Mideast protests: real-time tweet mapping

Developer Virender Ajmani created this interesting Google Maps/Twitter mashup that allows you to scan "protest tweets" from Iran, Bahrain, Egypt, and Libya, as they go live. He explains the project here.

(thanks, @mommadona)

• [rebdav]

  Democracy is like nitroglycerin, it can be used to build something beautiful or it can tear everything you love apart like a small town lynch mob.
  I worry when I hear of the mobs chanting that Mubarek or Quadafi is a Jew or demonstrations in Tunesia calling for the eviction of the remnants of thousands of years old Jewish community.
  The Jews and Israel has been programmed in most Arab states media as the cause of everything from inflation to oppression to soggy cornflakes, that TV hate doesn’t come out so easily especially when the most organized opposition happens to not be the hip American or British Muslims we all know but the kind that call for elimination of homosexuality and cutting out of all clitorises.

  • [pt68]

    rebdav,
    I won’t for a moment argue that anti-Jewish slogans aren’t a bad turn of events (reference please).
    But two points:
    -From anyone I’ve ever spoken to, “jewish” in that area mostly means someone from Israel, not historic Judaism in its post-diaspora multiplicity. The lens they view jewish-ness through is mostly contemporary Israel, and . . .
    -Contemporary Israel doesn’t have a great reputation when it comes to its relationship with Arab or Islamic peoples.
    I’m saying that only to point out that there’s possibly more to the story than simple (totally misguided) anti-semitism.

  • [travtastic]

    And where did you read about that?

• [wygit]

  slightly off topic but funny.

  from @OHNewsroom.- “Slot editor reading a wire page: “So we have Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain — and Wisconsin?!”

• [rebdav]

  time to google one for tunesis before I go, this is a blog, you can decide if the vid is a fake.
  http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/206314.php

• [holtt]

  rebdav, your comment is the first I’ve seen suggesting an anti-jewish twist on the activities. Could you provide some references?

  wygit, we may have already reached peak cheese, but just don’t realize it yet.

  • [rebdav]

    Have to go, no time now, this is one well known story. Google is your friend.
    http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/cbs_reporter_cairo_nightmare_pXiUVvhwIDdCrbD95ybD5N

• [JonS]

  Apparently the Lybian Army in Benghazi has changed sides, and is now supportting the anti-Qaddafi movement.

  Hurrah! :)

• [Moody75]

  High res images from Benghazi are now on Flickr
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/a7fadhomar/

• [Aye]

  Looks like a really great way for the authorities to track down and disappear the protesters.

  If I were a protester…I sure wouldn’t want my name, photo, and location to be aggregated and easily accessible to those that I am speaking up against.

  • [holtt]

    Aye you have a point, but without broad sharing of the message, it won’t get out. And I think some protesters are showing the amazing courage to stand up and say publicly what they feel. It’s dangerous, but it’s liberating.

    This really is a fascinating web mashup. It’s awe inspiring to watch a revolution happen in real time. One just can’t lose site of the fact that there are real people living (and dying) on the other end of those tweets.