I hope many of you are keeping tabs on what's happening in Iran. The protests there over the elections really are quite remarkable. Very reminiscent of Tiananmen Square 20 years ago with huge numbers of protesters marching in the streets.
One of the most enduring images I have burned into my brain and heart is that of "Tank Man." The lone Chinese citizen who some believe was a man simply on his way home from work. Who had grown tired of the tanks in the streets and all they represented disrupting his life. This one man standing in front of a column of tanks. The tank drivers popped their heads out, yelling at him to move, they tried to go around him and he moved in front of them - finally the tanks turned off their engines and sat there.
One man had literally stopped an entire army.
Now fast forward to today. Iranian students, street vendors, parents, and everyday people are rising up to protest what they believe are rigged elections. And let's face it - they are. But different from Tianamen is that of new technology. A real uprising in the age of the Internet and specifically Twitter.
I just read this article - A Cyberwar Guide for Iran Elections (from a link posted on a Tweet) telling people how to support the protests using Twitter effectively and protecting the identity of Iranians who are posting messages. I wonder if things would have turned out differently for the student protesters in Tiananmen if they had had access to this sort of technology?
Truly revolutionary.
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