Most accounts from rights activists as well as journalists on the scene and sociologists analyzing the situation clearly show that Facebook had an enormous influence on the start and spread of the uprisings, as well as their apparent domino effect. It served a primary means of communication.

Africa – once considered the lab for Chinese companies’ reach outside - is being relegated into a destination with too many risk factors. Safer political destinations and countries closer to home are likely to benefit from the shift. The readjustment has been in the works for some time but the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have made those subtle shifts more pronounced.

Youssef created mock Arabic newscasts of the Egyptian revolution for YouTube. The comedy clips were such a hit that they led to a production deal with Egypt's ONTV.

Now, when competing for Nile water, Cairo must deal with several governments and commercial interests. Moreover, Ethiopia...has announced plans to build a huge hydroelectric dam on its branch of the Nile that would reduce the water flow to Egypt even more.

Israeli officials are already trying to use the opening of the crossing for public diplomacy, arguing that a planned new flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists with supplies for Gaza is a political provocation rather than a humanitarian mission.

Ambassador Menha Bakhoum, head of media and public diplomacy for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, told CNN, “The Egyptian government decided to open the Rafah border to give relief to the people of Gaza permanently.

It will witness a high turn-up of French companies that will display their products and know-how, present their achievements and developments in the ICT sector, and seize this world class opportunity to promote their new technologies and services to a broad spectrum of visitors expected from Egypt and the Middle-East region.

Judith McHale’s departure from her position as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs presents an opportunity not only to appraise her tenure, but also to consider the future direction of U.S. public diplomacy.