Political Activism on Twitter: The Story of #dontgo
Today the “but how” as in “but how do we use social media as an online activism tool” question was answered for me on and with Twitter. Eric Odom, a Chicago conservative activist (yes, that Eric Odom) started a Twitter hashtag called #dontgo. First things first, what is Twitter and what is a hashtag?
Twitter is a free social networking and microblogging site that enables users to update followers. Twitter updates are also knows as “tweets.” You send an update or tweet some someone by adding the “@” sign before their Twitter name. My Twitter name is “myrnatheminx” so if you wanted to tweet to me, you would type “@myrnatheminx.” I know, it sounds a bit silly, but it can be a great networking tool, and now it’s become a proven organizing tool.
Hashtags are tags you can use on Twitter to send tweets to a group that people are following. For instance, during BlogHer 08, people posted updates on Twitter and used “#blogher08″ on any update they wanted to send to all the people following the conversation about BlogHer 08 on Twitter. I used it to find out where the parties where, where people I met at the conference were, to set up dinner dates, and to find out what people were saying about the conference and sessions in general. But I’ve been having trouble understanding how Twitter could be use for more than plain jane social networking and small scale political activism (publicizing blog posts, news stories, videos, etc.
Granted, I’m fairly new to Twitter so I’ve probably missed out on some previous examples of large-scale political activism taking place, but let’s give credit where credit is due. I don’t agree with Odom’s cause, but he has been able to use #dontgo effectively to get a lot of attention for his cause–the “don’t go movement,” which now has two websites. From the CNN blog post on the subject, the don’tgo movement “…is a protest House Republicans began Friday soon after Congress adjourned for its August recess. Instead of heading home to their districts, some House Republicans have remained in Washington and taken to the floor of the House to protest Congress’ failure to act on an energy bill.”
Say what you want about the so-called revolution, Twitter helped it’s supporters cause and helped them gain media traction. [I call it a huge B.S. gimmick, since politicians on all sides have had decades (since Jimmy Carters brave call in 1979) to come up with real solutions for this country's energy needs. Anyone who knows anything about it knows that drilling off shore would not yield oil for years, and they also know that oil companies already own thousands of off shore drilling leases that they are not using--effectively making this an oil grab]
In fact, the #dontgo Twitter hashtag became so popular that Democratic activists began a #dontgo counter insurgency and began adding #dontgo to every update or “tweet” they sent out. Because the #dontgo movemement set up a really cool website that broadcast Twitter updates tagged with #dontgo live on the front page, #dontgo opponents’ Twitter strategy effectively shut down #dontgo’s first website by flooding it with anti-#dontgo tweets. Here are a few examples of some of the tweets that ended up on #dontgo’s front page:
@blogdiva, the original anti #dontgo instigator: “to all liberals, progressives and greens who are against bad GOP energy policies. TAG EVERYTHING TODAY WITH #dontgo, especially if you are on Twitter :)”
@ericjodom: “#dontgo welcome libs. Please call your rep’s and demand they vote now. That’s all we’re asking. Yes, or no. Very simple.”
@blogdiva on being called a Stalinist for counter insurgency: “AWESOME @impetus just called me a STALINIST for messing up their twitterstream. Fuck yeah! Bring it on #dontgo”
@ggreeneva posting music videos containing the words “don’t go:” “wake me up before you #dontgo : http://tinyurl.com/2wcyng”
@ericjodom announcing new website: “we think we might have found a way to stop the free speech blockers from spamming #dontgo at www.dontgo.us standby”
It was political activism in action on all sides! Beautiful I say, but Eric Odom took exception to the #dontgo counter insurgency and claimed that it was blocking their free speech. It’s an interesting argument, but, well, it’s all free speech. That’s why we love social media and the internet in general–remember? Sure, it was annoying to have your Twitter stream taken over by rebels, but would you really have it any other way? Admit it…..
By the way, I was a member of the #dontgo counter insurgency. Childish? Maybe. Fun? Hell yeah! God bless the democratic nature of the internet.
@ericjodom: “@myrnatheminx Myrna! How the heck are you? Please tell me you’re not a part of this free speech blocking too! #dontgo ”
Sorry–well, not really. I finally understand the full potential of Twitter. Thanks.
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Trackbacks & Pingbacks
[...] Go, Eric Odom’s Is #dontgo an “Astroturf” Movement?, and Myrna the Mynx’ Political Activism on Twitter: The Story of #dontgo describe the history, including a “counter-insurgency” by progressives attempting to [...]
[...] have begun using Twitter to spread important messages throughout their activist base. I wrote about the #dontgo movement, the first large-scale Twitter political activist campaign earlier this year, and it was only a [...]
[...] have begun using Twitter to spread important messages throughout their activist base. I wrote about the #dontgo movement, the first large-scale Twitter political activist campaign earlier this year, and it was only a [...]
[...] the infrastructure for it’s use, because I’ve spent a lot of time working on and in some Twitter movements. Kudos to them for taking up the [...]
[...] need to refine techniques for Twitter-based “flash actions” (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Social computing technologies are tools; we need to learn to use them [...]
[...] techniques for Twitter-based “flash actions” (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Social computing technologies are tools; we need to learn to use them [...]
[...] progressives intentionally attempted to disrupt the #dontgo channel. See Tracy Viselli’s The story of #dontgo on Reno and its discontents for [...]
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I saw those all day and didn’t have a clue! Thanks for explaining! LOL!
This looks to me just like another way to not actually get your candidate get elected.
I spent the evening knocking doors. Yeah for me!
Great post. Interestingly, the #dontgo Twitter stream now seems to have entered a period of reflection on its own significance.
#DontGo may have succeeded in its goal to push “the frontier of what constitutes modern politics”, though maybe in ways it didn’t necessarily foresee.
http://thenerfherder.blogspot.com/2008/08/dontgo-revolution.html
An alternate title for this post could be, “How Twitter was completely and utterly ruined.”
Yeah, maybe, but I think the chaos is beautiful. You could make that argument for every tool on the internet at some point.
Right now, twitter will let me keep track of my watering
schedule for the gardens and “orchards”. And, the owners
here to see everything taken care of, as they vacation several thousands miles away.
Myrna,
If that was in response to me, then yes, I agree. I hate to say it to you, but that tends to happen when “political activism” takes hold.
If it wasn’t for me, then, well, what I said.