Let us in future be a bit more skeptical about the need to recreate the protest wheel. In almost all countries run by authoritarian regimes there is an untapped mass of activists, dissidents and anti-government intellectuals who have barely heard of Facebook. Reaching out to these offline but effective networks will yield more value than trying to badger bloggers to take up political activities. Western embassies working on the ground often excel at identifying and empowering such networks, and new media literacy should become part of diplomatic training. After all, these old-school types are the people who brought democracy to Central and Eastern Europe. And it will probably be them who win freedom for China and Iran too.
From Evgeny Morozov’s article “Dictators.com” in the Perspective section of today’s AFR. I don’t really agree with his conclusions but it is an extremely good read and an excellent reminder that we must not idealise social media as the answer to all of the world’s problems.
About
I'm Alex, and I'm Head of Digital Strategy at Ogilvy Melbourne & DTDigital. I spend most of my time thinking and writing about culture, brands, and advertising.
This Tumblelog is where I post random stuff that I find around the internets. Sometimes I have original ideas. Most of the time I collect ideas from others about how we're finding new ways of expressing ourselves, connecting with each other, and doing business.
So you'll find me posting a lot about new media, old media, what's happening in the business world, advertising, finance, and politics.
And of course the more interesting things in life: contemporary culture, music, art, travel, fashion, pretty pictures, books, magazines, movies, eating, and drinking. Some stories and photos from my life around Melbourne. Not to mention the kind of wonderful and strange humour you can only find on the web.
Find me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, Facebook, FourSquare, FormSpring or email me at alexjcampbell@gmail.com.
Any views expressed on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer, my clients, or Batman.
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