Accessibility is definitely an area where Twitter has Facebook beat, and in the case of Iran its consequences are powerful. News agents are looking to Twitter and other social networking sites like YouTube to find their reports. And while these sources may not be confirmed, it’s nevertheless a constant stream of opinions and experiences.

Looking at Twitter and clicking on a discussion titled #iranelection – there have been 219 new comments added since I logged in (5 minutes ago). That is incredible. People are discussing protests, closures, incidences, reactions, experiences, and more. One tweeter writes encouragement for others to contribute and keep Iran at the top of Twitter’s discussion list. They’re using this medium to ensure that their struggles are not forgotten, and it seems to be working.

I just checked again, and there are now 440 more comments since I began this blog post.

I can only imagine how the Internet may have impacted past protests and revolutions had it been available, but that’s speculating on something we can never know.

However, today it seems quite clear that sites like Twitter and YouTube are having an impact within Iran and internationally. They’re inspiring hope, discussion, strategy, and motivation. If the rapid addition of tweets to this single feed is any indication, Iranians have managed to involve people from all over the world in their fight. While the resolution is still unsettled, it’s clear that the people of Iran are making themselves heard. And that’s pretty incredible stuff.

One last check – there’s now 1,717 comments added since I first went to the page. Wow.

P.S. See the blog Iran protest resources if you want to read more on Iran.

In The Fray Contributor