news coverage.

[techman21]

Gotta be faster than CNN - and the moles who talk to the press without permission.

[M C]

Bad teaser for this article - CNet distortion-for-clicks strikes again - the problem was a leak, not the particular medium.

If there's a leak the media will use it. If CNet had enough pull they would have too.

[dlee312]

I'd say there was a problem in the medium! I NEVER got the text!

[twburger]

My sister-in-law showed up to a family lunch sporting an Obama - Biden campaign button she received on the same day as the announcement. Since the design, manufacture, and distribution on thousands of button across America would have taken several days and involved many people, this "Be the first" offer was really only an attempt to send message sent out a few hours ahead of the general official announcement. The true insiders were, as usual, the campaign workers and leaks to the traditional press were inevitable and probably expected.

It was not really a notable media event, but was a very successful method of obtaining many email addresses and cell phone numbers.

As for the announcement not being a success due to taking about 15 minutes to send several hundred thousand text messages - utter rubbish. As a technologist and systems analyst I can professionally attest that this was a well planned and well executed operation. If these people can run the country as well as they run a campaign Americans will have a prosperous and healthy future with Obama as president.