Marseille edit
It is the first presidential elections of France that knew the era of the social networks. In 2007, actually, Facebook was far from being wide-spread and Twitter was not known in France. Everybody was still on MSN Messenger. Then necessarily, in 2012, the elections took another turn.
Sarkozy-Hollande debate on Twitter
Twitter is a tool of microphone-blogging created in 2006. Although the users are fewer than Facebook users, there are more talkative and analysts. During the debate between two ballots of François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, twittos as we appoint them were hyper active! Only on Facebook. Each person expressed his opinion, whether he is a critic, sarcastic or approver. Every supporter considered that the candidate idol had led the debate. Finally, if we had not seen the debate, we would not have known any more who had really taken fewest strokes... That is how it was the presidential debate on Twitter.
Results of presidential elections on Facebook
But it is on Facebook that things turned out badly. May 6th, before 20:00, a pleiad of statuses and comments announced the arrival of results. Twitter had already begun the suspense a few hours before by filtering some information of foreign press (French media has a right to give no prematurely fateful result). On Facebook, each person encouraged the party to wait for the official results. But when the results were announced, it was a stampede of some.
The most violent words came obviously from those who felt defeated. Bad losers, some did not understand that voting is a democratic act and the majority of them has made a choice, simply. Insults, comments of hatred and even racist reflections - that we shall not quote – just started pushing. In other camp, comments were more giggling even provocative, laughing at the outgoing President. A followed battle of statuses and comments or even friends' abolition has not the same political values.
Facebook, supposed network to be social and of sharing, became Facebook, a real battlefield in a few hours.
The freedom of expression is BàBa of Internet, and sometimes there are enormous drifts on the social networks.