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For a while now I’ve been trying to understand the purpose of Twitter, the social networking tool that limits communication to 140 characters. In an earlier blog post I confessed to following Lance Armstrong the cancer survivor and elite bicycle racer on Twitter. And, I’ve recently learned that the Dell computer corporation has been able to “monetize” their presence on Twitter by offering coupons for their products. But I never imagined that Twitter, along with Facebook and blog sites would become a major factor in international politics. Case in point: the recent elections in Iran whose outcome, as I write this, is being protested, not just in the streets, but—you guessed it—on Twitter and Facebook. As the government of Iran began to crack down on conventional journalists wielding their video cameras, those journalists took to their cell phones to send video messages to TV networks. As communication is tightened, ordinary citizens are taking to social networking software to communicate with each other—to plan protest tactics—and to communicate with the rest of the world. This may not be the second Iranian revolution, but it certainly represents a revolution in the use of social networking technology via the Web. This is significant, I think, because this particular use of Twitter and Facebook lend much credibility to these social networking sites that they did not previously have. We kind of took Twitter and Facebook for granted. And, in the case of Twitter, I really couldn’t figure out its purpose. I want to say that this is a totally cool development. But to use the term “cool” diminishes the importance of this moment. Now matter what the outcome—and I think we know what it’s going to be—things will never be the same. Social networking tools will become elevated in stature and will gain an important footing on the world stage in politics, entertainment and beyond.
1 comment:
I recently attended the Maryland Business Convention at the Convention Center in Baltimore. I was sent by my internship coordinator to learn about how social networking is changing the way that advertising and marketing is taking place.
One of the speakers main ideas was that you must be proactive and have a page on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, or any of the other social networking sites that are available. He explained how people are able to have information on the internet via Twitter or Facebook faster then the news is able to take the story and write up a response.
I just find it very interesting that the public is now able to have their story told within a matter of seconds online. The reference above about the social marketing comes into play where people are able to write reviews about a certain service/provider before the news can even get their hands on the story. Now, more the ever, society, not celebrities, are determining what is pop culture.
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