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Entries in The Times (1)

Monday
Jun292009

Iran: More on "Two Twitterers" (and on the Idiocy of "The Times")

The Iran Crisis (Day 18): What To Watch For Today

The Latest from Iran Crisis (29 June): The Challenge Survives

Iran: A Tale of Two Twitterers

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TWITTER IRAN

URGENT UPDATE 29 June 1800 GMT: A good Iranian source claims that "persiankiwi" has not been arrested but does not have current access to Internet.

Unfortunately, there is little new of substance to report on one of the two Twitterers we profiled last week, "persiankiwi". He/she has now been silent for five days. In the vacuum, there are confusing claims and counter-claims ---  "persiankiwi" is in hiding, he/she has opened another account to evade Iranian state surveillance --- and attempts by malevolent Tweeters and possibly pro-Iran Government agents to exploit the situation.

Better news with "Change_For_Iran", who has reappeared after a three-day silence, although his/her activity may be limited by poor connections.

Meanwhile, amidst the generous support for these two and other Iranian correspondents, there is an asinine piece of "journalism" in The Times of London, "Tweeters Melt Away After 15 Minutes of Fame".

Judith Evans begins with a general trashing of those using Twitter in Iran:
One described a massacre no one else seemed to have witnessed then vanished. Another started posting obscene links in the place of information, giving rise to suspicions the account had been hacked; a third reappeared to say he had fled. The Iranian rebel tweeters have melted away.

It's one thing for Evans to make a sweeping condemnation when she clearly hasn't followed the information on Twitter (ironically, the best Tweeters have done a far better job than Times reporters in offering a window on Iranian events). It's another for her to claim, "In any case, either internet blocks or arrests have reduced the trickle of information to virtually nothing," when there is still more than enough getting out to keep a good news service (let's say, Enduring America) on top of the political story.

But this is where print-media stupidity gives way to nastiness in the face of bravery: "Names such as persiankiwi and Change_for_Iran, for a brief moment apparently the voices of democratic Iran, may prove untraceable now that they have had their 15 minutes of cyberspace fame."

I cannot and would not say whether Ms Evans is seeking her own 15 seconds of fame/infamy with this article. I will say that, it is to the credit of those she mentions that "15 minutes of cyberspace fame" was not the prime motive for "persiankiwi" (who may or may not be in an Iranian prison) and "Change_For_Iran" (who is recovering from a beating) to take their stands.