attention kmart shoppers: lately i have been thinking about the importance of the #iranelection hashtag on twitter. a couple months ago, we believed that trending was vital- that it brought the plight of the Iranian people to the world eye. we believed that it provided a crucial stream of information that needed to be in place for the people that needed it most. do we still believe this?
i don’t think anyone would have argued the validity of these points in june or july…but i suspect that the people who need crucial information no longer shop for it wholesale. people trust the mom and pop stores.
put down the torches, im not finished: im not suggesting that anyone stop using the hashtag. but i am suggesting that you all stop and think about HOW you use it. you should be aware of how other people see your account, and act accordingly. do you think more people read your tweets on your own timeline, or in theirs? or do they find you by using a search for the #iranelection hashtag? what kind of information are you trying to provide? who is your audience? do they view you as a trusted source of information? do you want them to?
if you are like me, you’re just trying to offer support in any way you can. i dont consider myself a ‘vital source of information’. i believe in the power of the #iranelection hashtag. i believe it is a valuable tool to bring world attention to the people of Iran.
i think i can do better, and am trying to change some habits, maybe some of these points will resonate with you.
its not the size of the hammer, its how you use it: trolls are one of my guilty pleasures. i love talking to them for some reason. i like pointing them out, giving them hugs and telling them that i love them. i have mixed emotions about calling them out in the hashtag. i believe that it is important to let a shopper know about any worms they might find in a barrel of apples, but if my goal is to get the world to visit the #iranelection hashtag and hop on the freedom train, i need to remember that all the name calling and fighting looks really bad to an outsider -and to many who have been there a long time.
from now on, i will take a lesson from the tobacco industry. “WARNING: #iranelection may contain worms “…a full listing of the defects is unecessary, and doesn’t help make sales.
you gotta know when to hold ‘em: we all know that we need to verify sources and details so we don’t perpetuate rumors and spread disinformation, but here is a new twist- PLEASE RT(later) …if we all respond to the request at the same time, sure the information gets out there…but it tends to hit all at once. floods generally arent as reliable as rivers.
from now on, i will take the time to see if what i am about to retweet is already visible in the stream. if it is, i will wait a few minutes. maybe this will help bring information to another set of eyes.
another can of worms: in the aftermath of the ‘hashtag wars’, i worry that we are faced with a new dilemma. we need to be VERY careful about unintentionally alienating each other with side issues. as sensitive subjects like execution and nuclear power become more frequently discussed, we need to remember that there are many controversial topics that we will never all agree about. please don’t let them divide us.
we need to remember that we’re all GREEN. some of us are just darker than others.