Is it a bit of a far-fetched proposal or merely a nice headline? Well, Pfeifle is fully serious.

'I first mentioned this idea while being interviewed on a cable news programme. Many scoffed. That's understandable. But think about what Twitter has accomplished: It has empowered people to attempt to resolve a domestic showdown with international implications - and has enabled the world to stand with them. It laid the foundation to pressure the world to denounce oppression in Iran.'

Twitter is a blog site where people tell their friends about the details of their lives, but a single message can have a maximum of 140 characters.

As many people in Iran came out on the streets against what they saw as fraud in the presidential elections last month, 140 characters were enough 'to shine a light on Iranian oppression and elevate Twitter to the level of change agent. Even the government of Iran has been forced to utilise the very tool they attempted to squelch to try to hold on to power'.

Without Twitter, the article argues, the world might have known little more than a losing candidate accusing the powers that be of alleged fraud. With Twitter, 'they now shout hope with a passion and dedication that resonates not just with those on their street but with millions across the globe'.

'Twitter and other social media outlets have become the soft weapons of democracy. Twitter told us the story of Neda's supreme sacrifice. It is telling the story of the Iranian people yearning to breathe free. For those reasons, Twitter deserves consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize.'