[Air-L] ISOC Statement on Egypt’s Internet shutdown

[elham gheytanchi]

I agree. just wanted to point out the importance of "oral tradition" in Middle Eastern countries. Although majority are literate (can read blogs and social media text-based messages), audio and visual media are far better received.
 
Best,
elham gheytanchi

 
> Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:06:19 -0500
> From: jeremy at tmttlt.com
> To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
> Subject: Re: [Air-L] ISOC Statement on Egypt’s Internet shutdown
> 
> I think social media has very little to do with this event. From my
> perspective, it looks very much like 1960s-70s organizational
> patterns. Television, radio, etc. has some to do with it though. I
> will say that it is likely that social media is being used to connect
> interested transnational elites to some extent, which also then drives
> media attention.
> 
> On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 10:01 AM, Richard Forno <rforno at infowarrior.org> wrote:
> >
> > I may end up being labelled a black sheep here, but I find the US media's infatuation with social media in regard to the Middle East protests to be overdone and a distraction for folks in understanding the real issues involved in the Arab world..
> >
> > In terms of SM, people have been organising and protesting in large numbers all around the world long before the Internet or social media came into being --- but watching much of the US "news" coverage  one is led to think the Internet is the primary force behind the coordination and street-level control of these recent gatherings.
> >
> > IMHO social media is playing a supporting role in all of this.  Is it helpful?  Sure - but hardly essential.  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?
> >
> > My view is that SM is very helpful 'strategically" in terms of offering a long-term opportunity for folks to communicate/collaborate/organise along shared views/goals/purposes -- but less so in terms of "hitting the streets" so to speak.  Helpful, sure -- but not absolutely necessary.
> >
> > I'll defer to those who specialise in this stuff to offer more theoreticaly rooted comments, for I need more caffeine.
> >
> > -- rick
> >
> >
> > On Jan 31, 2011, at 09:35 , Aziz Douai wrote:
> >
> >> Dear AoIR scholars,
> >>
> >> I have been watching the contribution of social media to the street protests
> >> in Tunisia, Egypt, and other parts of the Middle East.
> >>
> >> My question: What sort of theories would best explain social media's role in
> >> the contagion-like spread of these popular movements?
> >>
> >> Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >> Aziz
> >>
> >>
> >>