Why?

• Because you need real-time talking points for those tongue-tied moments during political debates at cocktail parties.

• Because there’s a community of people out there who are dying to help you come up with the perfect clever comeback.

• Because professional journalists come up with pithy arguments for a job—and Zinger can help you find those and gather the source material to back them up, all at a moment’s notice.

• Because quips are fun! (And so is informed political debate.)

Who?

• The tongue-tied• Browsers• Clever progressives who want to arm others

with clever quips• Political Junkies• Gamers

Demo!!

A Few More Zingers

“Climate change is just a theory, it’s not proven.”

“YR MOM IS JUST A THEORY. SERIOUSLY--TO AN EXTENT, EVERYTHING’S A THEORY, BUT CLIMATE CHANGE IS ONE OF THE MOST VERIFIED measurable phenomena in modern science. Based on surface temperature analysis, permafrost melt, glacial melt, sea level rise, satellite data and many other concrete indicators, the earth is warming, and fast. Take it from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: "Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal.”

-Maya Schenwar

And A Few More“Feminists hate men, don’t they?”

“IF ANTIRACISTS AREN’T PRESUMED TO HATE WHITE PEOPLE AS A GROUP, WHY ARE ANTISEXISTS PRESUMED TO HATE MEN AS A GROUP?”

- Tom Digby“ONLY IF ALL MEN ARE SEXISTS. I DON’T THINK THAT’S TRUE--DO YOU?”

- Jessica Stites“THEN WHY ARE FEMINISTS MORE LIKELY THAN OTHER WOMEN TO BE DATING MEN? And why do the men they’re with report having healthier relationships AND better sex lives? Don't sound like hate. Source: ScienceDailyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071015102856.htm”

- Jessica Stites

Gaming

• Rewards engagement• Users receive weighted points--sample scale:

Commenting – 1 Your Comment is liked – 3 Sharing someone’s Zinger – 5 Submitting your own Zinger – 10 Your Zinger is liked – 10 Your Zinger is shared – 10

Gaming cont’d

Levels!!①Look At This F**in Quipster②Watercooler Champion③“Pun”-dit④Life of the Repartee⑤Czing Czar⑥Zingmeistr

Gaming cont’d

• Special Badges (some examples)

Sharing a lot: TwizardMany comments liked: BrainiacMost-liked Zinger of the Day: Walt or Walda

Wit-person*

*subject to change

What Else Will It Do?

• Integrate with Twitter, Facebook, Digg for login and sharing

• Web landing page & cross-platform implementation• Increasingly reward power users. Gain abilities:

Submit WTFs, moderation powers.• Paid engagement: Media organizations / Politicians• Expand beyond progressive• Change the world. (See next slide.)

How It Will Change the World

• Make political debate smarter as well as pithier.• Develop powerful, clever, succinct progressive

frames. PROGRESSIVES WIN 4-EVAH!• Drive traffic to progressive media.• Make procrastination useful (overthrow

Farmville).• Create a ruling class of Zingmeistrs who get

special special swipe cards at the airport.