Twitter for revolutionaries

Today is May 1. A holiday of a sort, International Workers' Day. This holiday is traditionally loved and much celebrated by revolutionaries. Not technology or scientific revolutionaries (those folks usually quite indifferent to any kind of holidays) but traditional ones, those who rebel against social injustice no matter real or otherwise.

Times much changed since those days when paper leaflets were major conduit for propagation of revolutionary ideas. Technological marvels are seemingly fully employed for that purpose nowadays. And probably nothing else used for cause as heavily as Twitter. Sickle and hammer, red star or Boston tea if you will were unbelievably replaced by cute blue chirper.

Since Twitter was released two major social upheavals were reportedly organized with Twitter as communication medium. One is weird and not entirely understandable to me unrest in Moldova, tiny country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. Masses there were trying to storm government buildings, twitting to each other operative information. The world remembers those events primarily due to Twitter's involvement than otherwise.

Second time Twitter's usage was noticed was during extremely complex situation in Iran, right after elections. Social protests there were emotional, widespread and bloody. I don't want to pretend I understand politics in that part of the world either. But I do remember reports that Twitter's usage was quite profound there with lots of counter-intelligence and false twits employed by government secret services in order to deceive protesters.

Hugo Chavez, Bolivarian Twitterist

Last week all major news companies readily reported that Hugo Chavez, well-known South American politician, set up a Twitter account. Mr. Chavez is a president of Venezuela, he portrays himself as Bolivarian revolutionary. He is also relentless critic of Unites States policy towards Latin America (and other places). His decision to have an account on Twitter was very surprising, moreover he himself characterized Twitter just couple of months ago as "tool of terror".

Things changed from those recent days. Not only Mr. Chavez acquired scores of followers (some put the number as high as 100 000) he also promotes Twitter. In an unusual way - he urged two other famous revolutionaries, Fidel Castro of Cuba and Evo Morales of Bolivia, to join him on Twitter. Whether they would decide to join or otherwise is not clear yet. But if they do, Twitter, a technological child of the country all three of men are or were in some state of standoff, would boast of being associated with most legendary revolutionaries and anti-americanists alive. That would be a globalization on the most grand scale possible, unimaginable point of co-existence of arch-nemeses.

One small detail though should be mentioned here. Mr. Chavez and Mr. Castro both known for being captivating and verbose orators. At the same time Twitter has limitation of 140 symbols per tweet. Chances are it might not be enough for them to express themselves fully via Twitter at its present state. Whether or not Twitter would consider tailoring its tweeting policies to accommodate revolutionary oratory is not entirely clear. But if they do I would be sorry once again for not being fluent in Spanish. As a kid I saw some old films where El Barbudo was giving revolutionary speeches. It was in a language I did not understand but absolutely mesmerizing nevertheless.