As was the case with every major moment during the 2008 election, yesterday’s inauguration was fully digitized, annotated and archived online. Experienced by millions online who blogged, Twittered, Facebooked and Flickred the historic event, the inauguration boosted participation and brought record numbers of visitors to many sites.
One of the most popular entry points for those wishing to share their experience of watching the inauguration online was the CNN/Facebook partnership, which allowed users to watch live footage of the ceremony while discussing the unfolding events with their Facebook friends. Facebook reported that 1 million users updated their status during the inauguration and CNN reported 18.8 million live video streams from their site by 10 a.m.
Now that the party is winding down, users can also submit their photos from the inauguration to a special page on Photobucket to be considered for inclusion in the “Official 2009 Presidential Inaugural Book.”
As we noted in our Post-Election Voter Engagement report, we can expect that Obama voters who were engaged online during the election will stay engaged during these major moments for the administration. Many say they have followed the transition online and a substantial number expect some form of ongoing digital communication with Obama and his team. Already the Obama administration has signaled that they will use the new Whitehouse.gov website to solicit feedback from citizens, allowing the public to review and comment on legislation before the President signs it.
