Protest groups have sought to harness technology since the invention of the printing press, and it was the 1960s that saw the process go electronic. Academic research suggests that using online tools to foster real-world communities may be more effective than trying to achieve goals virtually. Deana Rohlinger, professor of sociology at Florida State University, has studied online activism as practised by two politically diverse groups, the progressive MoveOn.org and the 'Republican/libertarian' Florida Tea Party Movement (FTPM). She initially found the two groups had not only different political views, but also strategies for reaching members. MoveOn uses ICT to hierarchically structure the interactions among its supporters. FTPM consists of groups on- and off-line, which creates a network structure that allows for a great deal of interaction among leaders and supporters on a range of topics. One powerful thing about Facebook and Twitter and the internet generally is that it allows movements to scale massively.
