Close Menu
  • English
  • Featured
    • AI & Robotics
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Leisure
    • Science
    • Security
    • Sustainable Development
    • Tech
    • Transport
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Trending
Illustration of a thorium-229-based nuclear clock used to detect dark matter, generated by artificial intelligence.
“We Bent Time to Hunt the Unknown”: Thorium-Based Nuclear Clock May Be the Key to Exposing the Secrets of Dark Matter
Illustration of Germany's JUPITER supercomputer, the fourth fastest in the world, as an artificial illustration.
“They Just Leaped Into the Future”: Germany’s JUPITER Supercomputer Becomes the World’s Fourth Fastest With Unmatched Power and Speed
Illustration of a rope-driven robot dog utilizing capstan drive technology, generated by artificial intelligence.
This Rope-Powered Robot Dog Built by a US Student Walks With Stunning Realism Thanks to a Brilliant Mathematical Design
Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn RSS
Rude Baguette
Facebook X (Twitter) RSS
Newsletter
  • Featured
  • AI
    Illustration of a rope-driven robot dog utilizing capstan drive technology, generated by artificial intelligence.

    This Rope-Powered Robot Dog Built by a US Student Walks With Stunning Realism Thanks to a Brilliant Mathematical Design

    July 18, 2025 at 8:59 AM
    Illustration of an American journalist engaging with a custom-designed AI partner, highlighting digital companionship.

    “I Lost My Husband—So I Dated an AI”: After 13 Years of Marriage, This Journalist Found Unexpected Love in a Virtual Companion

    July 18, 2025 at 5:59 AM
    Illustration of robot dogs patrolling an industrial site, highlighting their role in modern safety and efficiency, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They’re Not Toys Anymore”: Robot Dogs Now Patrolling Factories and Battlefields in Alarming Surge of Machine Deployment

    July 17, 2025 at 9:45 AM
    Illustration of humanoid robots integrating advanced artificial intelligence systems into everyday environments.

    “They Just Gave Robots a Brain”: OpenAI Powers New Humanoid from Figure as Tech Giants Rush to Fund the Future of Labor

    July 17, 2025 at 6:03 AM
    Illustration of Elon Musk's AI startup xAI securing a $200 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They Just Gave Musk the Codes”: xAI Lands $200M Pentagon Deal to Deploy Grok AI Across U.S. Military Infrastructure

    July 15, 2025 at 5:12 PM
  • Energy
    Illustration of China's X-shaped nuclear fusion facility emerging from rocky terrain, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They’re Trying to Bottle a Star”: China’s Giant Fusion Facility Revealed in Shocking Satellite Images as Race for Infinite Energy Heats Up

    July 17, 2025 at 8:07 AM
    Illustration of a polymer blend innovation for advanced battery technology, generated by artificial intelligence.

    Battery Revolution Begins Here: Solid Polymer Unlocks Safer, More Reliable Power for EVs, Aerospace, and Autonomous Drones

    July 15, 2025 at 3:53 PM
    Illustration of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator's record-breaking nuclear fusion performance. Image generated by AI.

    “We’ve Never Reached This Level Before”: German Scientists Smash Nuclear Fusion Record in Leap Toward Infinite Clean Energy

    July 6, 2025 at 8:58 AM
    Illustration of the assembly of the ITER vacuum vessel by Westinghouse Electric Company. Image generated by AI.

    “We’re Building the Heart of a Star”: Westinghouse to Assemble Core of the World’s Largest Fusion Reactor in Historic First

    July 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM
    Illustration of Elon Musk's xAI gas power plant project in Memphis. Image generated by AI.

    “Elon Musk’s AI Power Grab Spirals”: 26 Titanic Gas Turbines Roaring at 1.4 GW—But No One Approved Them

    July 3, 2025 at 5:10 PM
  • Finance
    Online Video Editors

    Online Video Editors : Unlocking New Creative Horizons

    July 18, 2025 at 8:58 AM
    Illustration of James Howells searching for his lost Bitcoin hard drive in a landfill. Image generated by AI.

