I'd started writing this post back during the Iranian elections when I was delighted to see the voice that Twitter was giving the oppressed voters of Iran.
Since then Twitter has gone on to prove as equally as powerful a tool and voice of free speech for numerous other causes.
Recently we've seen the Trafigura case and almost on the same day the Jan Moir story recieve the Twitter megaphone treatment.
A publishing tool with the ingredients that Twitter offers has never been available before and it seems those components are ideally suited to the domain of public opinion and free speech.
I spoke recently of Twitter and other social media platforms power to enable human intrigue and self involvement. The adoption of social platforms in these other mentioned cases are tapping into similar elements of the human psyche, those that cause us to express outrage and opinion.
Twitter and it's brief format involves less cognitive involvement and effort to enable the expression of opinion than the writing of blog articles or an Amnesty International style fax campaign.
The viral nature of the RT and then promotion or highlighting of a news event in the trending topics creates a buzz about the network that encourages all users to investigate further and perhaps get involved in the process themselves.
Its multi-interface availability and relatively simple API and publish process allow it to produce content from locations that might otherwise be problematic, bypassing issues of political censorship or mobility.
The most commonly used applications and the Twitter web interface are simple to use, allowing most with even the most basic grasp of technology to get involved in a trending topic or developing news item quickly.
There is however a downside or at least another side to this simple and readily available functionality.
With the same ease that some people access a story in order to add a positive element to a campaign, others can access it to add not so positive input to a campaign.
Towards the end of the Jan Moir story, or the orchestrated campaign as she so named it, there was an uglier side to some peoples involvement. One driven by emotive passion, I suspect in most cases, with physical threats to Jan Moir apparently appearing. I didn't witness these, but I'm not surprised or alarmed that they did occur.
With this easy access will inevitably come other opinions that might not please all, but hey this is the nature of free speech. As with the printed press in this country, of which Jan Moir is a contributor, there are plenty of articles published that we won't all agree with.
The latest case of unfounded repute is currently doing the rounds, with Twitter seemingly reporting the demise of rapper Kayne West.
It is it's own beast. This is the beauty of Twitter that will continue to keep it in the public spotlight, much to the delight of many and the annoyance of a few.
Related reading:
Twitter - Use it as you see fit, but don't expect us all to like it! - Digital Signals http://www.digital-constructions.com/blog/2009/09/twitter-use-it-as-you-see-fit-but-dont.html
Twitter link bait - Is it worth it? - Digital Signals http://www.digital-constructions.com/blog/2009/04/twitter-link-bait-is-it-worth-it.html
Twitter - Just enough geek and plenty of cheek . . . - Digital Signals http://www.digital-constructions.com/blog/2009/03/twitter-just-enough-geek-and-plenty-of.html
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