#Iranelection #Tehran

Jack Dorsey (co-founder of Twitter) was recently explaining (read my article) that Twitter could be a powerful tool for Democracy, helping rebuilding Iraq. His enthusiasm to use social networks to gather a People, is being picked up in a neighbour country, Iran.

Since Friday, and the controversial presidential elections held in Iran, opponents to re-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have prostated in the streets of Tehran. Among those protestors undoubtedly stand some twitteres. Twitter is becoming inevitable to get information of what's going in Iran. The Iranian government filters websites, jams BBC satellite that broadcasts Persian TV and so on. As a consequence, journalists, and correspondents in Iran can't work, and transmit information (mainly to the western countries), fostering a flow of tweets coming from Iran. Journalists use those tweets, after confirmation they really come from Iran (with geolocalisation) to provide news in their countries. You can also find pictures from the events in Tehran on Flickr.

#Iranelection and #Tehran are among the most popular research and topics on Twitter. That also lead Twitter to postpone a maintenance operation scheduled June 15 at 9:45pm Pacific time, which would be the following day, 9:15am in Iran. Twitter in its Press Release, claimed the fact Twitter was used as an' important communication tool in Iran'.

Are those events the sneak peeks of what the web 3.0 could be? The integration of social networks in the political world? Or is just Twitter accentuating the buzz around its growing success and making a marketing 'coup'?

Vinegar Tom

Tonight, I attended a play in the Studio Theatre, at San Francisco State University (check out the photos). Vinegar Tom was written by English playwright Caryl Churchill. The play is about Alice, a twenty or so year old girl, living in the English country in the 17th century, and accused of being a witch. The plot stresses out the discrimination against women in today's society. Women are described as "credulous, impressionable, with a slippery tongue". This 1976 play is timeless, regarding the issues it raises.

And just as Jack Dorsey thinks Twitter can help democracy in Iraq, I'm convinced, social networks as a whole can help sensibilize more people than the current media do about society issus. A dozen tweets today were referring to discrimination against women, while more than 500 groups exist on Facebook dealing with women and discrimination. By growing, the networks could benefit to the society. However, so far it is mostly the Youngs who are part of the mouvement we are experiencing, and therefore, the actions taken online have a limited impact. But it is just waiting to expand some more.

The play is running until Friday (May 15). So you only have two more representations. It is at the Studio Theatre at San Francisco State University. The play starts at 7pm. free entrance.