Smarphone APP idea for the campaign - CALLING ALL PROGRAMMERS!

I've had an idea for a smartphone app for the campaign, just wondering if anything has been done along these lines. I recently had the opportunity to make some calls from the Maine office in Falmouth. This app could extend the offices' voip services to smartphones, allowing people to easily make calls from their own home without physically having to come down to their local Ron Paul office if they want to help in that way. I spoke to several people on the phones while I was up there who would have happily made calls from their living room, but were too busy or too far away to actually make the trek.

I have quite a few other ideas as to how the app could function, but as for now, I think the priority should be getting the at-home voip functionality out there. Then we can update the app, add news on Ron Paul and the election, area-specific electoral info (e.g. voter reg. & caucus/primary rules & dates, delegate allocation rules and procedures, etc.), as well as possibly even serving as a convenient location for meetup postings for supporters (sign waves, phone banking, etc.).

I've been searching for apps like this since I had the idea, but the only apps I'm finding specific to Ron Paul are either simply policy positions/literature, or at best news apps specific to the Campaign for Liberty. I extended my search to telemarketing voip services and found a few apps that could download contact lists as .CSV's, add results data to each call/contact, and then transmit back to the head office. I suppose this could be made use of by the campaign, and although sales and campaigning are very similar, the difference is that you are selling an idea, and the program must be suited for that. Also, a Ron Paul campaign-specific app would be an incredible tool to organize and unify a lot of the young grassroots support out there.

One of the largest assets of this campaign is the massive support of my generation. My generation is the first to be thoroughly raised on technology, thoroughly immersed in it. As of right now, I don't believe the campaign is fully capitalizing on this incredibly powerful asset, the same one which played very heavily into Obama's victory in '08. Technology can empower the recent generations and turn the tide of this fight.

Although I've been programming computer games from a very young age, I've had very little success making apps that function through the internet, let alone with smartphone apps. I could theoretically teach myself, but the time that would take would make the whole project a moot point for this campaign. On the other hand, the internet has proven time and time again that a couple dozen motivated people can be brought together and solve problems very effectively.

I've e-mailed the state director of the Maine office to ask about the prior existence or possible creation of this program, but they're undoubtedly exceedingly busy up there today, so I don't expect to hear back for a few days.

My current concern regards what is called 'barrier of entry', meaning basically how hard we want it to be for any given user to gain access to this program and begin making calls. Originally I wanted the smallest possible barrier of entry, e.g. free on the Android market or at least 1,000,001+ download links on the internet, maybe even allowing people to create an account using their google, facebook, twitter etc. accounts, posting on the sites when the user downloads the program, giving it a viral liftoff. Of course, this opens us up for enemies of the campaign to see these lists as well. They wouldn't have the ability to delete any data of course, but they could definitely make counter productive phone calls from our lists. On the other hand, one could 'apply' to access the app, get a call from someone working for the official campaign, go through an interview process, and if they sound trustworthy, give them log in info and a download link for the app. Many fewer people would go through this process, and it might be a slight hassle for the campaigns, but it would provide some control over only actual Ron Paul supporters having access. Really not sure about this one, I suppose I'd prefer open access, but whatever National wanted to impose (if they did even have an interest in this) would of course be obeyed to the letter.

PLEASE post below, message me on this site, or e-mail me at rhowardstone@gmail.com if you have any further ideas or wish to contribute! With your help we can turn the tide of this fight!

For Liberty,
rhowardstone