Joi Ito has a wiki. And his wiki includes Emergent Democracy Paper. Still in development (and in the process of being moved to new wiki site), this paper discusses ways to cut through the noise of the Internet and get to the democratic promise.

...the tools and protocols of the Internet have not yet evolved enough to allow the emergence of Internet democracy to create a higher-level order. As these tools evolve we are on the verge of an awakening of the Internet. This awakening will facilitate a political model enabled by technology to support those basic attributes of democracy which have eroded as power has become concentrated within corporations and governments. It is possible that new technologies may enable a higher-level order, which in turn will enable a form of emergent democracy able to manage complex issues and support, change or replace our current representative democracy. It is also possible that new technologies will empower terrorists or totalitarian regimes. These tools will have the ability to either enhance or deteriorate democracy and we must do what is possible to influence the development of the tools for better democracy.

That was written in 2003. Tools are, in fact, emerging. Has the promise for the emergent democracy changed because of things web 2.0-ish? How does the ability to find people like you change what trusted sources mean and what is possible for conversation on the Internet?

An estimated half a million people converged on downtown Los Angels this past weekend to protest a proposed federal crackdown on illegal immigration. According to an article in the LA Examiner, Denver, Phoenix, and Milwaukee were also surprised by tens of thousands gathering in their downtowns.

What helped to bring those people together? MySpace -- a service that bills itself as "a place for friends."

In MySpace, HR4437, and youth activism, danah boyd writes:

For good reason, many Americans are outraged by HR 4437, a House bill that will stiffen the penalties around illegal immigration. Over the weekend, protests began with over 500,000 people taking to the streets on Saturday. Online, teens wrote bulletin board posts on MySpace, encouraging their peers to speak out against the bill. On Monday, instigated through MySpace postings, thousands of teens across the country walked out of school and marched in protest. In Los Angeles alone, 36,000 students walked out and took to the streets. Throughout the country, thousands of teens walked out in protest.

She then goes on to write about the difference in the way that the media, school officials, and city politicians portrayed the protests and the language the students used when discussing it on MySpace.

Tools that help people to find ideas and connect to one another help democracy emerge? It certainly seems so.

Bonus link: Edelman 2006 Annual Trust Barometer (.pdf)