Mobile phones may effect world politics particularly in countries that have land lines reaching only a minor part of their populations. More than any technology in the past, Mobile Phones have brought political awareness to broad segments of the population that until now had no real public voice. (Read the Reuters article below.)

We now see "emergent" trends that coalesce behind views that had traditionally been minority opinions. The new opinions are suddenly turning the tables and becoming the majority.

Why is this important?

The obvious answer is your political future may be at risk. But that is far from the whole story. The "emergent behavior" we are witnessing is the result of individuals spontaneously joining together to work toward what they perceive to be a common goal.

There is no central management, no hierarchical corporate structure.

The question is, will this type of behavior effect markets and can it be predicted and used as a marketing tool?

Terry Wellman

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Technology - Reuters
Text Messages Shape Politics in Philippines

By Richard Baum

MANILA (Reuters) - Maricar Quiambao's fingers hover over the computer keyboard as she prepares to compose a message to Filipino voters.

"Don't vote for FPJ," she says, laughing mischievously at her slight against movie star turned presidential front-runner Fernando Poe Jr.

Quiambao, a campaign adviser to politicians linked to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (news - web sites), is testing software to send political text messages to thousands of mobile telephones simultaneously.

By the time Filipinos go to the polls on May 10 to elect a president and 17,000 other officials across the archipelago, many mobile phone owners will have received hundreds of messages aimed at influencing their decisions at the polling booth.

Most will be harmless jokes knocking down a candidate, but others will be potentially damaging rumors that could swing the vote in a close race.

"It's now an effective conveyor of black propaganda," says Senator Edgardo Angara, president of Poe's LDP party, the main opposition bloc.

Views from Lisa Wellman & Terry Wellman

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