Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 5, 2008 12:03:57 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Facebook Users Hook Up—With Fellow Burmese Monk Backers

Posted Oct 5, 07 1:50 PM CDT in US,  Technology,  World 

(Newser) – Mammoth networking site Facebook is triggering a massive mobilization of protesters around the world who will hit the streets this weekend in support of the Burmese monks, Wired writes. Nearly 300,000 people have joined the Facebook group "Support the Monks' Protest" since a story on the movement broke last week,  and thousands of those are expected to turn out for marches tomorrow in cities from Taipei to Vienna.

The movement—which some term "open-source politics"—highlights the evolution of the site, which has increasingly become a tool for activists. Over two dozen Facebook volunteers are working with activist organizations on the upcoming protests. "They're able to do things that we can't," said one organization leader. “They've been able to mobilize people.”

Source Wired

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Facebook the Movie? It's in the Works

    Aug 28, 08 6:35 PM CDT
    Facebook the Movie? It's in the Works Facebook is going Hollywood, PC World reports. West Wing writer Aaron Sorkin has signed on with Sony to pen a movie about the social networking site’s founding. The movie will probably focus on Mark Zuckerberg’s initial work while at Harvard. But Sorkin may have some research to do first: “My grandmother has more Internet savvy than I do,” the screenwriter quips, “and she's been dead for 33 years.” More »

  • Facebook Getting Aggressive With 'Wall Spam'

    Aug 25, 08 8:07 PM CDT
    Facebook Getting Aggressive With 'Wall Spam' “Wall spam” has gone from minor annoyance to publicity problem for Facebook, and it seems the social-networking giant is getting more aggressive in its attempts to combat it, reports Caroline McCarthy in CNET. Within 2 hours of receiving a spam post yesterday, McCarthy found it had been deleted by Facebook. Until recently, the site has merely been disabling links in suspected messages. More »

  • Insider Sales Put Facebook's Value at Fraction of $15B

    Aug 6, 08 1:22 PM CDT
    Insider Sales Put Facebook's Value at Fraction of $15B Though the stake bought by Microsoft last fall pegged Facebook’s value at $15 billion, a rush of stock sales by insiders at the still-private company shows they think it’s worth much less, BusinessWeek reports. Even Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of the social-networking giant, reportedly has sold some shares, and trouble could be looming in Silicon Valley. More »

  • Facebook Readies User-Friendly Makeover

    May 29, 08 2:44 PM CDT
    Facebook Readies User-Friendly Makeover Social-networking stalwart Facebook is redesigning its site to allow users easier access to an array of applications that might include search options, Forbes reports, and give advertisers more ways to reach the Facebook community. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking at the All Things Digital conference, said the company hoped to work more with search giant Google. More »

  • Canadians Bully Burmese Junta With... Panties?

    May 28, 08 10:59 AM CDT
    Canadians Bully Burmese Junta With... Panties? When international pressure fails, try… underwear? Canadian women think they can change the Myanmar junta’s ways by mailing a steady stream of panties to the Myanmar embassy in Ottawa, Sify reports. The military dictators apparently harbor a superstitious fear that touching a woman’s undergarment will “rob them of their power,” according to Panties for Peace!, the organization coordinating the movement. More »

The August, 20-27 double issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, August 13), "The Facebook Effect" looks at how Facebook, the wildly popular networking site is growing up and facing new challenges to...   (Associated Press)
a demonstrator for democracy in Myanmar, also known as Burma, yells outside the White House in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007, during a protest. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)   (Associated Press)
In this image released by the Democratic Voice of Burma, people protest against the military government in Yangon Myanmar Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007. It was the eighth day of street demonstrations against...   (Associated Press)
In this image released by the Democratic Voice of Burma, Buddhist monks defied orders to stay off the streets and marched against the military government. Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007, in downtown Yangon,...   (Associated Press)
MARK ZUCKERBERG   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 4)

Tags

Facebook  • social networking  • Burma  • protests  • Myanmar  • Mark Zuckerberg  • monks


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »