Wednesday, June 17, 2009

It's too early in the game to predict a result, but what is going on in Iran has implications for beyond its physical borders. There are two really fascinating things going on here.

One, the country is revolting. 70% of the population there is under 30 and mostly secular, so the days of the Mullahs being in charge are nearing an end, even if the current events don't do it. Demographics are an unbeatable force. A few 60 year old men cannot control a country of millions of 20-somethings who don't like old men. And the result of the current unrest could lead to real democracy over there, and the beginning of wider change throughout the Middle East.

Two is twitter. New technology and historical events are colliding like never before, and it's fascinating to see the quick evolution going on. For instance, once the Iranian government started shutting down Twitter relays or whatever the proper nomenclenture is, folks started posting backup IPs through Twitter, but it being public and all, the Iranian government saw those IPs posted and blocked them, too. So now the people are finding other means of communicating relays so they can use Twitter and keep the flow of information going.

Keep yourself posted on what's going on, this is important, possibly world-changing stuff. If you really want to know what's going on, forget big media, CNN and ABC don't have a clue. Go somewhere like www.boingboing.net and look for their stories on Iran and follow links from there and explore the plethora of fascinating communication coming out of an opressed state.

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