Posted on the Brian Solis blog on August 8th by Eric Schwartzman
First off, social media could have at least partially erased the advantage that some state-sponsored “full-time amateur athletes” from Eastern Bloc countries enjoy over self-financed amateurs from Western countries. But unfortunately the social media gag order by the IOC neutered that chance by restricting athletes from sharing posts that mention their sponsors on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else online. Here’s the clause:
“Participants and other accredited persons are not permitted...
Many U.S. Olympians pitched in to help lead a revolt against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week and its laws of forbidding competitors from using social media to promote their sponsors — risking disqualification in the process. Spurred on by the outspoken words of members of the U.S. team, Olympians from around the world launched a Twitter campaign under the hashtags #Rule40 and #WeDemandChange in an attempt to pressure the IOC into action. Rule 40 is the section in the athletes' code of conduct that warns anyone flouting the strict guidelines on the use of social media as a...
The International Olympic Committee this weekend faced mounting questions over Internet censorship, days before the Beijing Games, despite earlier pledges that its use would be unfettered. While China has allowed access to some websites that were blocked earlier in the week, many sites still remain inaccessible to reporters covering the Beijing Olympics that start on Aug. 8. On Friday, the IOC had said the issue had been resolved, Reuters reports.
"We would like to see the greatest degree of openness," IOC communications director Giselle Davies told reporters. "There has been no change in the IOC's position. The IOC would like to see open access," she said in response to several questions regarding the IOC's...