    “He’s Still Digging”: Man Who Lost $700 Million in Bitcoin 12 Years Ago in a Dump Faces Stunning New Twist in His Hunt

    June 13, 2025 at 9:05 AM
    Illustration of a lost hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins buried in a landfill. Image generated by AI.

    He Just Gave Up €200 Million in Bitcoin: After 12 Years of Digging Through Trash, the Lost Hard Drive Is Gone for Good

    May 30, 2025 at 7:14 AM
    Illustration of a man sleeping with black tape over his lips. Image generated by AI.

    “Doctors Sound the Alarm”: Viral Mouth Taping Trend Called Dangerous and Completely Unproven by Leading Medical Experts

    May 25, 2025 at 8:02 AM
    Illustration of Visa's integration of AI systems into digital payments (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    Visa’s AI Is Now Shopping for You: This Robot May Soon Swipe Your Card Automatically—and Mess With Your Mind

    May 4, 2025 at 8:07 AM
  • Leisure
    Illustration of Shebara Resort's futuristic, pod-like villas shimmering above the Red Sea. Image generated by AI.

    “Solar Villas Rise on the Red Sea”: Shebara Resort Unveils Ultra-Futuristic Eco-Luxury Powered Entirely by the Sun

    June 30, 2025 at 9:06 AM
    Illustration of the world's largest Legoland theme park in Shanghai, featuring eight themed zones and a 250-room hotel. Image generated by AI.

    “China Builds the Unthinkable”: World’s Largest Legoland Ever Made Opens Soon After $550 Million Mega Investment

    June 27, 2025 at 7:06 AM
    Illustration of Quentin Tarantino endorsing the Netflix film Havoc. Image generated by AI.

    “It’s Really Badass”: Tarantino Raves About This Explosive Tom Hardy Action Film That Just Dropped as a Netflix Exclusive

    June 23, 2025 at 5:50 AM
    Illustration of a Nintendo Direct event focused on Donkey Kong Bananza for the Nintendo Switch 2. Image generated by AI.

    “This Hero Smashes Everything”: Nintendo Switch 2’s Most Explosive Star Will Dominate the Nintendo Direct in 48 Hours

    June 22, 2025 at 4:53 PM
    Illustration of Sony's vision for the future of gaming with the anticipated PS6. Image generated by AI.

    “Next-Gen Is Coming”: Sony President Drops First Official PS6 Statement That Sets the Tone for the Future of Gaming

    June 22, 2025 at 4:11 PM
  • Science
    Illustration of a thorium-229-based nuclear clock used to detect dark matter, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “We Bent Time to Hunt the Unknown”: Thorium-Based Nuclear Clock May Be the Key to Exposing the Secrets of Dark Matter

    July 18, 2025 at 11:48 AM
    Illustration of the aluminum ion-based optical atomic clock created by artificial intelligence.

    Time Just Changed Forever: World’s Most Precise Atomic Clock Redefines the Second With Mind-Blowing Accuracy Never Seen Before

    July 18, 2025 at 8:13 AM
    Illustration of a carbide ceramic material capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, revolutionizing hypersonic technology, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They Flew Through Hellfire”: China’s New Heat Shield Shatters Thermal Limits, Unlocking Next-Level Hypersonic Speeds

    July 17, 2025 at 12:12 PM
    Illustration of the Mengzhou spacecraft's zero-altitude escape test at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, created by artificial intelligence.

    Unthinkable Space Safety Leap: China’s Mengzhou Capsule Passes Ground-Level Escape Trial Designed to Save Lives in Seconds

    July 17, 2025 at 8:47 AM
    Illustration of the ancient interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS traveling through the Milky Way, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They Found a Comet Older Than the Solar System!”: Scientists Stunned by Ancient Object That Defies Everything We Thought We Knew

    July 16, 2025 at 11:55 AM
  • Security
    Illustration of the P250Q-M80 SSD with a self-destruct feature, ensuring ultimate data security, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “It Blew Itself Up Instantly!”: New Ultra-Secure SSD Destroys Data on Command to Stop Hackers Dead in Their Tracks

    July 16, 2025 at 7:07 AM
    Illustration of squid skin-inspired stretchable camouflage technology for military use, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “These Uniforms Make Soldiers Vanish”: Revolutionary Squid Skin-Inspired Camo Lets US Troops Evade Thermal Drones With Unbelievable Stealth

    July 13, 2025 at 9:53 AM
    Illustration of an AI-generated impersonation attempt involving Marco Rubio contacting officials.

