Saturday, October 23, 2004

Negative? Moi?!

At last, somebody at Kuwait Times takes the time to "discover" the phenomenon of Blogging in Kuwait. And as Purgatory72 pointed out in the previous post's comments, the article calls this blog NEGATIVE!

Actually that description comes from a quote in the article by fellow blogger Rampurple:
"For example, some of us simply don't get along with Zaydoun (Kuwait Unplugged) and Mad M... they're just too negative. They keep criticising Kuwait and the people in it and so forth. If a non-Kuwait resident was reading their blogs they would think Kuwait is some hellhole"

I will give Rampurple the benefit of the doubt, and just assume that she was interviewed for this article when we all lost our tempers over my post about Lebanon last month. As far as I'm concerned, that's water under the bridge.

Besides, I don't think I should have to defend myself. But let me say this..... I don't make this stuff up. It's in the papers and all around us. Kuwait can be a very pleasant country if one makes the effort and turns a blind eye to some of its absurdities. If I thought Kuwait was a hell-hole I would've left years ago. Sure it has its ups and downs, just like any country, but I live a decent happy life here. The things both Mad M2000 and I talk about are very real. They are not cranky complaints just for the sake of complaining, they are real threats to the comfortable lives we all wish to lead. As I've said before on countless occasions, we talk about the bad things BECAUSE THEY NEED FIXING!

BLEEP! The closing paragraph that used to be part of this story has been delted due to some factual errors that apparently gave someone lots of ammunition to use unfairly against the person in question 1.5 years after original posting. Go figure!

20 comments:

  1. Zaydoun,
    Like I said earlier, I meant what I said only because this is my opinion. Has nothing to do with your post on Lebanon.

    The article in Kuwait Times is crap. I emailed Jamie and told her so. She has missed out a lot of information on blogging as well as on bloggers.

    As for you, no you don't need to defend yourself. I never said you made things up, and I am glad you find Kuwait to be pleasant.

    Keep up the good work on your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Goldeneyah, but please lets not turn this into another Kuwaiti vs. Non-Kuwaiti argument. If we believe in freedom of speech, then we must allow all opinions to be heard. You can disagree with them as you like, but please don't deny anyone the right to speak their mind just because they're not Kuwaiti.

    One thing struck me in this article. Western expats living here are typically the first to describe Kuwait as a hellhole. I'm surprised Ms. Etheridge didn't follow that lead and ask to hear more..

    ReplyDelete
  3. zaydoun i'm not defending u but i think u r one of the most constructive bloggers and even MADM2000 in his own way there's nothing wrong with criticising, what's wrong is to keep quiet and let every thing as it is.
    acctually to me is keeping quiet is the most negative thing Kuwaities suffer from GOUM MA KAREY we should talk and express our openions and stop fearing from what other people might think of us..keep the good work zaydoun

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice try on the spanish folks. i will shortly set up a tutoring centre for those of you who are linguistically challenged :P

    Zaydoun: FUCK'EM! i say we shoudl bitch and whine and do whatever it takes for people to start noticing what is wrong with this country. those who dont like it can ____ me!


    To be honest Zaydoung, your blog was the first one i ever read, and here i sit with a few comments under my belt. so if anyone in q8 doesnt like your blog let them go a F*** themselves, after all, you started the blog revolution in q8.

    au revoir mon ami!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks everyone, but lets keep the four-letter words to a minimum. It's Ramadan!

    ReplyDelete
  6. أبو حفص، بإمكانك البقاء مجهولاً إذا استطعت أن تبقي البلوج سري ولا تفصح بهويتك لأحد

    بعدين إذا أنا قالوا عني "نيجاتيف" انت شنو بيقولون عنك؟

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't have much to say about this issue except that, Zaydoun, I think your doing a great job with your blog. You're creative and you point out the major issues we (as Kuwaiti citizens) should be aware of..
    Kuwait is not a hell-hole YET!! But if the government and (most importantly) "WE" do not do something to stop or put an end to all this daily nonsense... well I guess we'll all be living in a hell-hole...
    I'm not being pessimistic, but Realistic..

    Enjoy life.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Zaydoun
    I read the article before reading your blog and it surprised me that you dedicated a post for it and made it an issue. This article, like many others in our daily newspapers, was just space filler. And I don't see why you got annoyed by the opinion stated from one person. As you said, every one is entitled to their own opinion.
    And if you want my honest opinion; I do find your postings sometimes negative, not in the sense that she mentioned, but in a way it reminds me of the acidic reality, while I try to escape from it in the blogging world. And I know that a lot of others feel the same way. We all check your blog daily although some of us refrain from posting a comment and each one of us has his own reasons. For me; I have lost any hope in two matters in this society; religion, and politics. And unless I am provoked, I would not touch these issues.
    This is your blog and this is your free zone, and this is your style.
    Keep the good work dude at least you still have hope.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The link you posted to the article has been changed. Whoever created the website/coding system is an idiot.

