Occupy Wall Street, brought to you by social media

Occupy Wall Street has spread around the country at Internet speed as participants tap into Twitter, Facebook and microblogging site Tumblr to call Americans to the streets to protest what they see as a broken global financial system.

What would have taken months to unfold in a different era has occurred in days and hours. The Economist magazine calls it America's "first true social-media uprising." "If not for social media, 80 percent of our information would not have gone out to get people's attention," said Joanne Coppolino, an "occupier" in downtown San Jose. "Social media helps us to stand as one." And in just six weeks, the movement has moved beyond the nation's shores to cities such as Hong Kong and Buenos Aires. In all, more than 900 cities around the world have experienced Occupy protests, although most haven't drawn the thousands of participants seen at events such as Occupy Oakland or Occupy Wall Street in New York City.