Doc Searls has started keeping an eye on Dean’s campaign lately, and he takes a good look today at some of the tech issues the campaign might face as they continue to gain momentum.
That last post has 117 comments. Other comment piles below other posts number 40, 76, 101, 21, 71, 136, 156, 152, 98, 132 and so on. These are near-Slashdot numbers.
They are also unmoderated. In fact, there is no way to moderate them (in a Slashdot sense) on a Moveable Type blog. Or on any type of blog, far as I know. Other than by taking them down.
This apparently happened to a post by Richard Bennett to the comment list at a Dean blog entry on Monday. I was later told by email from a friend close to the Dean Campaign that the deletion was a mistake (by a campaign worker, not Dean) and that the campaign has a no-censorship policy on the blog. (One that also applies, presumably, to Dean’s guest posts on the Lessig blog, where the largest comment pile currently numbers 183.)
Dean and his campaign have been doing an incredible job of embracing the technology available to them, and doing everything they can to use it to their advantage. The comments on their posts not only keep discussions of key topics active long beyond when the initial post goes up, but also provides excellent fodder for campaign tactics and ideas.
It’s fascinating to watch, and seeing others far more of note to the Blogosphere than I take notice of it themselves is wonderful.
I like Dean so far. And at this point he has my support. But I have heard he DOES have a temper? And when he gets riled up he can fly off the handle. I have no idea if its true or not. But if it is true it won’t help come crunch time.