Due to the nationwide Internet connection cut-off in Egypt , Google, Twitter and SayNow have teamed up and found a way to give Egyptians back their voices.
MSNBC reports that a special voicemail system was setup wherein people in Egypt can call a particular number, leave a message, and the system sends it out to the rest of the world in the form of a tweet with the hashtag # egypt.
The Twitter handle streaming these tweets is @Speak2Tweet. Users can also listen to the voice messages in the SayNow website by clicking one of the short links. However, Technolog reports that “Since loved ones will basically have to listen to each and every message with the hope of hearing their own friends and family members inside Egypt, the system does seem a little inefficient.”
Furthermore, it has been anticipated that the Mubarak government will shut-off cellphone service as well, because of the “March of the Millions” demonstration, so individuals in Egypt will be hard-pressed to obtain a solid phone line.
Still though, the messages streamed by @Speak2Tweet and SayNow will both warm and break listener’s hearts.
Some voicemails are poignant such as, “I just wanted to say 'hi' to my brother and his wife since we didn’t get a chance to talk before they cut off the Internet" and others are full of encouragement: "I want to thank the army for the great message that they’ve sent to the Egyptians, in which they announced that they won’t resort to violence against the protestors." As MSNBC puts it, “It really is a direct line to the eye of the storm.”
[via MSNBC and Speak2Tweet]
