Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

11 Feb 2010 09:45

tags

World: The #iranelection protest machine is working on all cylinders

  • The opposition in Iran collectively has brass cajones. In this clip, protesters pull down a pro-government sign. In case you want to see more clips like this, this Facebook page has many.

11 Feb 2010 09:35

tags

28 Dec 2009 10:23

tags

World: Was Iran opposition martyr Ali Mousavi’s body taken away?

  • That’s what his family is saying. Mousavi, the slain nephew of Mir Hossein Mousavi, had his body taken from a local hospital after he was killed yesterday. “My brother’s body was taken away from the hospital and we cannot find it,” Mousavi’s brother, Seyed Reza Mousavi, said. “We cannot have a funeral before we find the body.” Also worth noting: Andrew Sullivan has a pretty interesting explanation of why Ali Mousavi’s martyrdom matters. source

28 Dec 2009 10:08

tags

World: Some quick (likely to change) numbers from Iran’s protests

  • 15 have been reported killed, according to Iran’s state television
  • 60 more have been reported injured in yesterday’s protests
  • 300 have been arrested, including seven prominent aides source

27 Dec 2009 20:50

tags

World: The U.S. says Iranians deserve to see their “universal rights”

  • We strongly condemn the violent and unjust suppression of civilians in Iran seeking to exercise their universal rights. Hope and history are on the side of those who peacefully seek their universal rights, and so is the United States.
  • White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer • Condemning the latest violent response to protests in Iran today. Four people died as a result of the protests by freedom-wanting, tech-savvy Iranians. This, by the way, is the first time people have actually died during protests since the original Iran election protests in June, which makes them all the more depressing. source

27 Dec 2009 11:14

tags

World: Video: A scene from the latest Iranian protests, uploaded today

  • Iranian protesters are getting savvier about using technology to tell the world about what’s going on. This video, taken at an Ashura protest in Isfahan, was uploaded via e-mail to the unity4iran Posterous page, which means that in the midst of what’s going on, the protesters need to do little to send information about what’s going on on the ground. Send an e-mail, and it’s up for the world to see. source

27 Dec 2009 10:44

tags

 

04 Nov 2009 10:21

tags

World: In more ways than one, memories of #iranelection stoked in Iran

  • It may be months on from #iranelection, but the spirit is definitely still kicking among its people as this protest on the 30th anniversary of Iran taking over the U.S. Embassy proves. Sadly, however, it goes both ways. Many were beaten by military in the largest protest in Tehran in six weeks. source

21 Jun 2009 22:13

tags

Politics, Tech: Dear Washington Post columnists: Give Twitter credit for Iran

  • What the heck, guys?

    John Palfrey, Bruce Etling and Robert Faris, you guys don’t get it. You just don’t. A lengthy response to the Twitter protest tool phenomenon is not the way to go.

    You tore it apart for the very reasons it’s useful, such as its brevity (the revolution will not be in speech form), the fact that lots of people use it and create a glut of information (much of which is retweets), and the fact that dissenters on both sides can use it.

    You have one moderately valid point: The government can block the access. Good thing they’re using proxy servers!

  • A bad example

    Here’s the real reason why you really don’t get it – you credited Andrew Sullivan for creating the hype around the protests, rather than the protesters themselves.

    We’d like to use the example of @iranriggedelect. We were an early follower of the great resource, and we recommended them when they had three followers. Now they have 10,000+.

    And of course, Twitter had to nudge CNN. Face it – Twitter isn’t people just talking. It’s media. And this media works differently.

    Please figure out why. source