#Flotilla aid murder – Twitter Censorship?
Posted by Dowza in 
There isn’t much available as to what happened but it’s not really surprising. Israel showed its distaste for international law once again and attacked an aid vessel outside of their jurisdiction. This was in international waters and the equivalent of piracy. There are reports as to as many as 12-15 people being killed and steadily rising. It’s hard to get any sort of correct number because well… the israeli press is introducing all sorts of unsourced factors. One claims soldiers were attacked with knives. Can we believe this? I’ll elaborate later but for now I am interested in why #flotilla is not trending. Sure it may not be super important but Twitter was used with great success during the Iranian elections for people to speak out. It was even kept up so people could communicate. So obviously it is anti-Iran. But can we establish something else?
As said I’m more interested in why #flotilla is not trending worldwide on Twitter. If you look on trendistic which tracks tweets #flotilla is number 1.
http://trendistic.com/flotilla/_on-2010-05-31-07h-utc
Yet if you look on Twitters worldwide trending topics #hellwillfreezeover is second with 0.4% of the worlds current tweets. #Flotilla is at 0.63%. This makes no sense. Every 5 seconds there are 20 people tweeting/retweeting #flotilla.
Israil is now trending on twitter. This is the turkish word for Israel. It’s directly as a result from #flotilla being popular. I can guarantee that there are many more people around the world using #flotilla than #israil.
WHY is #flotilla not trending? This is obviously interference on Twitters part. There is no other rational explanation.
Heres one last picture taken from trendsmap should you still have any doubt as to something going on in regards to #flotilla. We need an explanation from somewhere. Twitter is an important rallying point over issues glossed over in the media and an example of how people can communicate stories from around the world. I am happy you kept ‘the Twitter’ open for Iran but why block #flotilla from becoming a trending topic?
#hellwillfreezeover was #1. #flotilla isn’t even on the TT list and it is arguably more worldly.
It is frightening to think that anyone is purposefully blocking words from being discussed by a greater audience so lets hope this is all some sort of coincidence or error.
Lets hope it’s an ‘error’ or something along those lines.
EDIT: Cheers for these links. Shows it in a more streamlined fashion.
http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends?sa=X&oi=prbx_hot_trends&ct=title&q=gaza+flotilla
This picture via LHjunkie on twitter. This does not add up. What is going on?
Also there are reports of peoples accounts being reported for spam and their retweets disappearing. Please comment and leave your acc name and such if this is the case. I’d be interested in knowing whether they are true.
I’m also hearing that because #flotilla may have trended in the past it may make it unable to trend again. How long does this take in itself though? Is it gone for good? Because Oil Spill has trended almost every day for two weeks. Seems a little suss to me.
EDIT #2: I’ve heard two ways that could explain this but I’m not sure which is the right one. The first is that because there exists a @flotilla account then #flotilla won’t be able to trend. The second is that #flotilla was trending yesterday.
Either way use #freedomflotilla or “gaza flotilla” and it’ll be fine. Either one of these will work so tweet them! Semi-thankful that Twitter hasn’t been manipulating after all. Just use #freedomflotilla or “gaza flotilla”. Still no way of confirming whether these two things are right though — I can’t find anything anywhere about account names being unable to trend. Especially because there are account names for just about everything.
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Tweets that mention #Flotilla aid murder – Twitter Censorship? « dowzocalypse -- Topsy.com says:
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by أبو عاطف المصرى, Der Cherusker and Rachael, Adrian Dowie. Adrian Dowie said: TWITTER CENSORSHIP? blog post – http://bit.ly/aMhkwU – Why isn't #flotilla trending? [...]
Ahmad Bagadood says:
Google has done a better job here and here.
Dowza says:
I didn’t know Google trends existed, cheers!
Zeff says:
what a conspiracy. And I heard its about the same with the news channels? Is that true?
Dowza says:
Fox news is reporting that the soldiers were attacked by the activists which has no real basis other than israeli media. Obviously israeli media wouldn’t be doing itself favors to speak anything but propaganda.
CNN is barely doing anything beyond say ‘15 killed maybe’.
