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Tell HN: For all it's faults Facebook is priceless during civil unrest
We're in the process of overthrowing the corrupt narcopresident Evo Morales to the point he's leaving for mexico in exile in a few hours.
Without Facebook communication between the people would have been impossible.
It's made it so easy to share videos, messages, pictures and live feeds from down in the streets.
I've never seen my people so united with a clear message: Evo needs to leave.
I want to thank Facebook for their platform, they've helped us work towards freedom and democracy.
- deogeo 7y agoSave your gratitude. There are many platforms that let you do that. The only thing special about Facebook is that they are the most popular - and they got most popular by muscling out those other platforms. If it wasn't them, someone else would take their place. You're not thanking Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, etc., for making the phones with which those videos are captured, are you? Why not? If only one of them were left, after having killed its competition with underhanded means, would you then be grateful to them?
- hos234 7y agoThat was the reaction after the Arab Spring too. Wael Ghonim(former Googler) talked about how he used Facebook too and then the unintended consequences after the euphoria faded - https://www.ted.com/talks/wael_ghonim_let_s_design_social_media_that_drives_real_change https://www.ted.com/talks/wael_ghonim_let_s_design_social_me... Hope you guys learn from those lessons. And all the best.
- sergiotapia 7y agoVery interesting talk, thank you!