Technology could either be a good thing or a bad thing. Social media is a product of vast progress of technology, which seems to have a huge impact on how society is evolving. As Jeff Jarvis puts it, social networks bring "elegant organization" to users. In has given birth to a customer-company collaboration which is a win-win situation for both. Social networks have also been instrumental in divulging the ugly head of companies.
Aside from that, social media has given people the chance to perfectly organize themselves whenever they are oppressed. The Egypt uprising is an example of such. It seems that social media has safeguarded the rights of people on the planet...until the London riots.
I've always thought that the only flaw to perfect tool is the user. This seems to be the case in the recent London riots that has plagued all of England. As rioters wreaked havoc, delinquency has reigned supreme for almost a week. The unimaginable has happened - social media was used as a medium to organize criminal activity. Blackberry's messenger has been the linchpin to spark the riots. Chaos and disorder followed. Looting was rampant. It can't be controlled. Social media can't be controlled.
The output of this uprising through the use of social media was far different from Egypt's. If social media can be used for social good purposes, it can be used to bring mischief and delinquency as well. The UK government has now summoned Facebook, Twitter, and RIM. They will meet with Home Secretary Theresa May to discuss how social media was utilized to instigate the London riots.
Will this signal the "moderation" of social media? Is censorship a requisite even to social media?
Suddenly, it seems that social media evolution is more than Facebook vs. Google+.