Kony 2012 facebook campaign: no, he’s not running against Obama
You probably went to sleep on Monday night with only the vaguest notion, if any, of who Joseph Kony is or where Uganda can be found on a map. You might have then awoken the next morning to find a video entitled Kony 2012 clogging up your facebook homepage. The video has been viewed over a phenomenal 21 million times in less than a week
facebook, barack obama, life, united states, violence, children, politics
Rosen Plevneliev: Bulgaria’s 'Bob the Builder' is new president
Aged just 47, the former construction minister has managed to stay the nice kid on the block. The most popular minister in cabinet (up until now) does not belong to any political party, but was backed by the ruling party. Yet not everyone is happy with the German-educated politician being in the presidential position for the next five years
facebook, elections, meglena kuneva, media, boyko borisov, politics, european democracy
Elections 2012: glimpses of social network Putin-bashing
On 7 October, the 59th birthday of Vladimir Putin, one pro-kremlin activist composed a couplet with a nod to a soviet-era poem, ending with the words ‘thanks for this Putin’. The rhyme provoked a deluge of tweeted criticism levelled at the Russian prime minister. Could this be the beginning of a protest wave?
facebook, dmitry medvedev, elections, techno-media, twitter, internet, russian federation
From Breivik to Khaled Said: a digital revolution
The year 2011 showed us the force of new media in political debates, whether in the European protests, the Arab revolutions or the terrifying attack committed in Norway in July. Political engagement is now affordable for everyone, everywhere. Is this immediacy which now defines political engagement compatible with our democracies?
facebook, anders behring breivik, civil society, europe, internet, arab spring, anders breivik
Germans ban ‘I Like’ facebook button, Spanish want to ‘Dislike’
The north German state Schleswig Holstein has announced that it is banning facebook’s famous ‘I like’ button, with websites which haven’t removed it before the end of September facing fines of up to 50, 000 euros (44,000 pounds). Whilst Germany and the UK have raised more general concerns, the Spanish were there first
facebook, tower of babel, germany, twitter, poland, belarus, united kingdom
'Indignant ones': left-wing populism or politics of the underdog?
An increasingly common view of the 'indignant' protest movement coming out of Spain is: 'and then what?' Philippe Thureau-Dangin, publishing director of the Courrier International newspaper, calls it 'left-wing populism'. Others are perturbed at the idea that the 'European summer' has anything in common with the 'Arab spring'. Four young Europeans give us their views on the 'M-15' (15 May) movement, its aspirations and limitations
facebook, madrid, arab spring, social networks, 'indignant citizens' movement, spain, politics
'Real democracy NOW!': #spanishrevolution becomes #europeanrevolution
Spain’s so-called 15-M has become 29-M, referring to the dates of the sit-in protests of a Spain in May which saw local elections swinging to the favour of the opposition conservatives. The rage is sweeping Italy, Belgium and France
facebook, democratisation, barcelona, twitter, precarity, internet, youth
Art or porn? Youtube censor for Juan Francisco Casas
'The truth is that it is a little outrageous that a suggestive image of a breast could be shocking in 2011,' complains the Andalusian artist Juan Francisco Casas. In March, youtube censored a video which contained images of his works, which are photos and art taken always with a close entourage
facebook, censorship, youtube, culture, painting, culture calendar, spain
Social networking in Sarajevo: analyse this (over Bosnian coffee)
Bosnia's capital wears its war wounds from the 1992-1995 war with Serbia honestly, the signs on its bomb-shelled buildings and pavements. What about its mental scars fifteen years on? Amidst a blaze of foreign healing initiatives, few private psychologists and one 'social networking internet cafe', this is a society which is resolved to solve its problems - globalised as they are - over coffee
facebook, cities, psychology, twitter, communication , internet, youth
Erasmus, 9/11, social networks mark unnamed eighties generation
We're more used to typing on a computer keyboard than to putting pen to paper. It's hard to define our generation - generation google, generation Y, the lost generation... Young people between 20 and 35 have always been connected to a whole world which has little in common to that of their parents. Analysts and victims of this incertitude present the key facts needed to understand this unknown generation
facebook, lifestyle, 11m, social networks, budget, ecology, society
Snitch, grass or rat?
In France, three employees having a field day ranting about their bosses on their social network pages are fired. Between these two events is a connection, the ‘rat’ who was their ‘friend’ on facebook. Between the internet and the DDR via some classic film thrillers, a glance at how to say 'snitch' in Europe
facebook, cinema, tower of babel, media, culture, social networks, society
Love social networks
Rafa Rubio, a doctor of law and professor at the Complutense university in Madrid who specialises in lobbies, social networks and media, highlights the advantages of the strategy
Vilnius: 'Jerusalem of Lithuania'
Tired after a busy day and prepared for a casual chat, I meet a summer school student, with whom I've arranged to do Hebrew language tandem. 'Do you mind keeping me company to go to the synagogue?' Apparently, the person is a second year convert-in-progress to Judaism. 'Umm, my skirt is kind of short for that...' Anecdote from cafebabel.com blog ‘Wonderland'
facebook, university, religion, lifestyle, cities, judaism, vilnius
Nick Clegg for European British prime minister?
Since 1918 the prime minister of Britain has been either labour or conservative. Red or blue. The 6 May elections were set to be no different. The two-party system seemed safe. Murdoch's papers screamed blue. Until Mr. Nick Clegg, leader of the liberal democrats, entered. The final televised leaders' debate in the UK takes place on 29 April
facebook, london, labour, economical crisis, elections, liberls, europe
Europe's 'beautiful laundrette' culture: socialising chores
Social networks have allowed a whole generation to abandon any sense of shame and showcase its private life. The fashion for exposure doesn't limit itself to the screen; Europe's urban landscapes offer more and more spaces which mix the private and the public. Washing your dirty laundry in public in Germany, France and Denmark
facebook, mangelwirtschaft, cleanicum, cologne, laundrette, laundromat, germany
Women's day: Femibook, testosterone and internet
100 years after the first international women's day was organised on 8 March in Copenhagen, a musing on where the woman's place rightfully is
facebook, feminism, europe, internet, entreprise, men and women, journée mondiale de la femme
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