No society, no matter how 'free', obtains the consent of the governed. Representative democracy is the best we can do. Electronic technology changes that reality. Computers allow us to vote from home on any issue. Trouble is, most of us fear a mass whose desires are no longer unknown and we fear the responsibility of making collective decisions. Cynics believe electronic voting makes cheating too easy, but security systems eliminate objections of the less than trusting. Computer assisted r eferenda should be more honest than elections supervised by party affiliated moderators.
Computers will supplant political parties as prospective candidates come on line to announce their candidacy. Future presidents will administer, not lead, and elections no longer will be written in stone. Electronic democracy can delete office holders as easily as word processors delete typographical errors.
For most, electronic democracy is too large a leap. How about a cooperative web server instead? Since thousands of servers exist, another seems redundant, but a cooperative web server presents problems of larger social organizations in microcosm. To administer a web server where members are equal (assuming we collect enough money to purchase hardware) we rule by consensus or majority. Developing the on line ability to decide how to decide will be a large step in the right direction.
If a web server or on line cooperative anything, interests you drop me a line to discuss ways and means.