ISIS Strategy and the Twitter Jihadiscape

Posted on By Wandren PD
Uncategorized

Analysis of 3.4 million tweets shows that the media mujahedeen through the Swarmcast are still able to achieve their strategic goals. These goals include maintaining a persistent presence through a multi-platform zeitgeist which is able to disseminate content to large numbers of internet users. This large-scale study contradicts the findings of some smaller studies of … Read More “ISIS Strategy and the Twitter Jihadiscape” »

No Respite on Social Media After ISIS Attacks in Paris

Posted on By Wandren PD
Big Data, Network analysis, networks, Public Diplomacy, Virtual Communities

Despite increasing efforts by western governments and social media providers to counter ISIS online, ISIS  continues to produce and disseminate large quantities of ideologically inspired audio visual content and information. At this pivotal moment, the U.S. counter-messaging operation “is in disarray,” according to Will McCants, a Middle East scholar at the Brookings Institution. A recent … Read More “No Respite on Social Media After ISIS Attacks in Paris” »

Tackling ISIS messaging requires a new strategic approach

Posted on By Wandren PD
Big Data, Network analysis, networks, online

  These days, you no longer need to fly halfway across the world to join your chosen extremist cause. You can be a jihadi from behind your screen, contributing to the effort with propaganda or cyber attacks. The public profile of the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) and their online supporters should disabuse any notion that … Read More “Tackling ISIS messaging requires a new strategic approach” »

Incorporating Big Data: One Giant Leap for Diplomacy

Posted on By Wandren PD
Big Data, Data mapping, Network analysis, networks

Combining big data analysis and visualizations with a nuanced understanding of context, already central to diplomacy, can create opportunities for collaboration and for pushing the boundaries of what is imagined possible within 21st century public diplomacy. One of the greatest opportunities for influence comes from the synthesis of survey data and big data with the … Read More “Incorporating Big Data: One Giant Leap for Diplomacy” »

Non-textual data and new media sources

Posted on By Wandren PD
Data mapping, Dispersed Networks, Habits of engagement, Network analysis

Many of the challenges of analysing social and other forms of digital media can be summed up as features of volume, speed, and credibility. The challenges of volume, speed and credibility often require analysis which focuses on the aggregate of human actions, habits of engagement, and the concept of emergent behaviour. Below a presentation showing how … Read More “Non-textual data and new media sources” »

66 Important Jihadist Twitter Accounts (part 2)

Posted on By Wandren PD
Data mapping, Dispersed Networks, Network analysis, networks, Options for Influence, Public Diplomacy

In our earlier post, together with Ali Fisher we detailed and assessed 66 accounts listed by Shumukh al-Islam jihadi Forum member Ahmad ‘Abdallah as ‘important jihadist’ members on twitter. We looked primarily at the users individually, using the data of these 66 accounts to create this infographic to give our readers an overview of these users. In this … Read More “66 Important Jihadist Twitter Accounts (part 2)” »

66 important jihadist accounts on Twitter

Posted on By Wandren PD
Data mapping, Public Diplomacy, Virtual Communities

In this part of our series for Jihadica on the Jihadi Twitter phenomenon, Ali Fisher and Nico Prucha take a closer look at 66 Twitter accounts recommended by a Jihadi online forum user. To be clear, we are analyzing these accounts that are defined in this posting as most important for jihadi sympathizers, but it … Read More “66 important jihadist accounts on Twitter” »

New post: Diplomats – Get into Data

Posted on By Wandren PD
Collaborative Public Diplomacy, Data mapping, Network analysis, Public Diplomacy

“From engaging with activists in closed societies to countering the efforts of Jihadist groups; there has never been a better time for diplomats to get into data.” There has never been a better time for diplomats to get into data and push the boundaries of what is imagined to be possible within public diplomacy. The … Read More “New post: Diplomats – Get into Data” »

New Article – Twitter as beacon for Jihadi Zeitgeist

Posted on By Wandren PD
Data mapping, Dispersed Networks, Network analysis

This article, published in the CTC Sentinel, a journal published by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, discusses the emergence of jihadist social media strategies. The article shows how the Syrian jihadist group Jabhat al-Nusra (JN) has used Twitter to disseminate content, and analyzes content shared by JN. Using an interdisciplinary approach to the … Read More “New Article – Twitter as beacon for Jihadi Zeitgeist” »