The Growing Role Of Social Media In Covering The Unrest In Turkey

Turkey Protesters Take to Twitter as Local Media Turns a Blind Eye -- Mashable

With local media failing to adequately cover the ongoing anti-government protests in Turkey, Twitter has become a vital tool for Turks to share what's happening in Istanbul and around the country.

Twitter playing a role in political demonstrations around the world is far from a new phenomenon — the platform was crucial during the Egyptian revolution of 2011, for example. However, data collected since Friday suggest Turks are using protest-related hashtags to transmit information from the ground to an extent never before witnessed: 10 million tweets have been sent using the most popular hashtags over the last three days, according to data from New York University's Social Media and Political Participation laboratory.

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More News On The Growing Role Of Social Media In Covering The Unrest In Turkey

Amid Turkey Unrest, Social Media Becomes a Battleground -- Wall Street Journal
Turkish protests blamed on opposition, Twitter -- UPI
PM Erdogan says social media 'danger to society' -- YNet News
Turkish Prime Minister Calls Twitter A ‘Menace To Society’ Amid Protests -- Think Progress
A social media fueled protest style: From Tahrir to Taksim -- Al Arabiya
Turkey Protests: How Social Media Helps Media Disseminate Information -- Digital Times
Twitter is Turkey's only hope amid riots -- The Telegraph
A breakout role for Twitter in the Taksim Square protests? -- Al Jazeera

The CIA And Social Media

Social Media Pose New Riddle for CIA -- Wall Street Journal

Effective spycraft has long called for cover—a job, family or routine that would keep a government agent from drawing undue attention. Now, that calculation extends to spies' use of social media.

Only in the past few years has the Central Intelligence Agency issued standardized guidelines on how to use social media, according to one former intelligence official. The line these guidelines draw appears to be thin: Revealing too much on Facebook and Twitter risks tipping too much to the other side. But given that social media use is becoming ubiquitous, revealing too little could also arouse suspicion.

"Technology is changing the spy business in so many different ways," the ex-intelligence official said. "It's very easy to find out a lot of information about people."

The question of how much a spy should divulge online became a touch less theoretical this week after Russia unmasked what it said was an American spy—saying it had detained Ryan C. Fogle, a junior political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, amid what it alleged was an effort to recruit a Russian officer.

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My Comment: On the flip side .... social media is source of data and info for the intelligence community.

Controversy Grows Over Offensive Images Posted Online By Israeli Soldiers

Israeli soldier Mor Ostrovski, 20, has sparked controversy after posting this image on his Instagram account. Photograph: electronicintifada.net

Israeli Soldier Posts Instagram Image Of Palestinian Child In Crosshairs Of Rifle -- The Guardian

Military investigates Mor Ostrovski, 20, as row grows over spate of offensive images posted online by Israeli soldiers

An Israeli soldier has sparked outrage by posting a photograph appearing to show the back of a Palestinian boy's head in the crosshairs of his sniper rifle on a social networking site.

The context of the picture, posted on the personal Instagram site of Mor Ostrovski, 20, could not be verified but the aggressive message is clear. The minarets and Arabic architecture of the village captured in the background suggest the boy and the town are Palestinian. Ostrovski is an Israeli soldier in a sniper unit.

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Update: Israeli Sniper Posts Photo of Child in Crosshairs -- ABC News

My Comment: Children are being slaughtered everyday in Syria .... but the world's press is focus on this pic from a young stupid Israeli sniper who thinks it's cool. Give me a break.

No Obama Jokes In The Israeli Military

Photo: A screenshot of an image uploaded to the Israeli soldier Sacha Dratwa’s Facebook account in September.

Israeli Military’s Twitter Warrior Forced to Retreat After ‘Obama Style’ Blackface Joke -- The Lede

The young Israeli officer who leads the campaign to cast his nation’s military in a positive light on social networks restricted access to his own Facebook account on Sunday, after a Lebanese blogger discovered that the soldier had uploaded an image of himself with mud or dark paint on his face captioned, “Obama style.”

The officer, Lt. Sacha Dratwa, a 26-year-old who emigrated to Israel from Belgium eight years ago, was identified last week by Tablet and Gawker as the man marshaling Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr and Pinterest to support and celebrate the actions of the Israel Defense Forces.

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My Comment: This soldier is dumb .... for someone who is knowledgeable on the power of social media, he was caught totally unaware on the impact that he could have in such a community. I will not be surprised to see him "reassigned" to different duties in the next few days/weeks.

Is Nothing Sacred Anymore?

Lindsey Stone Loses Her Job -- Hot Air

While many of us take time out today to be thankful for all of our blessings, there’s at least one household with a bit less to be thankful for. It’s being reported that on the day before Thanksgiving, Lindsey Stone and one of her colleagues were fired from their jobs. In case you somehow missed the story, Lindsey is the woman who managed to exercise her right to free speech in a manner so incredibly offensive that people across the nation took to social media demanding she be fired from her job. If your love of civil liberties has you feeling sorry for her, you might want to hold back on defending her here.

