If the ongoing conflict in Gaza is anything to go by, it’s clear that the definition of war has changed.
The battle grounds have shifted — and moved online. This time with new frontiers and shinier weapons.
Social media tools like Facebook and Twitter are increasingly being used to express political views and rally support, while Second Life is the new gathering ground to protest attacks.
Israeli human rights group Gisha chose animation to raise consciousness about the difficulties facing Gazans who remain confined to the territory.
Last year, the Israeli military started its own YouTube channel to distribute footage of precision air strikes, while the Israeli consulate in New York hosted a press conference on Twitter to respond to questions from the public about Gaza.
But tweeting, according to a blog post on Wired, is passé.
“The latest social media advance combines tools like Twitter, text messaging, and online mapping to gather up first-hand reports, straight from Gaza. The effort, from Al Jazeera Labs, just got started; the reporting is still spotty, and the technology is very much in the testing phase. But the idea is for residents of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank to send quick updates about the conflict from their computers or mobile phones, through SMS or Twitter. The results are then verified, and posted to a Microsoft Virtual Earth map.”
Technology and the Internet have completely changed the face of this rapidly evolving “war of words.”
David Saranga, the head of media relations for the Israeli consulate, in New York says:
“Since the definition of war has changed, the definition of public diplomacy has to change as well.”
Public diplomacy or propaganda? You decide.
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