"The qualities that make Twitter seem inane and half-baked are what make it so powerful."
-- Jonathan Zittrain, a Harvard law professor and Internet expert, in Tuesday's New York Times. Zittrain explained how the social network was able to evade censorship by the Iranian government because there are so many ways for posts to originate. (There are hundreds of tools that can post to Twitter, like Tweetdeck and Twitpic). "It is easy for Twitter feeds to be echoed everywhere else in the world," said Zittrain. So while you may not care what your buddy had for breakfast, the technology that allows him to share this with the planet is also giving a voice to activists in Iran. --Jessica Shambora
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Pattie Sellers has written some of Fortune's most talked-about cover stories, including "Oprah's Next Act," "Can Meg Whitman Save California?" "The $100 Billion Woman" (Melinda Gates), "MySpace Cowboys," Martha Stewart ("I cannot be destroyed"), Ted Turner ("Gone with the Wind") and Oprah Winfrey ("Oprah Inc."). Since its launch in 1998, Pattie has helped oversee Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" cover package.
A specialist at dissecting larger-than-life personalities, she has also profiled former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Morgan Stanley chairman John Mack, and countless CEOs.
Pattie co-chairs the annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, the preeminent gathering of women leaders in business, philanthropy, government, academia, and the arts. She started at Fortune in 1984, covering the big brand companies.
In Pattie's blog, Postcards, she provides insight into the lives of super-achievers through commentary, career advice, and Guest Posts by CEOs and other leaders.
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Fortune Most Powerful Women
Sheryl Sandberg:
Gina Bianchini
