Twitter and its role (on the Iran protests)

First, I don't agree with a lot of what the Iran government has done.

But when it comes to Iran and other world affairs, it seems like everyone is praising social networking. People keep talking about how it gives Iranians a voice, but how many Iranians are using Twitter? 8600 apparently are listed as being Iranians ( Tweet fightin’ Iran? Maybe not)

In reality these social networking sites are used primarily by Americans and have become a dangerous tool in world affairs. Twitter and other sites have been used to organize cyber attacks (DDoS attacks) and to rally support for the Iranian protests.

It is my belief the US government and other governments are using these tools to sway opinions. Also, the US State Department has been a force in keeping Twitter active (State Department to Twitter: Keep Iranian tweets coming).

Twitter (and others) have basically forced major news networks to keep the Iran protests as their main headlines ('#CNNFail': Twitterverse slams network's Iran absence )

Twitter has a way of making things facts because of popular belief. How much do any of us really know about what has happened in Iran? We know there are protests, and many people who think that the elections were rigged. All right.. but those in other countries should then ask themselves, what do the Iranian protests have to do with me?

Is social networking being used as a way to eventually gain support for a war? I’m not sure. But I think that it is swaying American opinions more than it is doing anything for those in Iran who still seem capable of using conventional means to organize.

Twitter is becoming a force to be reckoned with. And that scares me. What will it all come to one day? A twitter trend already has too much impact in my opinion.

[edit on 20-6-2009 by Nickmare]

reply to post by Nickmare


S&F
I wish more people would realise.