The Twitter Revolution

[Leatherneck]

I don't do Twitter, but I'm loving how both states--Iran and China--are desperately trying to suppress them, given the ongoing political activities in those countries. And losing the battles. Maybe the code-kid hackers are our best hope in this new age of infowar.

TC

[MicroBalrog]

My father has a prized possession - an ancient Consul typewriter. His father bought it for him when typewriters started being sold to "regular people" in the USSR. My Dad had used it to reproduce a variety of... suppressed texts for his friends. Access to fotocopier machines was restricted, and at any rate conditional to review of the material being fotocopied.

He also told me of how he read 1984 the first time - smuggled into Russia on microfilm, with the use of a special portable viewer.

Fascists and Communists hate personal information dissemination devices just as much as they hate guns, and for the same reason.

[Nitrogen]

You can check out what the twitterers are all going off about here:

http://www.twitscoop.com
click on "Hot Trends"

Anyone else here twitter?
<--c0t0d0s2

[Perd Hapley]

Micro,

Since you're about to do grad school in the States, I thought I'd let you know that we spell it "photocopy."  Best wishes.   

[S. Williamson]

My father has a prized possession - an ancient Consul typewriter. His father bought it for him when typewriters started being sold to "regular people" in the USSR. My Dad had used it to reproduce a variety of... suppressed texts for his friends. Access to fotocopier machines was restricted, and at any rate conditional to review of the material being fotocopied.

He also told me of how he read 1984 the first time - smuggled into Russia on microfilm, with the use of a special portable viewer.

Fascists and Communists hate personal information dissemination devices just as much as they hate guns, and for the same reason.

Micro, after reading that, it reminded me of Das Leben der Anderen, a really good movie I suggest you see.  I'd let you borrow my copy, but I'd hate to pull an Obama and send a copy overseas where it might not work.

[MicroBalrog]

Micro, after reading that, it reminded me of Das Leben der Anderen, a really good movie I suggest you see.  I'd let you borrow my copy, but I'd hate to pull an Obama and send a copy overseas where it might not work.

...this is Israel, the Piracy Capital of the  Middle-East. Nobody even SELLS non-multiregional DVD players. And I watch everything on my computer. And use Videolan, so...

[seeker_two]

Maybe the code-kid hackers are our best hope in this new age of infowar.

The revolution will be digitized..... 

[RevDisk]

Maybe the code-kid hackers are our best hope in this new age of infowar.

TC

I extremely highly recommend a book called "Little Brother".  It's also available as a free ebook, if you're short on coin.

The book is written from the perspective of a teen in HS after he manages to piss off DHS.  It's essentially a thinly fictionized account of how to run information warfare campaign against a hostile government, while using good information security practices.  Here's the thing.  Each and every technology or practice in the book either exists, or is/was in the process of being created when the book was released.   

[Nick1911]

I extremely highly recommend a book called "Little Brother".  It's also available as a free ebook, if you're short on coin.

The book is written from the perspective of a teen in HS after he manages to piss off DHS.  It's essentially a thinly fictionized account of how to run information warfare campaign against a hostile government, while using good information security practices.  Here's the thing.  Each and every technology or practice in the book either exists, or is/was in the process of being created when the book was released.   

I'm going to take a look at this.  Thanks, Rev!

[GigaBuist]

Maybe the code-kid hackers are our best hope in this new age of infowar.

It is a bit weird that CNN, MSNBC, and even the State Department are using twitter, the exact same thing I'm using, to keep track of what's going on over there.  Okay, the State Department might have more info, but they asked Twitter to not shut down for maintenance in light of the Iran situation.

I often wonder how I'd explain modern technology to guys like Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington.  The fact that a student in Iran can bust out a message that lands at my computer in about 2 minutes would simply amaze them.  Hell, I could have it sent to my mobile device if I wanted to and get alerts on Iran while I sit on the crapper.

A couple of comments on this:

1)  Be wary of who you rely on via twitter.  I hear the government is getting on now and spreading misinformation.  I know a few usernames that can be trusted, and I'm sticking with them.

2)  They're able to still post because people in the US are setting up proxy servers for them.  Iran is stuck in a weird position where the government still needs net access so they have to block stuff playing whack-a-mole.  That's their only reason for just not turning the whole thing off.

3)  The Iranian tweeters are asking people to retweet messages and for everybody to change their location to Tehran and switch their timezone to confuse the government.  I can't possibly imagine that actually hiding their identities which really makes me wonder just how unsophisicated their protesters are.

4)  Information within the country isn't flowing all that well.  With limited proxy servers in the US only the most sophisticated Iranians are getting online still.  Having a non-net based system within the country is still important which is where stuff like a photocopier would come in handy.  Or maybe HAM and other wireless systems.

[Monkeyleg]

I hear the government is getting on now and spreading misinformation.

