Brave New World: Social Media Takes Down Egypt

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I love this first image showing a lone, stone-throwing protester going up against an armored vehicle. 

An anti-government protester throws objects at a riot police vehicle in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany. 

 

I've gone through and grabbed a couple of screens I saw throughout the night as the overthrow continues. 

New sources use a Tweetdeck screen and Trendsmap to show citizen journalists reporting live. 

The Egyptian government cuts internet and mobile phone access yet Al-Jazeera is determined to keep Tweeting; broadcasting through landline conveyed messages until their satellite is restored. 

Someone offers medical assistance via Skype and users share screens so that locals can see international, non State-controlled media via the web. 

Egyptians organise around Facebook groups and the world supports their profiles with messages of solidarity. 

User mock the Eqyptian regime and work to restore communications and send out information. 

Welcome to the brave new world of social media. 

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How Many People Are On Facebook In New Zealand?

courtesy Facebook NZ Jan 2011

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User Generated Content: The Unicorn Poop of Social Media

 

Nothing you could ever possibly create inside your company is as important as something your users create. Everrrrr.

 

User generated content is the holy grail of social conversations and I’m always shocked to see page admins dismissing photos, videos, comments and interactions that their users take the time to capture and upload.

 

It’s as rare as unicorn poop so embrace it and thank the social media powers for gifting you with such as amazing blessing from above.

 

Interactions on your pages should have you climbing out over the firewall and pashing your users- with your tongue.

 

Most recently I heard the story of customer Jane Username who experienced a product for the first time (no it’s not me).  Ms Username had a positive service experience, took a photo, edited it in Photoshop, uploaded it to Flickr and shared it with the company on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Page admin (let’s call him Senor Droppedonhead) responded by saying ‘that’s nice but ours are better’ and sending Ms Username a link to commercially shot catalogue imagery on his employer’s website.  What a dumbass. 

 

Ms Username got sniffy, pulled down her images and vented at people like me about how stupid Senor Droppedonhead and his stupid company was. I think we can call that a fail and a massive ‘missing of the point’.

 

Thank your users, encourage them and the unicorns will flourish and spread their germinating dung of awesome on your company lawn.

 

 

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We Love You Steve Jobs

Prayers and wishes are with you and your family Steve.

You are our tech leader and you have touched everyday people in an amazing way.

We want to see so many more years out of you and your genius.

Written on iPhone

We got you Steve

CJ

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