DialogScout - an online dialogue information service

Image: Simone Roda

There is often one major voice missing amidst all the expert discussions in newspapers and on TV – your voice. Sometimes asking the right questions is more important than always giving answers. DialogScout tells you where your voice is needed. When you subscribe to DialogScout you are notified of selected current online dialogues – not more than 12 times per year.

Why should I spend my precious time on online dialogues?

Online dialogues are an opportunity to take part in debates with others on an equal footing. You can follow the specific threads of the discussion that interest you, no-one cuts you short, and no-one is trying to make their mark. Thanks to good online facilitation and modern Internet technology, finding the contributions you’re interested in takes no time at all. Get to know the people behind the texts and make new contacts without any effort. Show who you are and what you believe in. By taking part and interacting, you are making an active contribution to ensuring that the wider public and policy makers take heed of the suggestions and outcome of the debate.

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What makes a good online dialogue?

Online dialogues take various different forms. For example, they could be organised by a municipality in order to gather ideas and proposals on a certain issue. The city council then reports back to the public on whether and how it will implement the proposals.

However, online dialogues can also start as spontaneous discussions on various different weblogs. Yet these debates can still command attention from a wide audience, especially if they concern topics that for various reasons have not been picked up by the mass media.

Thus the format for online dialogues is not set in stone and is evolving all the time. Consequently, the Zebralog editing team uses a comprehensive range of criteria for selecting which online dialogues to inform DialogScout subscribers about. Based on these criteria, the ideal online dialogue would have the following features:

The issue is important enough to generate a response from the political arena or the wider public.
All the groups of people affected by the issue have similar opportunities for actively taking part in the dialogue.
The discussion is run fairly and participants also benefit from it personally.
The Internet technology used is user-friendly and facilitates a serious debate and contrasting opinions on the issue concerned.
The outcome of the discussion is documented and follow-up action is assured.

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Who benefits from DialogScout?

You for a start. You are informed about interesting political debates free of charge. And if you decide you are no longer interested you simply cancel your subscription.

We at Zebralog run the DialogScout because it is an inexpensive way of drawing attention to our online dialogues – as well as to the online dialogues initiated by others – and it is an economical way of organising our public relations work. Your details are never passed on to third parties. We collect your personal details as it allows us to tailor the service to your needs more effectively. Your details also help us to ensure we have as broad a range of participants as possible taking part in the dialogues.

Last but not least, democratic culture also benefits, because every public debate gains from having a wide and well-informed public taking part.

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2. Aug 2006 | Hans Hagedorn | Stay tuned