Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/198093
Blogging.2:3 8/21/08 11:18 PM Page 18 Don't get mad, get blogging If you're a nurse who's frustrated with the healthcare crisis and has opinions and answers, the ability to educate others way beyond your workplace or city is just a click away. by david welch, rn I frequently protest in my pajamas. And I don't always wear pajamas. No, I'm not an exhibitionist. I often spend some free time in the evenings and on weekends blogging on a few nurse and political websites. If you're rolling your eyes, or they've glazed over at the mere mention of the word "blog," just let me explain for a moment. Like lots of you, I'm a nurse fast approaching retirement age. I'm not an early adopter of technology. I don't own an iPod and only got my first cell phone two years ago. But I have learned to participate in the world of online activism, and by doing so, I've been able to extend my reach far beyond the small circle of people I meet in my everyday life. I can communicate and debate ideas with people I will never meet, give my unique nurse's point of view on issues that matter to me, and help build the power of our union and our movement. In the last few years, American political culture has been revolutionized by a new series of tools that have helped to raise funds, educate voters, and mobilize activists. Until very recently, nurses and our organizations have not made full use of these tools, but it's time we did. Learning to participate in the world of online activism can help us to tell the unique stories that nurses know about our workplaces and about the American healthcare system. 18 REGISTERED NURSE Most prominent among the new online formats is the "blog," which is short for "web log." Blogs began several years ago as a way for one person to post online his or her thoughts, ideas, life events, or information about a special interest or hobby for others to read. Some blogs were about adorable kitty cats, but some blogs were about politics. Some of those political blogs were good enough to attract wide readership. Today, a handful of those blogs have become real powerhouse sites with readers numbering in the millions and a reach that can influence the world of politics in a big way. Candidates and organizations today use the Internet and especially blogs to raise money, recruit volunteers, organize events, and spread their ideas. Blogs will never replace the nuts and bolts of traditional organizing, but they can be a way to multiply and extend our power. Here's a case study in the power of the Internet. Recently, we wanted to greet America's Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry lobbying group, with a massive protest against its "murder by spreadsheet" practices when it convened for its annual convention in San Francisco on June 19. CNA/NNOC knows how to run demonstrations, so we knew we could get a fair turnout of our own members. And some of our good allies would bring still more. But W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G J U LY | A U G U S T 2 0 0 8