{update} I created a search on twittFilter that hides duplicate from a twitter search. This is useful for #iranElection

here is the link:  http://www.twittfilter.com/iranElection.php#

I’m sure most of you who use twitter are already aware of what has been going on. Because of the media blocks in Iran, social media tools like twitter, friendfeed, flickr and facebook have been used to maintain information flow in and out of the country. What’s interesting is watching the real time evolution of a self structured networks of social media users working to keep the flow of information open. We have also seen the social network encouraging services to be sensitive to unfolding events. Using twitter as my example, we first saw the request of twitter to delay a schedule maintenance operation in order to insure twitter was still up during peak times in Iran. Stories have gone around that the US gov. also made a request for this delay. (this is confirmed).  I would bet both the public, the US gov and perhaps a direct appeal from Mirhossein Mousavi himself have all taken place.

The last I’ve heard, cell phone and internet service are cut off during the rallies and only spotty afterward. I’m not sure how people are able to communicate via media during these times, short of satellite, but somehow, the social network seems to organize and function.

There are also nodes within the social network where people try to collect and share information. Nico Pitney from the huffintonpost is one of these nodes. Here is you can see information and media flowing in at realtime. (link)

There is so much going on, I’m trying to keep a short list of events around how twitter is being used.  For more information, another node, have a look at this site for a more detailed history:

SUMMARY OF GREEN REVOLUTION: http://www.pastebin.ca/1462651 #iranelection

Please email me if I missed anything or need add to the list below.

• #CNNFail : CNN was not providing much time to the events in Iran. A mass of tweets with the hash #CNNFail started to trent.  CNN see’s this an increases coverage

• Follow #iranElection : As various media elements start to get blocked, social media becomes the primary way information is moved in and out of Iran.  #iranElection becomes the primary tag

• Changing Proxies : Although Iran cannot shut down twitter, they can block parts of the internet. By providing alternative proxies, people are able to get around the blocks.

• #nomaintance : Twitter was suppose to perform maintenance in the middle of the day in Iran.  A number of hashtags with #nomaintance went around asking to delay twitter going down.  There were also reports that a request from the US Gov. and Moussavi for the delay were submitted.
• Traffic reduced, phones cut, Sat dishes collected: This has reduced the flow of information, not stopped it.
  

• Changing icon color to Green : Twitter users change the color of their icons to green to protest the election.

• Changing timezone to GMT+3.30 hrs : To create noise, people change the timezone of their twitter profiles to +3.30 GMT and encourage those in Iran to change to anything but 3:30.
• Request to not use names while RT: RT mean to reweet or copy and resend a message. A request is going around not to use names inorder to protect the source from monitoring.
• The Pirate Bay rename to Persian Bay: Information to support private posting and other techniques to avaide detection are shared. http://iran.whyweprotest.net/
• Security forces are now setting up twitter accounts: to spread disinformation by posing as Iranian protesters. Be aware.
• Hactivists use simple iframe meta refreash as a DDoS attach on Gov. sites.
• Mousavi and Karroubi’s facebook and twitter accounts compromised: Friday’s protest is still on. Seems the word is going around.