On 31-1-11 16:01, Richard Forno wrote:
IMHO social media is playing a supporting role in all of this. Is it helpful? Sure - but hardly essential.
Mm, I would say that we have no theoretical or empirical instruments to assess whether a factor is 'essential' for the emergence of social change or uprisings that pop up in mainstream media as 'sudden' (and thus urge for easy answers: oh, it must be caused by SM). There is probably a myriad of factors that co-constitute a tipping point, and the person who is able to figure out which one is essential would no doubt soon be a millionaire, in the field of marketting or espionage). One of the first tweets I saw about Tunesia (not yet Egypt) said something like 'hey, a revolution without tribute to Twitter or Facebook? Amazing!' Well, it did not take long... To wit: the Egyptian gov cut
off many modes of communication helpful for social media applications, but did it adversely impact the protests? Nope. What does that tell us?
It does tell us a few things. Firstly, that it is considered disturbing or dangerous by the Egyptian powers that be. Of course, that does not prove that SM are essential. It may indicate that those powers are technological determinists but more probable is that they desperately try to regain control of any factor they may contribute to the revolt. And any communication medium - from words of mouth to printed press to television to radio to SM - obviously is such a factor, regardless whether one takes an optimist or pessimist stance. And may be it does tell us something else. Maybe a strategy of Internet shutdown reveals that the regime is not quit sure it will survive, while a strategy of non-shutting down but using social media to identify and prosecute people (as happened in Iran) indicates that the regime is sure of its enduring power. May be the SM strategies by repressive regimes are a baromoter of the strength of the regimes, rather than that the use of SM is a barometer of the strength of a people's revolt. kind regards Marianne van den Boomen Media and Culture Studies | University Utrecht Office: Kromme Nieuwegracht 20 (room T2.13A) Mail: Muntstraat 2a | 3512 EV UTRECHT Phone: +31 (0)30 253 9607 M.V.T.vandenBoomen@uu.nl | www.hum.uu.nl www.newmediastudies.nl | www.vandenboomen.org