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Automatic Social [un]Awareness 2009-06-30 10:02:10 Taking on a political issue in a business setting is usually a bad idea -- but I'll take a whack at it anyhow.  There is a Twitter App called "Support #IranElection" which lets you turn your twitter avatar green to show your support of the protesters in Iran. All you have to do is log into Twitter using their special link, and BAM, your avatar turns green.
I can't say I know a lot about what's going on in Iran -- I know there are two groups of people, one slightly less conservative than the other, but that both groups are really conservative. I heard the alternatives described as either North Korea (totalitarian with no Western access) or China (totalitarian with some Western access). There are questions about the validity of the election, but it's hard to say if it was rigged or not. There are questions about how the protesters have been treated, but it's hard to say who's causing the disruptions. There are a lot of questions, and not a lot of answers, but there is this App that lets you show support for the less totalitarian crowd with one click. As I cruise around the Internet I'm seeing a lot of green pictures, but I have to wonder if the people supporting the Iran Election protests are doing so because they have a deep belief that the protesters are right and the government is wrong, or if it's a fashionable thing to do. I think expressing your opinions and beliefs is a good idea (otherwise I wouldn't have posted this), but I think they should be YOUR opinions and beliefs. My fear about these kinds of quick "me-too" apps is that it dilutes the message and can derail a campaign, and ultimately distract people from really learning about an issue because they've already "joined the cause" in one click. Of course, when we run campaigns at Conquent, we want to see the numbers swell, and remove as many obstacles between a person and their ability to show support. I think the trick in the long run is to find ways to engage those people beyond just a ribbon or a color -- engage, teach, and spread a message with a credible, educated following. 
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About the Author:
/bissellator/personal
Combined Blog:
/bissellator/combined
Find Michael:
Linked In: linkedin.com/in/bissellator
Facebook: Profile
Myspace: myspace.com/bissellator
Twitter: @bissell
Past Postings:
Automatic Social [un]Awareness
First splash for United Against Malaria
New Media/Old Media and the CLIO Awards
Interview at SXSW: Mad Men Twitter And Tracking
We've got an App for that -- it's called the Web
Understanding Google To Get Your Resume Noticed
The trouble with Wordpress and other templates
Wayward Words with Baggage
Speaking at SXSW March 17th
The fleeting Memory of the Internet
It's okay to say "I don't know"
Nike Takes Over Conquent
Facebook owns this title
Excuses, excuses
A little on Social Media
Feeding on Content
Attack of the Bots
Web 1.0
Net Neutrality
Getting clever with data feeds
The Other Credit Crisis
The Broadband Inauguration
T-Mobile owns Magenta and Other Patent Stories
The Risk-takers, Doers and Makers of Things
The noise of 20,000+ Twitter Followers
30,000 feet, 500 MPH Suburban Strip Mall
Cellphones, toilets and the Inauguration
The End of Days (of song): Microsoft Songsmith Example
Browser Bigotry
The Death of your Soul: Microsoft Songsmith
Creative Development or Developing Creatively?
The Myth of Wikipedia (or the Wiki-1400)
Online/Offline Sales -- is it really that bad?
Is PayPal Tacky?
Old School Web Design Still Works
Domain Squatting
Green Chri$tma$
QA 101
Portland Snow
Get some return on that web traffic
I think they have a backup...
I'd love to have that problem
The [un]importance of statistics
Don't be a tool of viral marketing
Emails, discussions, blogs, wiki and web content
You Designed for Print First
You let someone else register your domain name
You figured .biz, .info, .us would work fine
What's after the Integrated Circuit?
Intelligent life is out there (but it's bugger all down here on earth)
Subject Matter Experts Talking Other Subject Matter
The Totalitarian Regime of Apple
Oversimplifying how people work
crowdSPRING
Traditional agencies vs. the "new model"
Creative Services for the New World
Reverse Anthropomorphism
The End of Time
Better Living Through Twitter
Lessons Learned From Apple
It's the Brand, Baby
Business Architecture vs. Web Construction
On Truth
Inverse Peter Principle
Random Knowledge
The Hive
RSS for this blog
With a career that has spanned advertising, production, technical services, and project management, Michael is able to articulate the wide range skills and professions that make the Internet work. This eclectic understanding and his desire to shine the light on those hiding behind techno babble has brought success to a wide range of projects.
Personal Blog:/bissellator/personal
Combined Blog:
/bissellator/combined
Find Michael:
Linked In: linkedin.com/in/bissellator
Facebook: Profile
Myspace: myspace.com/bissellator
Twitter: @bissell
Past Postings:
Automatic Social [un]Awareness
First splash for United Against Malaria
New Media/Old Media and the CLIO Awards
Interview at SXSW: Mad Men Twitter And Tracking
We've got an App for that -- it's called the Web
Understanding Google To Get Your Resume Noticed
The trouble with Wordpress and other templates
Wayward Words with Baggage
Speaking at SXSW March 17th
The fleeting Memory of the Internet
It's okay to say "I don't know"
Nike Takes Over Conquent
Facebook owns this title
Excuses, excuses
A little on Social Media
Feeding on Content
Attack of the Bots
Web 1.0
Net Neutrality
Getting clever with data feeds
The Other Credit Crisis
The Broadband Inauguration
T-Mobile owns Magenta and Other Patent Stories
The Risk-takers, Doers and Makers of Things
The noise of 20,000+ Twitter Followers
30,000 feet, 500 MPH Suburban Strip Mall
Cellphones, toilets and the Inauguration
The End of Days (of song): Microsoft Songsmith Example
Browser Bigotry
The Death of your Soul: Microsoft Songsmith
Creative Development or Developing Creatively?
The Myth of Wikipedia (or the Wiki-1400)
Online/Offline Sales -- is it really that bad?
Is PayPal Tacky?
Old School Web Design Still Works
Domain Squatting
Green Chri$tma$
QA 101
Portland Snow
Get some return on that web traffic
I think they have a backup...
I'd love to have that problem
The [un]importance of statistics
Don't be a tool of viral marketing
Emails, discussions, blogs, wiki and web content
You Designed for Print First
You let someone else register your domain name
You figured .biz, .info, .us would work fine
What's after the Integrated Circuit?
Intelligent life is out there (but it's bugger all down here on earth)
Subject Matter Experts Talking Other Subject Matter
The Totalitarian Regime of Apple
Oversimplifying how people work
crowdSPRING
Traditional agencies vs. the "new model"
Creative Services for the New World
Reverse Anthropomorphism
The End of Time
Better Living Through Twitter
Lessons Learned From Apple
It's the Brand, Baby
Business Architecture vs. Web Construction
On Truth
Inverse Peter Principle
Random Knowledge
The Hive
RSS for this blog