When the revolution comes will it be a facebook event?

Question

When the revolution comes will it be a facebook event?

Answer 1

(I applaud the interesting take on Gil Scott-Heron's original lyric...)

The internet does allow for the organization of events, and it can bring stigmatized and disadvantaged individuals together thanks to the lack of geographic barriers and the safety of screennames.  Which means that a site like Facebook is a capable medium for organizing disruptive protest.

However, if we are to talk about revolution in grand terms - which is to say, akin to the original American Revolution, the French Revolution, then I would say that such an uprising would be quite far off.  Would Facebook even be around?

At the moment, despite the housing crisis, despite the fears of recession, despite the price of gas, the United States is still one of the world's strongest economies - the quality of life in the country is higher than most (12th on the UN's Human Development Index).  So there likely aren't the seeds for revolution.

We would also have to take into account that in a time of serious crisis, internet access isn't likely to be a priority spending item for most - meaning that they won't be using Facebook.

Also, lest we forget, the government would certainly be opposed to revolution and they would take every step necessary to try to prevent it...  Internet access, and specifically to certain pages, can easily be cut off - just look at China's "Golden Firewall."  The president could just pull the plug - it might not quiet overall dissent, but it would quiet dissent on the internet.  

The fact that Facebook has policies about using your real name would also allow the government to easily see who the leaders were, and could crack down on them, which would make quelling protest a lot easier than having to invoke a War Measures Act (which is what Canada did in 1970 during the terrorist threat of the FLQ).

So... the answer?  Probably not.

Answer 2

No, facebook is dying out, I swear if I get one more Vampire Bite....

Facebook got stupid, lame, and why are kids getting on there?

And facebook has wayyyy too much stuff going on, on one page.

Answer 3

I bet you lie awake at night HOPING that it will indeed be a facebook event, what are you about 15? You are probably giddy....GIDDY, wet even , with excitement at the prospect of a FACEBOOK REVOLUTION,  Well, I got news for ya, Wilma. Revolutions aren't nearly as facebook as you might like them to be. Actually, when the revolution comes there probably won't BE a facebook around to record it. In fact we will asleep at the wheel(again) waiting for the next issue of Facebook Revolution.