Well, that certainly explains some of the comments in the APS Politics forum.

[Antibubba]

The revolution will not be Twittered.

[erictank]

I extremely highly recommend a book called "Little Brother".  It's also available as a free ebook, if you're short on coin.

The book is written from the perspective of a teen in HS after he manages to piss off DHS.  It's essentially a thinly fictionized account of how to run information warfare campaign against a hostile government, while using good information security practices.  Here's the thing.  Each and every technology or practice in the book either exists, or is/was in the process of being created when the book was released.   

EXCELLENT book.  Got an e-copy late last year and ended up asking for (and getting) a dead-tree version for Christmas, I liked it so much.

[Leatherneck]

The revolution will not be Twittered.

Au Contraire Amigo. My point is that it will be.

TC

[S. Williamson]

Au Contraire Amigo. My point is that it will be.

TC

Erm... what the heck are y'all talking about?

[Leatherneck]

Erm... what the heck are y'all talking about?

Infer, my friend.

TC

[Antibubba]

There are enough Twits in power, thank you.

[CNYCacher]

I extremely highly recommend a book called "Little Brother".  It's also available as a free ebook, if you're short on coin.

The book is written from the perspective of a teen in HS after he manages to piss off DHS.  It's essentially a thinly fictionized account of how to run information warfare campaign against a hostile government, while using good information security practices.  Here's the thing.  Each and every technology or practice in the book either exists, or is/was in the process of being created when the book was released.   

HTML version here:   http://craphound.com/littlebrother/Cory_Doctorow_-_Little_Brother.htm

[castle key]

My father has a prized possession - an ancient Consul typewriter. His father bought it for him when typewriters started being sold to "regular people" in the USSR. My Dad had used it to reproduce a variety of... suppressed texts for his friends. Access to fotocopier machines was restricted, and at any rate conditional to review of the material being fotocopied.

He also told me of how he read 1984 the first time - smuggled into Russia on microfilm, with the use of a special portable viewer.

Fascists and Communists hate personal information dissemination devices just as much as they hate guns, and for the same reason.

Politics aside, this brings back fond childhood memories such as finding that IBM Selectrics have a ball rather than key arms, and the most fond memory, sniffing the purple pages of a mimeograph.

[Angel Eyes]

[Antibubba]

Every electronic network can be stopped from above.  The trick is to either use means that the regime can't possibly stop completely, or to use a system where the regime isn't "above" enough.  An example of the first would be Amateur Radio--there are too many frequencies to jam them all, and too many tricks to get past that anyway.  An example of the second would probably be satphones.

[slingshot]

If Twitter is allowing information to flow to third world countries, great.  As I understand the functioning of Twitter, the Iranian example seems a very good one of a practical use; Coordination and information countrywide.

For my life, I see no need.

[taurusowner]

If Twitter is allowing information to flow to third world countries, great.  As I understand the functioning of Twitter, the Iranian example seems a very good one of a practical use; Coordination and information countrywide.

For my life, I see no need.

Indeed.  I honestly cannot see a single reason for Twitter to exist, other than its use in Iran now.  Real time updates about serious situations is a good thing.  But what does everyone else use it for?  Who cares what people are doing at any given minute.  Would I type "Sitting in a chair" or "Reading APS"?  Who cares?

[FTA84]

Indeed.  I honestly cannot see a single reason for Twitter to exist, other than its use in Iran now.  Real time updates about serious situations is a good thing.  But what does everyone else use it for?  Who cares what people are doing at any given minute.  Would I type "Sitting in a chair" or "Reading APS"?  Who cares?

I also don't get what twitter is used for in real life.  I think it is to make people feel like anyones cares about what they are doing.  It is a really disconnecting.  Instead of socializing with other people, everyone sits at home and tweets every boring mundane detail of their lives.  If they stopped tweeting, they could hang out and do something fun.

Twitter has also degenerated into the typical junk now even for #IranElections.  It appears that Iran has such restricted internet access that and #IranElections has gotten so popular, that only 1 in 10000 tweets even seem to be coming from Iran.  It appears to be many "retweets" of junk, (stupid) people pretending to be in Iran (you can tell -- they think it is the same time in Iran that they think it is the US), lies about victims (there are many retweets about that poor girl that was shot in chest -- some say she was only 16 which illicts the OMG!! reponse, another said she was pregnant and they removed the living baby -- neither which seem to be appropriate, confirmed and are in likely contradiction).  What is even more amazing is that CNN is actually reporting this crap as if it were fact.  It is Iranian revolution meets MTVs My Sweet 16.

There are still some good users to follow, but good luck on locating more good users.

[Jamisjockey]

Yeah!  Twitter/Facebook/Myspace are such crap!  I'd rather sit around and post on various forums about what mundane day to day stuff I'm doing!!!!
 
Anyone seen my cheetos?