"In fact, Iran is one of the service’s most active countries, and it is the most active region as defined by comments per user per day, according to Taylor. Now you can see why Iran apparently wanted to block it. FriendFeed is great at facilitating conversations around topics. The reason for this is that it’s so quick to post a comment and have it be added to a thread. While this can sometimes lead to an angry mob situation, it also can be extremely effective at having a conversation about an important topic in real-time. Except, of course, when the Iranian government blocks you. The only people getting on to FriendFeed from inside Iran now are apparently doing so through proxies." - Paul Buchheit from Bookmarklet

:-( - Kol Tregaskes

Damn. - Heather

By like I mean, dislike. - EricaJoy

woah. - zeroinfluencer

no surprise :| - Frohiky

Strange that MG Siegler doesn't mention that one of the reasons FF is so popular in Iran may also be due to it being available natively in فارسی [Farsi]. - ianf ⌘

Also, since the headline is ambiguous, I should clarify that Iran is the most active in terms of "comments per user per day", not in total activity (the US still has the most activity in absolute terms). - Paul Buchheit

I love the troll that's in the comments there who is baiting friendfeeders. Ahh, lame. If no one cares about friendfeed except for me and Louis, what are all you doing here? And how come these posts have so many likes: http://friendfeed.com/search... - Robert Scoble

TC loyalists are on the defense... it's been a rough week and a half for them :-) - Chris Heath

All of these services are showing their value at a time like this. I wish the social media showdown would stop long enough for people to see that. - Eric - seven eleven

Chris: on the other hand, maybe "Karen" is right. Maybe you're all in the mob and Louis and I are the mob bosses. Heheh. - Robert Scoble

To tell you the truth, I didn't even hop over to TC to read what all the hubub was about... I haven't had enough alcohol in me yet... :-) I try to stick to that old mantra: "don't feed the trolls" - Chris Heath

Amazing how helpful a service can be when it can operate in the language the users use... - Aron Michalski

@Robert: I'll admit that Friendfeed has it's mob-like tendencies, but no more so (and certainly not worse than) many other services. It's a danger of any hyper-connected online community. Hive minds form because people congregate around the concept that ideas are shared, as is Trust. When you trust intrinsically your sources for information, you're less likely to fact-check everything, and can be quickly mobilized into action. Sometimes this is a good thing, and sometimes it can go overboard really quick. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins

Some folks would rename "mobs" to the term "swarms". Interest runs high and often passionate in a number of different areas, and you're absolutely right about shared ideas and/or affinities. - Karoli

Karoli, good point - I would add that 'mob' would be a more overtly pejorative term. Lots of people claim semantics when they're misunderstood but fail to understand themselves the meanings of the words that they're saying/typing. - Chris Heath

Some might rename "mobs" to "swarms." I wouldn't. At least not always. There have been times, at least a handful that I've personally witnessed, where it rightly *should* be called a mob, though you're right to say that it isn't *always* the case. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins

Mark, agreed. My point really was that intent is the defining point. I consider a mob a group intent on destruction. A swarm is more of a group intent around discovery. One is certainly more benevolent than the other. Sometimes, like with the Iranian elections, the swarm is also a mob, but in that case, destruction may not be a bad thing, if the goal is to enforce the true will of the people. I'm not sure it is, by the way. I do believe the results were bogus, however. - Karoli

@Karoli. I'm with you re: results and whether they're the will of the people or the mob (or swarm) mentality in that both candidates have(had) serious issues with the concept of freedom and democratic governance. Since NO ONE becomes a viable candidate in Iran w/o the authorization of the mullahs, I would hazard a guess that the protesters on both sides are merely choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea. The tragedy is neither side seems to see their own candidate clearly enough to take a step back and make a better choice: get rid of the mullahs first. - Molly