DTC 356 egypt and facebook

I thought Tom Slee's article "More Egypt, More Facebook" did  a good job relating the Arab spring event to previous revolutions. He talks about generational space, something that usually features a new technology that activists employ in order to raise awareness or coordinate events. He points out "... Facebook is still a generational phenomenon (60% of Egypt’s Facebook users are under 25 (»)). It is an environment where youth feel more at home than the older generation and the authorities, at least for now." It makes sense, the younger generating has latched on to something that they consider second nature, using this technology to further their cause.

On TV and in different articles, all I heard was that Facebook started a revolution. I'm glad that this article illustrates that is the people who started the revolutions, and they simply used Facebook as their modern tool. "Yes, the activists used Facebook and other tools, because that’s where the people are and because that is the medium characteristic of the time and place. But the Internet has not leant a new character to the uprising." Like pop music in the 1960s, Facebook was able to reach a widespread international audience. Facebook was something that everyone was paying attention to. Everyone heard the messages and common feelings of dissent were building.

This relates to the movie "Pump Up the Volume" with Christian Slater as a pirate DJ who ignites rebellion at a school (we watched it in my Digital Diversity class this summer). The kids rebelled because through their medium, in this case radio, they were all able to share collective feelings. They were able to come to the same conclusion at the same time which resulted in direct action.  

               

 Slee goes on to talk about how Faecbook is a big corporation and that they are making lives unnecessarily difficult for the young leaders. Facebook tends to delete accounts abruptly based on their rules for posting. He says "Most problematic is the policy that bans pseudonyms. Facebook defends the policy by saying their service is about “real people making real-world connections.” But what if the real world is full of secret police looking to crack down on dissent, or snooping bosses who might be supportive of a regime?" This is a good point but I don't think Facebook has an obligation to these people. Maybe they don't really want to get actively involved. Facebook was the right place to start and get the attention of their peers but before it was deactivated, but maybe they should have posted a link to a new blog or something. Facebook isn't the only option and shouldn't be have to be relied on entirely.

That being said, it would have been reasonable for Facebook to give them a warning, or at least give them a day or two before deleting accounts, given the gravity of the situation.

We would love if Facebook stepped up. If they recognized that they could play an important role as the new generational space. However, they must choose to take on that responsibility. However, they are a business, and they can choose to run it how they please. We all choose to sign up.