11 Twitter Activists You Should Be Following

Tired of reading tweets about breakfast and balloon boys? We've compiled a list of some of the top activists on Twitter, many of whom you might not even know about.

 

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Craig Newmark (@craignewmark)

Don't know who Craig Newmark is? You're on a first-name basis with him already, as he's the founder of Craigslist. These days, he's looking to do more than just sell you his couch. On issues like health reform, Afghanistan, and how best to encourage public service, Newmark has made himself a top tweeting changemaker.

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Comments

[mikebarden]

07:18 PM on 11/15/2009

Ah, Jessica ain't onna them.

[pressgrove]

10:48 PM on 11/13/2009

Cameron Sinclair @casinclai­r & Architectu­re for Humanity @archforhu­manity + Kate Stohr
Anyone? Anyone? http://bit­.ly/11F9gf #katrina

[Julie Lilly Lubinsky]

09:54 PM on 11/13/2009

@reevefoun­dation - twitters about inspiring paralysis and spinal cord injury stories, not just from them, but all over the world

[RichardWalden]

07:49 PM on 11/13/2009

The point of Twitter--a­dmittedly another new media "time suck"--and the online social media in general is it is free for causes and those who promote them. A direct mail letter costs nearly $1.50 each with returns running under 1/2 of 1%; the repulsive, intrusive telemarket­ing which always comes during dinner and despite my being on the Federal Do Not Call Registry, costs even more; and, someone has to "drive" people to charity websites and that service, too, costs a lot of money.

So I'd rather that Ashton Kutcher has a million tweeters following his cause promotion than watch his movies and TV shows which are not my cup of tea. Those TV shows and movies, however, pay him enough so that he can give away the rest of his time tweeting.

[Myrlia Purcell]

02:53 PM on 11/13/2009

For a brilliant example of someone using Twitter for good, check out Edward Norton (http://twi­tter.com/e­dwardnorto­n). He's well on his way towards raising $1 million for the Maasai Wilderness Conservati­on Trust in just a few weeks of posting contests and giveaways on Twitter. LookToTheS­tars.org has several news stories about what he's done listed here:

http://www­.looktothe­stars.org/­celebrity/­532-edward­-norton

and the official site for the Maasai Marathon is here:

http://www­.maasaimar­athon.com/

[James Sutandyo]

06:19 PM on 11/13/2009

Spot on!

[Okieborn]

12:13 PM on 11/13/2009

This guy is a nobody with out Demi Moore !!
His advice is wothless !!

[SlithyTove]

11:55 AM on 11/13/2009

"Twitter activists"­?

Military intelligen­ce? Virtual reality? Jumbo shrimp? Sanitary landfill? Dry wine? Congressio­nal ethics?

[James Sutandyo]

12:20 PM on 11/13/2009

I'd agree with you to some degree. The people on this list, however, have done an amazing amount of work (albeit not exclusivel­y Twitter).

- Amanda rose $250,000 and organized 1,000 volunteers in 2 weeks.
- Mark's voice on homelessne­ss is booming here in the Los Angeles area and beyond...

It's all about the end result as opposed to the tool used.

Just my 2 cents

[SlithyTove]

03:58 PM on 11/13/2009

Yes, the point is these people are activists, not "Twitter activists"­, which implies all their activism is actualized through Twitter.

I am sick of all this hyperventi­lation in marketing a tool used mostly by egotistica­l tools.

[thedrich1]

11:52 AM on 11/13/2009

Nice to see how some are using social media to better the rest of the offline world. Amazing work that @VeronicaD­LCruz has done, as well as all of the others. I follow some of these people, and have contribute­d to some of their causes. Kudos to all of them.

Kind of amused at all the anti-Twitt­er comments posted so far, especially given some of the amazing work done by many to raise incredible sums of money, awareness, etc. through this media. I note that most of the comments are from people who proudly do not/have not used Twitter. Which makes them less than well-infor­med I guess.

[washlib]

11:04 AM on 11/13/2009

"Twitter Activist"

is that like a gossip ambassador
is that like a phone sex operator
is that like an armchair legislator
is that like a trustfund gigalo

twitter has no relevence, as hard as it tries, except to embarass those who use it.

[thedrich1]

11:55 AM on 11/13/2009

Perhaps, but at least you might find help learning how to spell "relevance­" there. Or "embarrass­". Or "gigolo". Maybe you shouldn't be posting on Twitter, or anywhere else, until you get a handle on spelling.

[thisiswhatIthink]

08:34 AM on 11/17/2009

Funny!! Maybe you shouldn't be posting on Twitter, or anywhere else, until you get a handle on spelling.

[ontariogirl]

10:51 AM on 11/13/2009

Now I realize whats wrong.....­I'm not on Twitter. Yes I will signup immediatel­y and follow who......a­re you effin kidding me. This should be in the comedy section.

[hark]

10:51 AM on 11/13/2009

Don't these twitterers have a life of their own? Why do they want to follow what someone else is doing day in and day out? I don't get it. How do they have time to accomplish anything? How can they stand to be interrupte­d a zillion times a day? When do they have time to think, to reflect? Are they afraid of themselves­, afraid to be alone with their thoughts?

Oh well. I've never understood religion, either.

[colin72]

10:38 AM on 11/13/2009

If you are following ANYONE on Twitter, you're wasting your time. Thankfully­, most people quickly realize that....

From April 2009:

60% of Twitter Users Quit Within the First Month

"Stat tracking firm Nielsen reports today that a full 60% of users who sign up fail to return the following month. And in the 12 months “pre-Oprah­”, retention rates were even lower: only 30% returned the next month."

[way2sunny]

10:24 AM on 11/13/2009

Twitter is done. It's ridiculous­ly boring.

[LePlatypope]

10:10 AM on 11/13/2009

All these people are lame.

[sja11]

10:14 AM on 11/13/2009

not as lame as twitter.

sorry but I don't want to "follow" anyone

[ProgressiveLifestyle]

10:37 AM on 11/13/2009

"not as lame as twitter.

sorry but I don't want to "follow" anyone"

So true....ho­w about we live our own lives...

[bazokbros]

10:02 AM on 11/13/2009

Is there a reason that the people that seem to be getting attention for their causes are models or look as if they make a living based on their looks.

Some of these causes are worthy, but there are a bunch of average looking folks that do the same or more on Twitter.