UC Berkeley researchers are studying how people use social media in politics by mapping California Proposition 30 social media references onto graphs. They  invite users to join in and see how their graphs grow.
Users sign up on their new website, CA Prop 30 Awareness, by entering their email address. This creates a new page similar to the home page coded with a number unique to them. Users then use social media like Facebook and Twitter to discuss Proposition 30, using the unique page as the link. The website tracks click-through to the unique page and awards points based on how many people sign on and where their links travel to.
The above sample graph shows social media spreading from the user in the middle to his circles and then to the circle’s circles.
If Proposition 30 doesn’t pass there will be immediate, mandated budget cuts of about $5 billion, most of which will impact education. So, Prop 30 is of more than theoretical interest to those in California universities.
I may vote against Prop 30 simply because it mandates that money be spent in a specific way. Propositions like these are part of the problem not the solution because they force money be spent in a specific way but generally do provide a realistic funding source. Prop 30 will raise sales tax 0.25% and increase income tax on those making more than $250,000. The State of California is known to make wildly over optimistic estimates of projected income. There’s no reason to believe Prop 30’s estimates are reality-based.
The CA Prop 30 Awareness URL I’m linking to is my coded page. I’d appreciate click-throughs and sign ups. Thanks!