Poll Power

It's difficult to gauge the way the world thinks, but there are some indicators that make it somewhat easier. Ever wondered how many people viewed a video on YouTube and from where exactly? Now YouTube is making it possible for the publishers of the videos to make available this information to the general public.

Personal Democracy Forum, a blog about how technology is changing politics, recently posted some fascinating stats from the White House YouTube channel about where Obama’s speeches are most viewed around the world. Obama’s June 4 speech to the Muslim world at Cairo? Along with the US and Egypt, Nigeria and Tanzania were the most interested in viewing the speech. His March 19 message to the Iranian people, which has been seen by nearly 610,00 people, was viewed in Iran the most (even more than in the US).

The Pew Global Attitudes Project is also worth a stop on your next round of Internet surfing if you’re at all interested in trends and world opinion. A recent Pew survey, for example, shows that the global perception of the US is rebounding under Barack Obama, especially in Western Europe. They have also recently done global polling on extremists in Pakistan, capitalism, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, plus global middle class views on democracy, religion, values and life satisfaction in emerging nations.

Check out below for the details.