    “Fake Marco Rubio Is Hunting Congress”: AI Clone Exposed as Ruthless Scam Machine Targeting US Politicians Through Signal, Unleashing Panic on Capitol Hill

    July 11, 2025 at 10:01 AM
    Illustration of Scattered Spider hackers targeting the aviation sector. Image generated by AI.

    “FBI Issues Maximum Alert”: These Ruthless Scattered Spider Hackers Now Target Civil Aviation With Unprecedented Cyber Assault

    July 3, 2025 at 4:04 PM
    Illustration of North Korean hackers using AI tools like ChatGPT for cryptocurrency theft. Image generated by AI.

    “AI in the Wrong Hands”: North Korean Hackers Exploit ChatGPT to Steal Millions While Malaysian Funds Vanish in Digital Heist

    July 1, 2025 at 11:49 AM
  • Impact
    Illustration of the Ethiopian Electric Power headquarters, set to become sub-Saharan Africa's tallest tower, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They’re Building a Skyscraper in the Sky”: $445 Million Megatower Revived to Become Sub-Saharan Africa’s Tallest Structure Ever

    July 17, 2025 at 5:07 PM
    Illustration of the Jeddah Tower construction resumption, created by artificial intelligence.

    Jeddah Tower Rises Again: World’s Tallest Skyscraper Project Restarts with Plans to Smash Every Architectural Record on Earth

    July 17, 2025 at 7:11 AM
    Illustration of a new disease-resistant rice variety developed using CRISPR-Cas technology, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They Made Rice Immune to Disease!”: Scientists Use Genome Editing to Engineer Crops That Could End Agricultural Crises Worldwide

    July 16, 2025 at 3:49 PM
    Illustration of paracetamol production from plastic waste, showcasing an innovative sustainable technology, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “These Pills Came From Trash”: Chemists Achieve the Unthinkable by Creating Pure Acetaminophen Directly From Plastic Waste, Staggering the Scientific World

    July 13, 2025 at 9:08 AM
    Illustration of Ethiopia's planned 62-story skyscraper in Addis Ababa, as an artificial illustration.

    Skyscraper Showdown: Ethiopia’s Daring Comeback Promises to Crown a New Sub-Saharan Giant and Transform the Nation’s Skyline Forever

    July 9, 2025 at 4:47 PM
  • Tech
    Illustration of Germany's JUPITER supercomputer, the fourth fastest in the world, as an artificial illustration.

    “They Just Leaped Into the Future”: Germany’s JUPITER Supercomputer Becomes the World’s Fourth Fastest With Unmatched Power and Speed

    July 18, 2025 at 10:03 AM
    Illustration of the glass of water test in a job interview, created by artificial intelligence.

    “They Judged Me Over a Glass of Water”: This Strange Job Interview Test Seems Ridiculous—But Failing It Could Cost You Everything

    July 18, 2025 at 6:53 AM
    Illustration of a breakthrough in high-capacity optical fiber technology, generated by artificial intelligence.

    Petabit Power Unleashed: Japan’s 19-Core Fiber Sends Unimaginable Data Speeds Across 1,123 Miles in World-Record Transmission

    July 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
    Illustration of Elon Musk's 1989 computer aptitude test results, as shared by Maye Musk, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “My Genius Boy Scored Perfect!”: Maye Musk Shares Elon’s 1989 Computer Test That Predicted the Tech Empire He Would One Day Build

    July 16, 2025 at 5:14 PM
    Illustration of a groundbreaking silicon chip integrating quantum generators and photonics, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They Put Light and Quantum Into One Chip!”: Scientists Unveil Silicon Breakthrough That Could Reshape the Future of Computing Forever

    July 16, 2025 at 8:48 AM
  • Transport
    Illustration of the SeaNXT Elite underwater scooter with carbon fiber body and GPS navigation, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They Built a Jet Ski for Divers”: SeaNXT Elite Scooter Hits 13 MPH Underwater With GPS, LCD Screen, and a $12,653 Price Tag

    July 14, 2025 at 7:45 AM
    Illustration of a compact, low-speed electric ambulance designed for urban emergency response, generated by artificial intelligence.

    This Tiny Electric Ambulance Hits 25 MPH, Parks Indoors, and Carries a Full Emergency Kit With Zero Emissions

    July 14, 2025 at 7:01 AM
    Illustration of the Omo X electric motorcycle showcasing its self-balancing technology, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “They Built a Scooter That Parks Itself”: Ex-Xpeng Engineers Unleash the Omo X With Self-Balancing Tech and Zero-Compromise Urban Speed

    July 14, 2025 at 6:14 AM
    Illustration of Tesla Cybertrucks stored in a large parking area, highlighting concerns about prolonged storage, generated by artificial intelligence.

    “These Worn-Out Trucks Were Sold as Brand New”: Furious Customer Testimony Exposes Tesla’s Cybertruck Scandal and Sparks Industry-Wide Outrage

    July 12, 2025 at 5:05 PM
    Illustration of the Bugatti Bolide hypercar, highlighting its engineering marvel and exclusivity, as an artificial illustration.

    “This Car Eats Cash Faster Than Gas”: Businessman’s Stunning Bugatti Purchase Forces $7,600 Tire Changes Every 37 Miles, Leaving Everyone in Disbelief

    July 12, 2025 at 9:11 AM
  • English
Rude Baguette

The French Presidential elections go digital

Eirwen WilliamsEirwen WilliamsFebruary 13, 2012 at 6:38 AM0
Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp Email Copy Link
Follow Us
Google News
Share
Twitter Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Copy Link

Ah yes, the US is not the only country with Presidential elections this year. While Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are busy battling it out for the Republicans on the other side of the Atlantic, France is also busy lining up its political contestants: François Hollande (Parti Socialiste), Marine Le Pen (Front National, YIKES!), François Bayrou (MoDem) – you can see the full list of candidates here (ignore the 2007 in the URL). Of course, President Sarkozy (UMP) has not yet announced whether or not he is running for re-election…but he has until the beginning of March to do so just announced yesterday that he will be running for reelection (shock).

Voting gets geeky.

This year, the elections seem even more digitally oriented than in previous years. Finally, we can see a majority of the candidates have a verified Twitter account (except President Sarkozy? WTF?). And while all the candidates have a Facebook fan page, François Hollande is the only candidate who has opened up his actual status updates to the general public. And while you may be wondering why none of the candidates have YouTube accounts, it’s because they’re all opting to campaign via French YouTube competitor, DailyMotion – where a majority of French internet users still turn for video content.

Le Parisien published an article discussing the digital campaign strategies of the different candidates, stating that François Hollande’s team had carefully studied President Obama’s 2008 campaign. According to the article, Hollande is the most digitally visible candidate at this point in time. Then again, he is spending roughly 10% of his budget (equivalent to €2 million) to developing his digital campaign.
And no, unfortunately none of the candidates have Foursquare or Pinterest accounts…or seem to put their homes up on Airbnb. But then again, their US counterparts don’t either. That said, I do think that they are largely sticking to very traditional platforms for digital campaigning. I was surprised to find that François Bayrou had an official iPhone application (with Foursquare-like gamification and badges!) – but a majority of the candidates have still not gone mobile. Le Front de Gauche candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has also gone mobile and is integrating gamification into his campaign strategy.

Tech topics of the debate menu.

But beyond their digital communications and campaigning strategies, there are also a few controversial tech topics on the debate menu. It’ll be difficult for candidates to escape topics like Sopa/Acta/Pipa/Hadopi, especially with all eyes on the recent MegaUpload case. I’ve mentioned before what Sopa looks like from the Eiffel Tower – and despite the fact that net neutrality, legal downloading and the likes are all important topics for the startup world, many mainstream journalists argue that they are not actually particularly important topics for the candidates – especially given Europe’s current economic climate.
Then again, if economics are taking the front seat at the debate table, I’m guessing entrepreneurship will, too.

