Voices of online dissent are being taken in two ways. In the free world, social media has merged with government decision through what is referred to as “Government 2.0.” Repressive regimes that resist the trend are quickly finding that the Internet is not just a place to voice opinions, but a place to organize.
“Any government that is trying to repress free information exchange is really engaged in a futile battle that will eventually end in their own demise,” said Peter Corbett, CEO of iStrategyLabs, a civic engagement company that develops government 2.0 technology.
“You can’t really repress the passion of people who want to be free—it’s something they will die for, and we’ve seen it throughout the course of human history,” Corbett said. “I don’t think there is anybody on the government side who is willing to die for the blocking of Twitter.”
Social media began its emergence in the late ’90s with the advent of the first blogging platforms, according to Corbett. The original idea was simple: give everyone the ability to publish and discuss online. This later grew into what is referred to as Web 2.0, or the Internet’s switch from static websites into a place of interaction and collaboration.
“I think the intention was really the democratization of publishing. It would be easier for people to publish people in the Web and to just give more people that tool,” Corbett said.
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http://poorrichards-blog.blogspot.com/2011/01/revolution-20-social-media-uprising.html
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