BBC is going lightly on the Israeli speakers it has. These are where people get their news from — and they are dressing up the truth to make it not appear as bad. How are people meant to discover these things if Twitter is being manipulated as well?
I’m not one for conspiracies but its certainly strange. Media is so far being awfully light. We have to hope governments who have access to more ‘pure’ information are going to look at it and go “enough is enough”. Israel is not making itself look good and is isolating those who want to help. How can you want to support a nation who opens fire on aid boats? It makes me sick. If it was Australia for example I would be first to protest against it in any way I could.
Twitter Actively Censoring #flotilla? — The NeoSmart Files says:
[...] articles on the web search for explanations, since it’s very clear that flotilla is indeed a trending topic, going by the trendistic results (see [...]
Mahmoud Al-Qudsi says:
I think it’s safe to say that twitter is most-definitely actively censoring this topic. Searching for #flotilla on twitter brings up a technical error, while any other search still works.
Check it out: http://neosmart.net/blog/2010/twitter-actively-censoring-flotilla/
rasarab says:
hopefully ok
Simon Seow says:
I can’t seem to click on #flotilla on Twitter or even search it.
susie says:
i am now unable to access the #flotilla page at all. This is outrageous censorship and Twitter must be held to account.
Ingrid says:
I am unable to read this article using internet explorer 8. Anything that could be done with that? (and don’t say “use another browser” – I’m at work and can’t change it:p) Would very much like to read it!
Dowza says:
EDIT #2: I’ve heard two ways that could explain this but I’m not sure which is the right one. The first is that because there exists a @flotilla account then #flotilla won’t be able to trend. The second is that #flotilla was trending yesterday.
Either way use #freedomflotilla or “gaza flotilla” and it’ll be fine. Either one of these will work so tweet them! Semi-thankful that Twitter hasn’t been manipulating after all. Just use #freedomflotilla or “gaza flotilla”. Still no way of confirming whether these two things are right though — I can’t find anything anywhere about account names being unable to trend. Especially because there are account names for just about everything.
(( Just edited this in to satisfy those who say Twitter aren’t blocking it and they do present two plausible cases. I have no way of ensuring whether they are right or wrong though so until I do this’ll remain. Links would be nice please. If #flotilla is indeed leading to search results ‘technical errors’ then that would sound like censorship to me.))
Dowza says:
Sorry Ingrid I’ve got no idea what the problem is, it shows up in my internet explorer 8. Apologies, I’ll try to figure out if I’ve scripted something wrong.
Global Voices in English » MENA: Rage after Israel Attacks Gaza-bound Flotilla says:
[...] tries an explanation here: There isn’t much available as to what happened but it’s not really surprising. Israel showed [...]
MENA: Rage after Israel Attacks Gaza-bound Flotilla :: Elites TV says:
[...] tries an explanation here: There isn’t much available as to what happened but it’s not really surprising. Israel showed [...]
Ariel says:
You piece of shit, come down here to israel and I will make sure you really get your ass whipped, you coward hypocrite son of a bitch! you can write all about it in twitter
PEACE CONVOY MY ASS – they had guns, bats, stones -THE WORKS in order to attack the IDF forces which asked them to back off from istaeli territorial water!
Ariel says:
Sorry, this comment does not belong in here, and was pasted in the wrong comment window for a guy who really deserved it.
Global Voices in Italiano » Rabbia e indignazione online per l’attacco di Israele contro la “Freedom Flotilla” says:
[...] tenta una spiegazione qui: Non c'è molto a disposizione per capire quello che è successo ma non è per nulla [...]
Twitter Menyensor #Flotilla? | HadiGunawan.net says:
[...] adanya campur tangan pihak-pihak dibalik Twitter yang memblokir #flotilla menjadi trending topic. Dowzocalypse juga memberitahukan adanya beberapa akun twitter yang dilaporkan telah melakukan spamming dan [...]
ParrisBoyd says:
I’m not surprised at these allegations because Twitter has censored comments I’ve made about Toyota, including my comments about also being blocked by Yahoo. Further commentary via my blog, posts dated 5/6/2010 and 5/10/2010.
icha says:
I am also not surprised with this allegation. Ask Justin Biebier for that
his name which was a trending topic for a year, has been banned from twitter. Usually we would find his name as a trending topic every day.
