Links for today: Iraq and Social Media

Iraq

• The leader of the national union of journalists, Shihab al-Tamimi, has died in hospital after being shot. (BBC)

Dentists seem to make good bloggers - at least they seem to in Iraq.

• Baghdad Dentist has just moved back to Baghdad after escaping to Mosul for a year. He's noticed an improvement in living conditions in the capital:

"As for baghdad, it's great. Now it's on the way to heal and stepping forward in the road of revolution and good future. Except for some what I call "defects" here and there, one may say that the city has settled down."

• Last of Iraqis says that the 'fanatics and criminals' have had to resort to new tactics in light of the changed situation in Iraq. They have found their movement has been more restricted and are no longer blowing up their own vehicles. Instead, they are attaching explosives to civilian vehicles and using a timer or a remote control to detonate them. He says the government has had to make some advertisements asking people to check their cars for explosives before they drive them.

• This is a useful website for those of you who are interested in blogs from Iraq.

Social Media: Twitter

• Paul Bradshaw, senior lecturer at Birmingham City University's School Media, has been blogging about Twitter, here, and here. Some of his students are taking up his advice and twittered the earthquake in the UK.
• Twitter was also the subject of a recent article in The Guardian by Jeff Jarvis, who clearly thinks telling the world what you're doing in 160 character updates is the way forward.
• If you don't know what Twitter is check out their website.
• I am Dan_10v11 if you want to follow me on Twitter.