French startups: helping you vote better since 2012.

A few interesting election-related projects have emerged from the French startup scene, namely Voxe and Facebook application AVoter.
Published by Nantes-based TuttiVox – which came out of a 2011 Startup Weekend event in France and aims to promote democracy on social networks – Avoter is a social application that allows users to compare different candidates and campaigns and cast votes. Since it’s launch in December, the application has amassed over 25,000 votes, allowing users to voice their opinions to the participating political parties as well as to the rest of the social web if they choose to do so. It’s a great alternative to some of the more traditional campaign strategies the really seeks to educate users.

But taking education one step further is Voxe.org. In a similar fashion to AVoter, Voxe uses the official campaign material of different candidates to help users make fair comparisons and judgements. The team argues that all the content is presented in a neutral fashion to help users filter through all the extra political noise, scandals, and whatnot. Once on the page, the user is prompted to select 2 candidates and can then compare their political views by subject.

Some of the originators of the project launched a similar project – Votons.info – for the 2007 Presidential Elections. But they’re seeking to take this project much further and integrate past and future elections from around the world – including US, Russia and Mexico’s 2012 elections. So far the team has funded its project entirely through French crowd funding platform Kiss Kiss Bank Bank.

Transparency, please.

Despite the fact that we still don’t know the outcome of this year’s election, the digital campaign trends and the 2 different election-oriented projects definitely point to a need for more transparency – which obviously comes as no surprise. But as candidates pour more of their resources into digital content creation and distribution, it will be interesting to watch how the social web responds to the different strategies – and to see how they compare to the digital campaign strategies used in other Presidential campaigns around the world.
For more information about some of the US Presidential digital campaign strategies, check out TechPresident (I’m yet to find a French equivalent but please point me to it if there is one).

Did you like it? 4.5/5 (24)

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Airbnb DailyMotion Facebook François Hollande iPhone Pinterest Twitter YouTube
Follow on Google News Follow on X (Twitter)
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp Email Copy Link
Previous ArticleDassault Systèmes acquires Netvibes: "She's in a better place now"
Next Article France's DarQRoom brings high quality Instagram printing to Europe, finally!
Related Posts
Illustration of Germany's JUPITER supercomputer, the fourth fastest in the world, as an artificial illustration.

“They Just Leaped Into the Future”: Germany’s JUPITER Supercomputer Becomes the World’s Fourth Fastest With Unmatched Power and Speed

Illustration of the glass of water test in a job interview, created by artificial intelligence.

“They Judged Me Over a Glass of Water”: This Strange Job Interview Test Seems Ridiculous—But Failing It Could Cost You Everything

Illustration of a breakthrough in high-capacity optical fiber technology, generated by artificial intelligence.

Petabit Power Unleashed: Japan’s 19-Core Fiber Sends Unimaginable Data Speeds Across 1,123 Miles in World-Record Transmission

Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Trending
Illustration of a thorium-229-based nuclear clock used to detect dark matter, generated by artificial intelligence.
“We Bent Time to Hunt the Unknown”: Thorium-Based Nuclear Clock May Be the Key to Exposing the Secrets of Dark Matter
Illustration of Germany's JUPITER supercomputer, the fourth fastest in the world, as an artificial illustration.
“They Just Leaped Into the Future”: Germany’s JUPITER Supercomputer Becomes the World’s Fourth Fastest With Unmatched Power and Speed
Illustration of a rope-driven robot dog utilizing capstan drive technology, generated by artificial intelligence.
This Rope-Powered Robot Dog Built by a US Student Walks With Stunning Realism Thanks to a Brilliant Mathematical Design
News by category
  • English
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leisure
  • Transport
  • Science
  • Security
  • AI & Robotics
  • Energy
  • Sustainable Development
Information
  • Meet the Team
  • Legal notice
  • Privacy policy
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Facebook X (Twitter) RSS
© RudeBaguette.com. All rights reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.