Iran is Tweeting
The Internet has proven to be a useful tool for Iranians worldwide during the recent presidential election. Social networking via Twitter provided real-time updates from within the chaos and protests that resulted after Amadinejad's victory. Even with a 140 character limit, Tweeting became a great way for Mousavi supporters to rally for change - that is, until service became mysteriously disrupted. Was the Iranian government afraid of a social networking-inspired revolution?
Internet access is still in the beginning stages in Iran, but it is available, and it has been a critical component in the recent election. Both candidates, Amadinejad and Mousavi, actively operated Facebook pages before, during, and after the election. Iranian bloggers have complained that words like 'democracy,' 'violence'and 'unrest' have been filtered by the country's Intelligence Ministry. It's clear that outsiders will never get a completely accurate idea as to what, exactly, is taking place in Iran. News television offers a highly regulated, one-sided view into a world that we cannot truly understand from across the Atlantic. When operational, social networking sites, like Twitter, provide a real-time solution for unbiased communication.