There are currently a huge number of Facebook groups ranging from “Stop little children watching Man Utd” (currently 75000 members) to more serious groups like “The Nature Conservancy” (currently 95 000 members donating $260.000). This is good.
Before the social media revolution (that we are in the middle of right now) there were not that easy to show which causes you support and it was also difficult to find time to actually go out and support anything. Sure we had online forums and discussion groups discussing important issues, but there were no focus on the number of members because there were real discussions going on between those who were for something and those who opposed.
Today we have this wonderful digital landscape with twitter, facebook, myspace, blogs and whatnot where people voice their opinion.
It’s so easy to show support.
It’s so easy to tell everyone what my views are.
I can join 100 facebook groups today and color my face green in Twitter to show support for democracy in Iran and I have saved myself for a lot of discussions and protesting. I don’t even have to do anything else but click my mouse and sit back and watch the result.
I’m a sofarebel!
From my comfortable seat I can tell the world about what my meanings are and the world listen. How easy this is. How empovering this new technology is.
This new technology makes my life so much easier that I don’t have to do much of an effort to make change happen in the world. I don’t have to give any money. I don’t have to go out in the streets risking anything. I can sit right here and be important and show support to a lot of different things all at once! The best thing is that I don’t have to discuss anything with anyone either. No one can reveal my ignorance either cause I just find the biggest wave and surf on it till it ebbs out. Everyone else does it, so I’m safe.
Me, myself and my fellow sofarebels are all well and safe. As it should be.
We are not like the rebels out in the streets risking their life on twitter. We are smarter, we stay inside, clicking the links, coloring our faces green for democracy.
Check my green face at www.twitter.com/haakonha
(PS! Can anyone tell me when I should stop beeing green, it’s not very pretty tbh).
Information Design & Usability 
On Facebook right now there is a campaign to “light a candle for Japan” to honor the victims of earthquake and Tsunami. Over 100.000 people have joined in. But this doesn’t help the victims one single bit. If some organisation decided to pay for each one who supported it – that would be something, but this is just another status-update campaign. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=197483856943076¬if_t=event_invite