I resisted the urge [to Twitter] and yes, probably 90% of it is silly (no, I do not need to know what someone in NY had for breakfast or what color someone in DC dyed their hair). But for the efficient and effective communication of news, it's the perfect medium.
I liken it to prairie grass. Individually, the grass isn't really that interesting. But it kindles easily, and when it catches ablaze, it sure gets your attention. by georgia10 on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 05:34:40 PM PDT
** it seems like it has its place It's not particularly amazing as a piece of technology; it's just very minimalist, and therefore sometimes useful. You write short messages, it organizes them and lets people filter to find the ones they want (those posted by people they care about; those mentioning specific keywords; etc.). In theory it all could be done via email or blogs or forums or whatever; it's just that when the goal is frequent, lightweight, short communication, Twitter seems to fit something of a sweet spot. It helps that there are apps to let you send messages from most cell phones without much effort. by Delirium on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 05:43:41 PM PDT
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Technology is a tool, nothing more Maybe Twitter will help the people of Iran overturn the theft of this "election." Then again, maybe it won't. No one here has a clue as to how it will turn out…
…There was a time when radio revolutionized politics. FDR used it brilliantly, as did, unfortunately, Goebbels. Later, TV revolutionized politics. Both JFK and Reagan used it to considerable effect. A generation from now, there will be new technology that makes the net seem as quaint as 3 networks dominating political coverage seems now. It's way too early to be waxing rhapsodically about how Twitter and the net will change the political world. by RFK Lives on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 05:09:13 PM PDT
** It's been a constant feature of the last 10 years that on the fly street resistance finds political use for new internet/telecommunications technology. Indymedia emerged as a recognized medium out of the Battle for Seattle and subsequent "anti-globalization" protests. The May 1 immigrant organizing in the US a couple years back was done heavily using Facebook. More recently, the Iceland uprising last fall used YouTube heavily, and the Greek rebellion of last December was almost entirely coordinated on Twitter. by ActivistGuy on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 05:13:18 PM PDT
** As far as I can tell, Twitter is most interesting here for getting information out of Iran; i.e. it's a way of us foreigners getting information. I don't see it being used all that much as a coordinating tool, though there are scattered attempts by Iranians to use it to try to sort out rumors and figure out what's going on. The actual coordinating seems to be going on mostly face-to-face, largely organized at the universities. by Delirium on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 06:16:59 PM PDT
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After reading all yesterday night and all day I would have to say that I see very strong evidence of coordination through Twitter in country.
I have signed up to a lot of the different accounts and they are telling ech other information.
They did have people arrested through a trap laid and proagated through Twitter, but they managed to warn many and are taking precautions to keep that from happening again. by COwoman on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 07:33:41 PM PDT
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I just sit down at the computer for a few minutes, and I am so much more immediately and accurately informed about rapidly changing and aggressively suppressed developments in Iran than in any previous time in history. It's like having the private resources that only a few wealthy and wide-spread organizations previously enjoyed. And we don't have to sip sherry at the club to get the inside story, which has historically been more carefully controlled.
I only hope information is truly power. If public pressure loses the oomph or unitary focus of, say, the time of Gandhi, then information may lose some of its power to force change. by geomoo on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 07:54:57 PM PDT