Monday, October 25, 2004

Are Bloggers' Days Numbered?

Yesterday a friend expressed her concern that sooner or later, someone higher up would eventually get impatient with all the freewheeling uncensored "trash talk" on this blog and others, and put an end to our blogging by blocking access to the Blogger domain, applying the usual principle of الخير يخص والشر يعم . We could all move to other blogging services, but I guess they could catch up there too.

The conversation got me thinking... certainly that poorly written Kuwait Times article (which has since disappeared) didn't help much. But what do you all think?
  1. Are the "powers that be" reckless enough to ban blogging, and risk negative publicity?
  2. If - God forbid - it does happen, what alternatives are available?
  3. Am I making a big deal out of nothing?

29 comments:

  1. G'mornin zaydoun and all.....I was just thinking that less than 30 mins ago, when i tried to access my blog and it was blocked by FasTelco!! I tried again, no use, i tried other blogs, all blocked! Then I tried hotmail, that was blocked too *whew* thats when i realized FT was screwing up! But it did make me think about it.

    Wont be surprised if they do it. Tabtaba'i will come up with something like "It promotes prostitution, drugs, homosexuality, cannibalism, incest, beastiality...etc."

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  2. Actually I wasn't even thinking of Tabtabai, but some people waaay higher up ;-P

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  3. Zaydoun...e7im...like who higher than Tabtaba'i? *cough* e7im (quietly switching voice recorder on while coughing) *cough*

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  4. Patrick, sure there are ways around it.. but it's the political act/attempt of banning Blogger that I worry about. It just means that they want to intimidate.

    Q. افهمها وهي طايرة الله يهداك

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  5. ahaa.....i understand it while its flying ;P

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  6. Well everything has to end one day.

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  7. Thanks HWKW, but I'm not worried about just me. Everyone on Blogger.com will be affected if a ban is in place.

    Thanks also for your suggestion; it's exactly what my friend suggested yesterday.

    Maybe I should have a contingency plan (an online bomb shelter?)

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  8. yes yes, and a secret siren for bloggers only! you know the whistle that only dogs can hear? something like that! Think of something!

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  9. I been thinking of this problem too and made something but just never had time to go public with it yet.

    Kuwait Blogs - Announce ListBasiclly its just one big mailing list that people can join and if anything were to happen to the blogs we can quickly email everyone who will be interested in it.

    Also if they block blogger.com people can still keep track of posts with Safat.Kuwaitblogs.com until other stuff is figured out. Since Safat collects pretty much everyones posts. And if they block that I can move it to lots of other sites.

    I also been contimplating a blogger only mailing list that would allow discussion. But still trying to gauge if people would want it.

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  10. 1- Yes they are reckless.
    2- Once it happens, we'll figure out something.
    3- Well it is serious, but again, this is not the first time freedom of speech is clamped down in kuwait. You should be concerned, but not to the extent of having high blood pressure :)

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  11. I love how everyone is brainstorming together to figure this out. It's like, even though we don't know each other but we KNOW each other haha I know that doesn't make sense but oh well :P

    I love you all (yes even you yellow brick road)!!!!

    ^______^

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  12. 3. Making a big deal out of nothing.

    I dont care anyone cares anymore, not that the Gov has become more tolerant but that their levels of avarice have increased & they're too busy thinking how they can cash in to the surplus in oil revenue *whoohoooo!*

    As to the MPs, as long as it doesn't give them an errection its legal.

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  13. I think that this censorship towards blogging is coming sooner than we all think.. mainly because they are finding ways to divert the publics eye from the actual happenings in the country.. sort of like how Tabtabai' became obsessed with the issue of "Star Academy" or concerts in Kuwait in general.. just to cover up something hidden.. so if blogging does become blocked it will be because its a cover up for something big..

    The alternatives would be basically yahoo groups or some sort of mailing list in which we all write our posts and they get circled around I guess..

    *I refuse to let my freedom of speech to be quieted down because once that goes then everything goes after it..*

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  14. during the days of saddam, salam pax was able to blog. So, if saddam allowed blogging... how bad can things get to block blogger in kuwait?

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  15. Very good point, Rampurple.. Salam Pax managed to remain completely anonymous and secret right till the war was over. Yours truly never bothered to maintain anything resembling secrecy; some of you know my name, some don't.

    As for blocking, I have no idea if Saddam's thugs even knew how to block a domain. Why bother with techie stuff when you can just kill instead? And who was his ISP?

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  16. dear Z.
    if blogs were to be blocked mine would be the first to go.

    if they did block blogs, which im sure is going to happen if bashing the govt. gets out of hand, just use a proxy and you will be ok.

    ciao

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  17. Zaydoun i think u gave the goverment too much credit (e7na wain we ohma wain) did u c thier pictures in the newspaper playing football with the MP's hathoola ra7 ey3arfoun 3an elblogging ya rait ohma fihom ha elkether sophistication shan ma 9ar hatha 7alna 7adhom eyroshona eb '7ara6iem elmay....tathker elathnainat yemken ne9 elbloggers mo la7gein 3ala ha elayam ;-)

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  18. I think it's coming Zaydoun
    I had a threatening e-mail today from one of the Islamists, and will not talk much 'bout it until I decide what action I wana take.

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  19. Rabab.. HOLY SHIT!! That's why I don't have my email on my profile. Meanwhile, your blog is pretty gentle. What could have provoked them?

    Shewrites... I'd be happy to chat with you but since I won't announce my email here, you tell me how to reach you.

    Purg72, is this the storm/cloud you were referring to yesterday?

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  20. أبو حفص، ماذا تقصد بتنقيح المشاركة؟

    بعدين أعتقد أن الأخت الصحفية "عنكريزية" وأكيد ما فهمت شيء من كلامك

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  21. الملاحظات المكررة أنا أشيلها لك، بس تصليح الملاحظات مو بإيدي لأن السيستم إلى الآن لا يسمح بذلك

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  22. حاضر طال عمرك

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  23. I'll talk to the powers that be first thing tomorrow and make sure they stay away from blogs.

    Salam Pax mokana khali :(

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  24. Shurouq, Salam Pax is now writing for The Guardian and also has a book out. Read his diary about his recent trip to Washington DC. It's a riot!

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  25. أنا لست قلقة على اغلمواقع بالذات.........فإن أغلقوا واحدا يمكنكم أن تفتحوا عشرة......و إن منعوكم محليا.......سفعلونها دوليا. قلقي عليكم كأفراد. إن طالوكم....فما التهمة التي من الممكن ان يوجهونها لكم؟؟؟؟

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  26. Definetely a 'Kuwait unplugged' fan so please count me in any contingency plans. Also Zaydoun I left my email in your comments section. Still haven't heard from you ..شو صار

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  27. Thanks for the link, Zaydoun

    Pink, I'm in I'm in.. and I suggest we do it right across the street from Sabah al Ahmed's new house.

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  28. Zaydoun, great job on the blog by the way...very interesting stuff. Is it me or have visits to ur site jumped since the KT article??
    That may be a good and bad thing considering that people are worried that blogging will be blocked...but maybe giving the powers that be ideas about blocking is not a good thing. If they didn't consider blocking before they are thinking about it now.
    The media should focus on issues that need fixing. By all means get your tips and your targets from issues brought up in all these people's blogs...but don't make blogs your story...it's been done and it doesn't really need that kind of attention...let it grow at it's own pace. Especially if you are going to be drawing the wrong kind of attention to the blogs.

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  29. Hmm.. you may be right about the jump in visitors since the article came out.

    Not so sure that's a good thing

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Keep it clean, people!