In purely 'technical' terms, as an activist tactic - wildly effective.
In terms of achieving actual aims - not really.
Kony 2012 is a perfect, textbook example of vacuous meme activism (as the article discusses).
In terms of achieving actual aims - not really.
Kony 2012 is a perfect, textbook example of vacuous meme activism (as the article discusses).
If you want to actually make lasting, positive changes to the world? Absolutely worthless.
If you want to self-promote for the sake of e-fame, real fame, money, power etc, smash hit.
Guess which one most Twitter activists are actually interested in.
I think this is an incredibly premature statement to make if this is really a form of activism that's only been around for ~5-10 years or so.
Typical HN though, we love to play the role of enlightened politicos looking down at the unstrategic masses.
But it hasn't - TFA even includes an example from centuries ago.
> Typical HN though, we love to play the role of enlightened politicos looking down at the unstrategic masses.
Typical HN though, we love to assume we're the first people to really understand a topic.
> TFA even includes an example from centuries ago.
Oh, you mean the abolitionist example? Yeah, too bad those guys never achieved any lasting, positive gain.
You can't have it both ways.