Since we often discuss the use of social media and how popular plus 'user-generated' it is, I think this will be a great little article on how wrong we all are (well, in parts, anyway)!
This article talks about how Twitter has failed in China and how local micro-blogging sites are taking over. Interestingly, the local micro-blogging sites are controlled to a large extent but users are finding ways to circumvent that control. Critics of the government use the local micro-blogging websites if they want something to be picked up by the domestic media - even though a lot of critics have their accounts blocked on multiple websites. Ironically, the government also uses the micro-blogging websites - for its own benefit, of course.
I think I posted this because it occured to me that there will always be some form of control exercised - no matter how much governments and political outfits claim otherwise - but people will find alternative routes to get their message across. As will governments. It also appealed to me because I've mentioned this in class several times over, sometimes more vehemently than others, that how much this control disturbs me. It really does play a huge role why people in certain parts of the world have such a narrow world view.
http://www.economist.com/node/17361444?story_id=17361444