Comments on: Tweets from Tahrir: selected Tweets from the Egyptian revolution http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 10:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: AlexN http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html#comment-1121546 AlexN Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1121546 Hey, just to get this straight, I co-edited the book and yes everyone featured in the book gave their permission. As for copyright, we worked on the basis that tweeters own their copyright. Whether that's legally true I don't know but for us it didn't matter because we did the book to promote the revolution. To do it without the tweeters' permission would have been absurd. In terms of making a quick buck, the publisher, OR Books, is a small independent progressive publisher who basically print on demand. And it wasn't quick either - I wish it had been as easy as your 4 points suggest! But Seefood is right, it's not a complete historical view by any means. But you'd be surprised at the percentage of Egyptian tweeters who use English (because English is common among the kinds of Egyptians who can afford smart phones, and much safer to use in a police state). Hey, just to get this straight, I co-edited the book and yes everyone featured in the book gave their permission. As for copyright, we worked on the basis that tweeters own their copyright. Whether that’s legally true I don’t know but for us it didn’t matter because we did the book to promote the revolution. To do it without the tweeters’ permission would have been absurd.

In terms of making a quick buck, the publisher, OR Books, is a small independent progressive publisher who basically print on demand. And it wasn’t quick either – I wish it had been as easy as your 4 points suggest!

But Seefood is right, it’s not a complete historical view by any means. But you’d be surprised at the percentage of Egyptian tweeters who use English (because English is common among the kinds of Egyptians who can afford smart phones, and much safer to use in a police state).

]]> By: davejenk1ns http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html#comment-1121549 davejenk1ns Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1121549 Okay, then. My concerns are resolved. (cool-- sometimes the intarwebs actually work!) Okay, then. My concerns are resolved. (cool– sometimes the intarwebs actually work!)

]]> By: AlexN http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html#comment-1121565 AlexN Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1121565 I guess so! You're right to raise the concerns though and to be on the look-out for people exploiting the revolution, so I'm glad to be able to say that this book isn't an example of that. I guess so! You’re right to raise the concerns though and to be on the look-out for people exploiting the revolution, so I’m glad to be able to say that this book isn’t an example of that.

]]> By: AlexN http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html#comment-1121628 AlexN Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1121628 ...in fact the publisher has also committed to donating a portion of the profits (if it does make a buck!) to Egyptian grassroots revolutionary movements, as it says here (where you can also read a preview chapter): http://www.orbooks.com/our-books/tweets-from-tahrir/ Right I'll shut up now. …in fact the publisher has also committed to donating a portion of the profits (if it does make a buck!) to Egyptian grassroots revolutionary movements, as it says here (where you can also read a preview chapter): http://www.orbooks.com/our-books/tweets-from-tahrir/

Right I’ll shut up now.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html#comment-1121452 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1121452 Love the book! Also enjoyed Ahdaf Soeif's intro. Just the fact that we have a book documenting tweets as events unfolded in Tahrir is enough to get a copy! Love the book! Also enjoyed Ahdaf Soeif’s intro. Just the fact that we have a book documenting tweets as events unfolded in Tahrir is enough to get a copy!

]]> By: Seefood http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html#comment-1121456 Seefood Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1121456 On the one hand it's an interesting piece of history, on the other it may be a cynical way of making a buck. Something inside tells me that this is the easy edition, the English tweets were probably the ones broadcast to the world media, the tweets in Arabic may have contained the more interesting stuff. if the book's editors chose to ignore them, it makes me wonder if that book is indeed holding any complete historical view or just a way to make a quick buck. On the one hand it’s an interesting piece of history, on the other it may be a cynical way of making a buck. Something inside tells me that this is the easy edition, the English tweets were probably the ones broadcast to the world media, the tweets in Arabic may have contained the more interesting stuff. if the book’s editors chose to ignore them, it makes me wonder if that book is indeed holding any complete historical view or just a way to make a quick buck.

]]> By: agger http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html#comment-1121483 agger Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1121483 A young activist and AFAIK member of International Socialists were on Jon Stewart to promote this book. She did very well, lambasting the American government's hypocrisy in maintaining their support for Mubarak and asking "both sides" to refrain from violence until the very last minute, and explaining what had been going on in the square. Ahdaf Soueif is a famous Egyptian novelist and was present in the square during the uprising. I think this book is pretty legit, not about "easy bucks". A young activist and AFAIK member of International Socialists were on Jon Stewart to promote this book. She did very well, lambasting the American government’s hypocrisy in maintaining their support for Mubarak and asking “both sides” to refrain from violence until the very last minute, and explaining what had been going on in the square.

Ahdaf Soueif is a famous Egyptian novelist and was present in the square during the uprising. I think this book is pretty legit, not about “easy bucks”.

]]> By: davejenk1ns http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html#comment-1121499 davejenk1ns Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1121499 I saw that young activist on Jon Stewart, and I agree she did a good job. I also know that Ahdaf Soueif is a famous novelist-- but neither of those conditions excludes or disqualifies them from "making a buck". I don't want to sound cynical, I am sure these people are sincere in wanting to get a record out and shaping the narrative of the revolution. They're the victors, so now they get to start writing the history, but if they make a little coinage along the way... I have a tangential question: who, exactly, owns the copyright of the text of all those tweets? The author? Twitter corporation? Did the authors of this book get everyone's permission? Or is permission rescinded when you hit [send]? If so, then where doe the rights then go? In light of those questions, this does look like "an easy buck". There was an almost identical publication "Quakebook" that gathered up all the tweets around the Tohoku earthquake in Japan. (The proceeds of that go to relief funds, so I guess it's okay?) Are we seeing a new trend in quick publishing? 1. Spot an overarching theme or crisis 2. Gather up all the tweets 3. Format accordingly and send to a printer 4. Profit! See? I finally filled in the middle parts.... I saw that young activist on Jon Stewart, and I agree she did a good job. I also know that Ahdaf Soueif is a famous novelist– but neither of those conditions excludes or disqualifies them from “making a buck”. I don’t want to sound cynical, I am sure these people are sincere in wanting to get a record out and shaping the narrative of the revolution. They’re the victors, so now they get to start writing the history, but if they make a little coinage along the way…

I have a tangential question: who, exactly, owns the copyright of the text of all those tweets? The author? Twitter corporation? Did the authors of this book get everyone’s permission? Or is permission rescinded when you hit [send]? If so, then where doe the rights then go?

In light of those questions, this does look like “an easy buck”. There was an almost identical publication “Quakebook” that gathered up all the tweets around the Tohoku earthquake in Japan. (The proceeds of that go to relief funds, so I guess it’s okay?)

Are we seeing a new trend in quick publishing?
1. Spot an overarching theme or crisis
2. Gather up all the tweets
3. Format accordingly and send to a printer
4. Profit!

See? I finally filled in the middle parts….

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2011/05/26/tweets-from-tahrir-s.html#comment-1122046 Antinous / Moderator Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1122046 Having looked for resources documenting some of the political activities in which I was involved thirty years ago, I'm in favor of anything that preserves records. I've read some ungodly wrong descriptions on Wikipedia of things that I experienced first hand, because the records of events are so sparse. Having looked for resources documenting some of the political activities in which I was involved thirty years ago, I’m in favor of anything that preserves records. I’ve read some ungodly wrong descriptions on Wikipedia of things that I experienced first hand, because the records of events are so sparse.

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