Global Voices in het Nederlands » Midden-Oosten: Woede na Israëlische aanval op Gaza-konvooi says:
[...] probeert hier [en] een verklaring te geven: Er is niet veel informatie beschikbaar over wat er is gebeurd, maar [...]
alicia says:
Ariel –
we know you’re just another bloodthirsty Khazar – go for it boy! Sink your teeth into those hapless goyim that pay for Israeli atrocities. Get em back for kicking the jews out of Europe. There! Live up to your nasty reputation bad boy!
ulwan says:
fucking jewish and american products.!!
it’s not that i hate them but this shows the bias that is seen towards people of GAZA and palestine and israel’s self defense cowardly act.
well for a fact for twitter’s censorship
The usual reason of course.
“Twitter is Jewish
Isaac Stone is the founder and Creative Director of Twitter, Inc and also helped to create and launch Xanga, Blogger, Odeo, and Obvious. Stone is Jewish, and a resident of Berkeley, California.”
go and make you stand but i know the western media are being lite on this..ISRAEL ARE A GUILTY NATION THAT CANNOT EXIST,WHY DOES IT GET AIDS FROM AMERICA WHILE IT”S PERCAPITA GROWTH iS MUCH2 higher than most european countries??/
Rabbia e indignazione online per l’attacco di Israele contro la “Freedom Flotilla” | gli italiani says:
[...] prova a spiegare le cose qui: Non ci sono prove specifiche per capire quanto accaduto, ma non è per nulla sorprendente. Israele [...]
Graham says:
Israel warned the ship not to come. They could have delivered the aid by land. The act was nothing but a provocation and the soldiers who tried to control the ship came under attack. I have no sympathy for the terrorism supporters on those ships. They asked for it!
Dowza says:
The problem to me is that Israel could have gone another way about it, but they did the equivalent of let a bull run through a china shop. Or is it elephant?
Either way Israel had a chance of proving it really has the best interests of those it is occupying in mind. But this proved otherwise.
The point of the flotilla was to make a statement. It certainly made a statement.
¿Ha twitter bloqueado ayer las busquedas de ciertos hashtags relacionados con la flotilla? says:
[...] bien no pasaba nada o respondía un error técnico. Muchos otros sites se hacen eco del incidente: dowzocalypse.com/2010/05/31/flotilla-aid-murder-twitter-censorship/ sin comentarios en: actualidad, internacional karma: 9 etiquetas: israel, gaza, flotilla [...]
El Ataque de Israel a la Flotilla Pro-Gaza mirada desde Twitter | Arica City says:
[...] Dowza intentó explicarlo aquí: [...]
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Global Voices em Português » Oriente Médio: Raiva Após os Ataques Israelenses à Frota da Liberdade says:
[...] tenta uma explicação aqui: There isn’t much available as to what happened but it’s not really surprising. Israel showed [...]
Global Voices in English » Global: Reactions to Twitter’s sinking #flotilla hashtag says:
[...] Adrian, a blogger, touches on this: It is frightening to think that anyone is purposefully blocking words from being discussed by a greater audience so lets hope this is all some sort of coincidence or error. [...]
Global: Reactions to Twitter’s sinking #flotilla hashtag :: Elites TV says:
[...] Adrian, a blogger, touches on this: It is frightening to think that anyone is purposefully blocking words from being discussed by a greater audience so lets hope this is all some sort of coincidence or error. [...]
Global Voices po polsku » Bliski Wschód: Wściekłość po izraelskim ataku na Flotyllę Wolności says:
[...] próbuje tu [ang.] tłumaczyć: Nie wiele wiadomo na temat tego, co się stało, ale to wcale nie zaskakuje. [...]
Global Voices بالعربية » العالم: ردود الفعل على إغراق وسم flotilla# في تويتر says:
[...] #flotilla #Censorship #freedomFlotilla لماذا تروج Israil ولا تروج flotilla#؟ http://bit.ly/aMhkwU تويتر يمنع flotilla #freedomFlotilla# [...]