The document discusses civility and civil discourse in three parts - context, curation, and community. It notes that in 2010 only 24% of US high school seniors had a proficient understanding of civics and government, and finding reliable information online can be difficult without proper context and curation. It concludes that while technology enables sharing information, civil discourse requires digital literacy and a sense of community to have constructive discussions.

1. You liberals hate America!
You’re an idiotic wing-nut!
You feminazis are all alike!
Fascist pig!
T
Civility and The
Three Cs: Context,
Curation,
Community

2. Context

6. 2010:
24% of America’s high school
seniors had a “proficient” score
in their knowledge of civics and
government

7. Common
Context Is
MIA

8. Getting
information
from the
Internet is like
drinking from
a fire hose

9. Curation

11. Community

16. Conclusion
• We are living in an age of disruption
• Technology, alone, cannot ensure civil
discourse
• Digital literacy is essential for a
functioning democracy

17. Credits
• “The Role of Traditional and Social Media”
Civil Discourse to Resolve Governmental Crises
October 10, 2012
• Copyrighted images are examples of Facebook shares; FairUse
exemption claimed; firehose is Flickr CC
• Kathy E. Gill, University of Washington
Contact:
@kegill, http://wiredpen.com/ ,
http://facebook.com/kathygill