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Update: Lindsey Stone Inspires Facebook Rage With Distasteful Photo -- Soshable

My Comment: What's my take .... should she have lost her hob .... no. Did she do something stupid .... yes. End of story.

The Role Of Social Media In The Israeli - Gaza Conflict

Cyberwar And Social Media In The Gaza Conflict -- International Herald Tribune

LONDON — The grievances in the Gaza war may be as ancient as the history of a torn and tangled region that underpins one of the world’s most intractable disputes. But the weapons are spanking new, reflecting the nature of war in the cyber-era.

As I mention in my latest column for the IHT, both sides are trying to harness social networks to promote their rival versions of the unfolding and uneven battle between the conventional might of the Israel Defense Forces and the rocket-firing units of Hamas’s armed wing.

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More News On The Role That Cyberwar And Social media Plays In The Gaza Conflict

Israel and Hamas wage social media fight via social media platforms -- Washington Post/AP
Israel and Hamas battle on social media as well -- AP
Israel, Hamas Fight Gaza Conflict Online -- Voice of America
The fight for public opinion and warfare on the Web -- Haaretz
Psychological warfare on the digital battlefield -- Haaretz
Israel and Hamas' Social Media Battle Goes from Groundbreaking to Bizarre -- Forbes
When war is pre-packaged for sharing -- CNN
Israel and Gaza Battle Twitter War Over Rocket Attacks -- Daily Beast
Hamas Shoots Rockets At Tel Aviv, Tweeting Every Barrage -- Danger Room
Israel and Hamas wage social media fight via social media platforms -- AP
IDF vs. Hamas War Extends to Social Media -- PC Magazine
Israel and Hamas deploy Twitter feeds in media war -- The Guardian
Twitter and other social media now another front in Gaza attack -- L.A. Times
Israel's Defense Forces use social media to battle Hamas -- UPI
In Israel-Palestine Conflict, Social Media Gets 'Weaponized' -- Huffington Post/Reuters
Israel, Hamas Fight Twitter War -- Huffington Post
Israel wages Twitter war with Hamas over Gaza -- The Independent
Twitter War Erupts Between Israel and Hamas During Gaza Strikes -- ABC News
Israel Defence Forces and Hamas trade threats on Twitter -- CBC
Israel and Hamas wage online war of words -- France 24
In Israeli Attack on Hamas: Shock, Awe and Social Media -- New York Times
Israeli military puts Hamas on notice via Twitter -- The Hill
Israeli Military, Hamas Battle It Out In Reality -- And On Twitter -- Radio Free Europe
IDF-Hamas Gaza Twitter War: the Spin in Real Time -- The Wrap
Hamas, Israel and why social media like Twitter and Facebook are a new front in the war for Gaza -- Ian Burrell, The Independent
Analysis: Media war rages in Gaza -- Al Jazeera

Will Twitter Pull The Plug On Israel And Hamas?

Does The Israel-Hamas Internet War Violate Twitter's Terms of Service? -- The Atlantic

If so, a new way of war may soon meet its end.

We're now in day two of Israel's military offensive in Gaza. AllThingsD's Mike Isaac asks whether the IDF's swaggering taunt to Hamas in the wake of its opening airstrike represented a violation of Twitter's terms of service:

According to Twitter's rulebook, users are not permitted to "publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others," nor are users allowed to use Twitter "for any unlawful purposes or in furtherance of illegal activities." That includes tweets both foreign and domestic, as Twitter's "international users agree to comply with all local laws regarding online conduct and acceptable content."

Facebook's ToS cites similar bylaws, telling users not to post content designed to incite violence or hate speech.

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My Comment: I would have to say yes .... but Twitter will not "pull the plug" in view of the fact that many civilians on both sides are using social media like Twitter to keep track on the well of each other. In short .... the social good overcomes any usage of Twitter as a propaganda tool by both sides.

The Twitter War Between Israel And Hamas

Hamas Shoots Rockets At Tel Aviv, Tweeting Every Barrage -- Danger Room

On day one of the fight between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli Defense Forces executed a top leader of the militant group — and took to Twitter and YouTube to brag about it. On day two, the Palestinian group hit back, launching its most sophisticated rockets and announcing every new barrage on social media.

The counteroffensive is a major change from the last time the IDF and Hamas battled, during 2009′s “Operation Cast Lead.” Then, the Palestinian militant movement used improvised rocket-launchers to dump crude rockets on the Israeli towns nearest to Gaza. Their information warfare campaign was similarly primitive. Today, Hamas is armed with relatively sophisticated Iranian Fajr-5 rockets, firing them at Israel’s largest city, and tweeting that the rockets are causing havoc in Tel Aviv.

