Comments on: The myth of the Moldova ‘Twitter revolution’

By: zerolab

zerolab — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:32:23 +0000

As evisoft stated, Twitter was used for the initial organization and consequent spread of information. Add facebook statuses tied to twitter updates and a few other means like SMSes, word of mouth, LiveJournal.
There is no doubt about Twitter’s role on starting/organizing the protests, but they’ve evolved into something bigger and way too hard to coordinate anything.

By: Dumitru

Dumitru — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:03:35 +0000

I have been posting pics and updated comments in English for the last two days - if you are interested - http://politicalmoldova.wordpress.com/

By: Steve Jackson

Steve Jackson — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:56:24 +0000

I think the truth seems to be somewhere in between. When you’re publicising anything you’re looking at all the tools you have available to spread the word.
In this case, mostly it would appear that it would be word of mouth. But, hey, why not use blogs, and Twitter and whatever else you can use when your budget is next to nothing? Social media, like word of mouth – is viral. It may go nowhere or it may grow and grow and that is what you hope for.
Twitter is easy for reporters to sell to newsdesks right now. It’s guaranteed a readership too because us twitterers will retweet and retweet again.
However, Twitter, it seems, played a genuine role – but yes, only a slight one. A role certainly not worthy of the headlines created.
However it is thought provoking. If a country with limited wealth and access technology can utilise these tools albeit in a smaller way than is being reported – imagine what could happen in more affluent regions.
I think that is the underlying story that no doubt the commentators will return to once the dust is settled and we realise that this is no Twitter revolution but social media did play it’s part.

By: derek thomson

derek thomson — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:00:50 +0000

Hi Evisoft, I’m a reporter for FRANCE 24 in Paris, looking for people to talk to about the protests and Twitter. Can you email me?
thanks,
derek thomson
dthomson@france24.com
P.S. Apologies for using your blog like this Daniel. Excellent post. We’ll think twice before repeating the Twitter headline.

By: evisoft

evisoft — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:59:18 +0000

Initial organization, was spread over twitter and facebook, and expected only few persons.
Later we agree to create #pman to spread about this event over the world, and use facebook for photos, and youtube for videos.
Twitter was not used to manage manifest. Also cellphones works bad only few hundred meters. Also near was McDonnalds with free wifi.

By: Julien

Julien — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:38:44 +0000

If it were social media, I’d say it were rather social networks like Facebook. I saw messages from Moldovan contacts the evening before asking to gather for the first meetings on Monday.

By: adyrip1

adyrip1 — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:37:46 +0000

The situation is critical. The present communist regime stole a lot of votes. Dead people voted, mentally challenged people voted ( OSCE observers stated that if they have an ID it is ok to vote ), some people voted several times, people arrived at the voting centres and found out that they had already voted!!!!! A real shame for the US and EU as they always talk about democracy but never move an inch unless they have an oil interest. Imagine living with 200 USD/month like the people in Moldova. Let’s just hope they do not send the army to shoot the crowd. Most of them are students. The borders are closed, they shut down mobile phones, internet and everything possible to keep this quiet. In a lot of cities from Moldova the people are demonstrating against the regime. Help them!!!! Spread the news. This is a real revolution for a country which has been persecuted for a long time. It was taken from Romania by Stalin and never returned. Now the people are tired with the russian controlled government.

By: anonymous1

anonymous1 — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:11:58 +0000

there are myths on both sides, but you’d better do your homework. very few people who would join the protests in Moldova use LiveJournal to communicate – that’s where Morari wrote – this is a platform that is very popular in Russia (hence Morari’s use of it, since she has a much more visible profile in Russia than she does in her home country), but not in Moldova itself. Plus, she mainly targets a Russian-speaking audience – who would likely support the communists anyway – so no need to get them into action. Finally, what you should really be looking at is the use of Twitter by people who organized the first wave of flashmobs on Monday – this is how it’s all got started. Of course, a community of 100 Twitterers is not enough to bring 10,000 people in the streets, but it’s enough to bring at least 100 – and others would follow.