It's clear to all readers of Twitter and the MSM that Facebook and Twitter played a role in the Egyptian movement that toppled Mubarak. But how much of a role? More generally, how much were social networks involved? There's so much speculation, that I really don't want more. BUT I would appreciate systematic evidence -- be it ethnographic, online analyses, or survey based -- even though it may be early for that to appear. I am thinking of the work that Joe Feagin did on 1968's ghetto riots; the ongoing work of Doug McAdam over the years. I wonder if anyone interviewed the folks in Tahrir Square (besides the secret police), just as Feagin interviewed folks in Detroit jails, and would love to read some personal accounts. In hope that things turn out well in Egypt! Barry Wellman _______________________________________________________________________ S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director Department of Sociology 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 University of Toronto Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 twitter:barrywellman http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php _______________________________________________________________________

Hi Barry and CITASA friends, perhaps you may be interested in this piece on social media and movements by my department colleague Ramesh Srinivasan that appeared on the front page of the Huffington Post today, it contains a bit about his recent research too: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ramesh-srinivasan/the-net-worth-of-open-net_b_823570.html cheers all, Leah Lievrouw On 2/15/11 5:01 PM, Barry Wellman wrote: > > It's clear to all readers of Twitter and the MSM that Facebook and > Twitter played a role in the Egyptian movement that toppled Mubarak. > > But how much of a role? More generally, how much were social networks > involved? > > There's so much speculation, that I really don't want more. > BUT > I would appreciate systematic evidence -- be it ethnographic, online > analyses, or survey based -- even though it may be early for that to > appear. I am thinking of the work that Joe Feagin did on 1968's ghetto > riots; the ongoing work of Doug McAdam over the years. > > I wonder if anyone interviewed the folks in Tahrir Square (besides the > secret police), just as Feagin interviewed folks in Detroit jails, and > would love to read some personal accounts. > > In hope that things turn out well in Egypt! > > Barry Wellman > _______________________________________________________________________ > > S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director > Department of Sociology 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 > University of Toronto Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 twitter:barrywellman > http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 > Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > _______________________________________________ > CITASA mailing list > CITASA@list.citasa.org > http://list.citasa.org/mailman/listinfo/citasa_list.citasa.org -- Leah A. Lievrouw, Professor Department of Information Studies, UCLA 216 GSE&IS Bldg./Box 951520 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1520 Tel +1 310 825 1840 Fax +1 310 206 4460 Email llievrou@ucla.edu http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/llievrou/LeahHome.html

I agree it would be great to have interview data from Tunis, Cairo, Sana'a etc, but I don't know of anyone working comparatively across those cities. I did a HuffPo entry on how State Department strategy might be improved by understanding how networks operate A State Department 2.0 Response to the Arab Spring http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-n-howard/state-department-arab-spring_b_820458.html Dr. Philip N. Howard Associate Professor Department of Communication Jackson School of International Studies Information School University of Washington NEW BOOK The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Information Technology and Political Islam New York: Oxford University Press On Feb 16, 2011, at 9:11 AM, "Leah Lievrouw" <llievrou@ucla.edu> wrote: > Hi Barry and CITASA friends, perhaps you may be interested in this piece on social media and movements by my department colleague Ramesh Srinivasan that appeared on the front page of the Huffington Post today, it contains a bit about his recent research too: > > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ramesh-srinivasan/the-net-worth-of-open-net_b_823570.html > > cheers all, Leah Lievrouw > > On 2/15/11 5:01 PM, Barry Wellman wrote: >> >> It's clear to all readers of Twitter and the MSM that Facebook and Twitter played a role in the Egyptian movement that toppled Mubarak. >> >> But how much of a role? More generally, how much were social networks involved? >> >> There's so much speculation, that I really don't want more. >> BUT >> I would appreciate systematic evidence -- be it ethnographic, online analyses, or survey based -- even though it may be early for that to appear. I am thinking of the work that Joe Feagin did on 1968's ghetto riots; the ongoing work of Doug McAdam over the years. >> >> I wonder if anyone interviewed the folks in Tahrir Square (besides the secret police), just as Feagin interviewed folks in Detroit jails, and would love to read some personal accounts. >> >> In hope that things turn out well in Egypt! >> >> Barry Wellman >> _______________________________________________________________________ >> >> S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director >> Department of Sociology 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 >> University of Toronto Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 twitter:barrywellman >> http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 >> Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php >> _______________________________________________________________________ >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> CITASA mailing list >> CITASA@list.citasa.org >> http://list.citasa.org/mailman/listinfo/citasa_list.citasa.org > > -- > Leah A. Lievrouw, Professor > Department of Information Studies, UCLA > 216 GSE&IS Bldg./Box 951520 > Los Angeles, CA 90095-1520 > Tel +1 310 825 1840 Fax +1 310 206 4460 > Email llievrou@ucla.edu > http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/llievrou/LeahHome.html > > > _______________________________________________ > CITASA mailing list > CITASA@list.citasa.org > http://list.citasa.org/mailman/listinfo/citasa_list.citasa.org