The Revolution Will be Televised (or Twittered)

There is a possibility that Thursday's exam could include social networking as a focus (this is pure speculation and not based on any insider knowledge, so it could quite easily be child language, representation, variation, etc.). The prescriptivist angle might be that social networks dumb down interaction, or encourage laziness (think 'damp spoon' and other Aitcheson metaphors). 

Social networking sites are driving the reporting of the unfolding events in Iran, especially as the Iranian authorities are imposing reporting restrictions on foreign journalists and broadcasters. It would be useful research to look at twitter, youtube and other sites to see how information is being disseminated by the protestors and consider this in light of arguments about prescriptivism/descriptivism and the validity of social networking . Take a look at the channel 4 report on a British web designer whose invention is (unwittingly) playing a part.

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/briton+caught+up+in+iran+internet+wars/3215337

There is also this article on Mashable

http://mashable.com/2009/06/15/twitter-iran-election/