Michael Weiksner
Bay Area, CA - USA
www.e-thepeople.org

Biography:

Michael Weiksner is a Ph D candidate in the Department of Communication at Stanford University. In addition, Michael has been chairman of e-thePeople since October 1999. Previously, Michael was a manager at Fulcrum Analytics and a consultant at Oliver, Wyman & Company. Michael graduated cum laude from Princeton University with dual degrees from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Computer Science department. Michael currently lives in New York City with his wife, Maria, and a
daughter.

e-thePeople’s projects include:

* http://www.e-thepeople.org – a digital townhall for thoughtful and diverse political discussion
* http://www.AmericanChoices.org – an interactive guide to foreign policy debates
* http://www.vgt2004.org – interactive voter guides to local elections
* http://www.IssuesPA.net – a webby-nominated guide to statewide issues in Pennsylvania

What's a recent movie you've seen and enjoyed and why?

MAD HOT BALLROOM. Amazing transformations of eleven year public school students in New York City learning how to dance and competing city-wide. If you like Spellbound, you'll like Mad Hot Ballroom.

What is "community" and why is it important to you?

In the Upper East Side of Manhattan, it is surprising the connection with my neighbors and doormen in my apartment building, the grocery store, my favorite restaurants, my parents and friends that live nearby. Everyone is friendly, but not overly so, since everyone is bustling to and fro (on important business of course.)

Pick a favorite technology and explain how it makes the world a better place?

The cooler. By keeping beer and other tasty drinks cold, it enables groups of people to get together and enjoy each others company. For similar reasons, I like the campfire too. Humans were just plain not civilized before fire and the cooler.

2-3 questions or issues that you hope we'll address at the "Deepening Online Deliberation" meeting?

What does government need to be more responsive and respectful of the people? How can new and existing tools be used to help with these real needs?