President Obama told protesters in Iran that they should "know that the world is watching" what's happening in that country, but that 'watch' might have been interrupted by scheduled system maintenance that would have shut down Twitter for an hour and a half.
Twitterers rallied around the ‘#nomaintenance’ hashtag in order to encourage Twitter to keep the service open. The hashtag neared the top of Twitter's trending list, but Twitter claimed the network maintenance was out of their control and that it would go on as planned.
Under continuing pressure, and thanks to their New York-based network provider, Twitter's plans changed when Twitter announced, "Our network partners at NTT America recognize the role Twitter is currently playing as an important communication tool in Iran," they posted to the company blog. "Tonight’s planned maintenance has been rescheduled to tomorrow between 2-3p PST," with a helpful note that that’s "1:30a in Iran."
The elections earlier this year in Moldovia and this one in Iran illustrate the increasingly powerful role that the voice of the individual and the services of carriers like Twitter play in our understanding of world events.
Tweeting Maintenance Mayhem
Scheduled Twitter Shutdown Paused For Iranian Protests
Trend Themes
1. Scheduled Maintenance Interruptions - The demand for uninterrupted online services presents opportunities for disruptive innovations that minimize or eliminate scheduled maintenance downtime.
2. Role of Social Media in Protests - The growing importance of social media platforms like Twitter in facilitating communication during protests highlights the potential for disruptive innovations that enhance online activism and global information sharing.
3. Power of Individual Voice - The recognition of the individual's voice and the impact of individual expression in shaping world events suggests opportunities for disruptive innovations that empower individuals to drive social and political change through digital platforms.
Industry Implications
1. Online Services - The reliance on uninterrupted online services calls for disruptive innovations in network infrastructure and system maintenance technologies to minimize service disruptions.
2. Social Media - The role of social media platforms in protest movements indicates opportunities for disruptive innovations in social networking tools and technologies that enhance communication and activism.
3. Digital Platforms - The influence of individual expression and digital platforms in shaping global events opens doors for disruptive innovations in online platforms and technologies that amplify individual voices and facilitate collective action.