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More News On The use Of Social Media Between Israel And Hamas

Israel and Hamas wage social media fight via social media platforms -- AP
Israel and Hamas deploy Twitter feeds in media war -- The Guardian
Twitter and other social media now another front in Gaza attack -- L.A. Times
Israel, Hamas Fight Twitter War -- Huffington Post
Israel wages Twitter war with Hamas over Gaza -- The Independent
Twitter War Erupts Between Israel and Hamas During Gaza Strikes -- ABC News
Israel Defence Forces and Hamas trade threats on Twitter -- CBC
Israel and Hamas wage online war of words -- France 24
In Israeli Attack on Hamas: Shock, Awe and Social Media -- New York Times
Israeli military puts Hamas on notice via Twitter -- The Hill
Israeli Military, Hamas Battle It Out In Reality -- And On Twitter -- Radio Free Europe
IDF-Hamas Gaza Twitter War: the Spin in Real Time -- The Wrap
Hamas, Israel and why social media like Twitter and Facebook are a new front in the war for Gaza -- Ian Burrell, The Independent

A Cyberterrorism Social Media App

Source: New York Times.

A New Social Media App: Cyberterrorism -- Threat Matrix

Pakistan is not normally noted as a high-tech innovator. Nevertheless, Pakistani and Bangladeshi terrorist groups have developed a new application for social media: Cyberterrorism.

The story begins in the northeastern Indian state of Assam.

A local communal conflict turns into a countrywide panic

Conflict over the control of land, immigration, and political power between the indigenous Bodos tribe in the northeastern Indian state of Assam and Muslim settlers from neighboring Bangladesh exploded in violence in July and early August. An escalating cycle of violence soon resulted in the looting and burning of entire villages. The Bodos said illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh were streaming into the state and taking over vacant land. Muslims said the Bodo wanted to drive out Muslim residents. 78 people had been killed in the conflict, 14,000 homes had been burned, and 300,000 people became refugees.

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My Comment: A clear cut case on the power of social media .... and in India of all places.

A Picture By A Desperate Army Wife Has Started A Movement

Ashley Wise — Battling Bare.Facebook via Ashley Wise

This Picture By A Desperate Army Wife Has Started A Movement And Saved Her Family's Future -- Business Insider

When Rob Wise left the Marine Corps to join the Army a decade ago he may have looked forward to a better life, starting a family and receiving support from the people he worked for.

The Marines have been known to be less than accepting of new wives and fledgling families. I've met more than one soldier who left the Corps for the Army after hearing that if the Marines had wanted him to have a wife, it'd have issued him one. After all, the hard charging, oft-deployed life of a junior Marine can take its toll on girlfriends, wives, and troops alike.

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My Comment: A deeply moving story. I wish them the bets.

The Pentagon Wants A Reddit Knockoff

Screencaps of several milSuite services. In July, the Pentagon plans to launch Eureka, a Reddit-style forum. Illustration: Army

TIL: The Pentagon Is Building a Reddit Knockoff -- Danger Room

For years, the military has struggled over what to do about social media. One response has been to create dull, Pentagon-controlled versions of popular websites Facebook and YouTube. Now the Pentagon is preparing to launch its own version of Reddit, in another small step in the military’s quest to strip the fun out of everything on the internet.

It’s called Eureka, and it’s supposed to be a rough analogue to the ginormous social news site where users vote on which content rises to the top — or which content falls to the bottom — of user-generated feeds.

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My Comment: I was thinking of doing a Reddit type of forum with a military focus a few years back .... but I just do not have the time to manage it. Reddit's military forum is here.

U.S. Marine To Be Discharged for Anti-Obama Posts on Facebook

Marine Who Criticized Obama Will Be Dismissed From The Service -- L.A. Times

The sergeant, a nine-year veteran who served in Iraq, will be demoted to lance corporal and receive an other-than-honorable discharge. He posted his critical comments on Facebook.

SAN DIEGO — A Marine sergeant who criticized President Obama on Facebook was notified Wednesday that he is being dismissed from the service with an other-than-honorable discharge.

Gary Stein, 26, a nine-year veteran who served in Iraq, will be demoted to lance corporal, and his discharge status will make him ineligible for most federal veterans benefits, after Brig. Gen. Daniel Yoo accepted the unanimous recommendation of an Administrative Separation Board.

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More News On The US Marine Who Criticized President Obama On Facebook Being Discharged From the Service

Marine Corps to discharge sergeant for Facebook posts critical of President Obama -- Washington Post/AP
Marine Sgt. Gary Stein Gets 'Other Than Honorable' Discharge Over Anti-Obama Facebook Comment -- ABC News
Marines discharging sergeant who criticized Obama on Facebook -- Reuters
Marine discharged for slamming Obama on Facebook -- Christian Science Monitor
Marine who criticized Obama on Facebook: I wish I could take it back -- MSNBC