beta.boston.com

We’re rolling out a new tool on some stories on Boston.com: “Raise Your Voice” is an easy-to-use “political messaging utility” enabling online readers to write public officials in response to issues they read about and care about.  Clicking the link in an article launches a dialog box in which readers can find their federal, state, and (soon) local elected representatives, write them, and then invite friends to add their voices as well.  You can write to the presidential candidates as well.

You can see the widget in action on stories about defense spending and foreclosures.

“We’re excited to give readers a chance to contact their elected officials, and interested to see what people think about our effort to streamline civic participation,” says Bennie DiNardo, Deputy Managing Editor for Multimedia at the Boston Globe.

“There has always been a connection between the news and civic action,” says Andrew Swayze, co-founder of Raise Your Voice, a Boulder, Colo.-based startup. “Legislators will tell you that half their mail comes in response to newspaper articles.  We’re making that link more direct, and in the process adding a new layer of interactivity for news site visitors.  We’re thrilled that Boston.com is beta-testing the tool.”

Let us know what you think.

Joel Abrams, Senior Product Manager, Boston.com

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Last month, two engineers stranded for hours on a Red Line train beneath Cambridge met and brainstormed an app. Innovation does flourish when people meet and exchange ideas, but MBTA breakdowns are the wrong way to go about encouraging people to meet.

What are better ways? Dining, sports, culture. Boston has food trucks now (even ones that Warren Buffett admires), a skeeball league, a world-class ballet, and lots of things in between.

Is there more our civic leaders and ourselves can do to make Massachusetts a fun place to live and work? The Boston Globe is sponsoring a free public forum on August 8 to brainstorm on this question. “Mass appeal: Life beyond the job” will feature two sessions to come up with ideas — one on arts and culture, and one on dining, nightlife and recreation — followed by a chance to mingle over cocktails. The event starts at 4pm at the ICA in the Innovation District.

Registration is open now for the event, which is the second in our Building a Better Commonwealth series. Please come join the discussion. If you can’t, then follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #BetterMA.

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