    Here is a link to the article, scanned right from the newspaper.
    http://www.thekuwaiti.com/images/kuwait-times.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  10. After struggling to read the article, I found it very superficial and worthless. I found the people who contributed to the article had one concern is to come across as righteous bloggers. I agree with Rabab when she said the article is a space filler.
    Comrades , citizens don?t believe everything you read

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rabab, I just got annoyed at the word "negative". I would've wholeheartedly accepted words like critical, brutal, honest, sarcastic, cynical and so on.

    "Negative" just gives the impression of doom and gloom, that I have given up on the world and see only the bad, which is so not the case.

    ReplyDelete
  12. e-communities are easy targets everywhere..
    Chins up blogmates and keep on blogging

    ReplyDelete
  13. مساؤكم خير و حب و فرح.........نحن في الكويت.
    شوفو يا جماعة..........الكويت حلوة.. جد... جد حلوة الله لا يحرمنا منها.لكن هناك عيوب.........مشاكل لا يخلو منها أي مجتمع .....و علينا نحن أبناء هذا البلد و المقيمين فيه على حد سواء. الموضوع ليس كونك كويتيا أو غير كويتي فربما هناك غير كويتيين في هذا البلد من يعشقون أرضها و بحرها أكثر من أولادها. الموضوع هو نقد المسكوت عنه. نقدالسيئات ...الفساد...التسيب...الأخطاء. فربما يسمع صوتنا هنا أو هناك و نجد من يستجيب لنا.
    كونك تنقد ليس معناه أنك سلبي.....لكن لا مانع أن نعدد إيجابيات هذه البلد و صدقوني أنها كثيرة.......بجانب سلبياتها. فربما أحدكم عنده حق....لماذا ننظر دائما إلى النصف الفارغ من الكأس؟؟؟؟؟
    زيدون........ هات شوية إيجابيات لو سمحت.
    أعجبني....ذاللك الخائف من أمن الدولة......و سؤاله في محله....هل سننتهي في أمن الدولة؟؟؟؟؟؟؟أم نحن في أمان.
    كونوا بخير

    ReplyDelete
  14. Okay let's get a few things straight.. Zaydoun don't be offended or pissed at whatever was said in that article.. One thing to be sure about it is that the words that were said were twisted around to suit their needs..

    Also the lame grammar used puts anyone to shame, I mean pleaseeeeeee I was so pissed at the grammar appart from the other stuff mentioned there..

    Again as everyone above mentioned this was done to fill up some space, poorly might I add, because it would have really turned out as a great article if she had done her research quite well instead of just put something like that together , so kind of lost my train of thought.. But anyways take it easy and its just not worth it..

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jackie.. you're so right. I read it again and it's so poorly written and the grammar is so bad, all bloggers - not just me - should be offended that we were mentioned in such a crappy piece of writing!!

    You have to remember though, all the "English" papers here don't have real journalists, just some paid volunteers/hacks who can string a few sentences together.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Zaydoun see I believe a monkey with a paper and pen can write an even better article with at least understandable english :P

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dear Ms. Etheridge

    I was chatting with PSS (Pink) on MSN and I told her I had this nagging feeling that you may have left a contact request on the blog and that I may have made a mental note to respond and then simply forgot. For that I apologize.

    However, since you weren't able to reach me you could've just left Kuwait Unplugged out of the article, or at least given YOUR opinion on it instead of just repeating a quote. You certainly didn't do Rampurple any favors!

    And it's spelled GRAMMAR, not GRAMMER.

    Thanks
    Zaydoun

    PS: What happened to the article? I can't find it on the website anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sure... no hard feelings. And that's a great book, by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  19. As a Southern Californian who is illiterate in Arabic (vocabulary of perhaps a couple hundred words, if that) I can speak to the impression I receive of Kuwait--the struggle of many religious conservatives to govern the behavior of others outside their immediate sphere of influence (madrassa,mosque,church...) is somewhat more intense than here in Los Angeles, but not too different from what some outspoken American religious conservatives would like to impose.

    In other words, Kuwait appears to be struggling with the same issues that are found both here and throughout the 'Islamic world'.

    Good luck in your struggle.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dear casual readers and critics alike,

    I would like to address a few issues with regards to this blog. I will begin by letting you all know that my comments are my ramblings and may or may not be taken lightly - i am open to criticism.

    Journalism is not an easy job. It is a career that many follow around the world, but few would take the time to pursue in Kuwait (hence why so many talented writers maintain online blogs instead of getting published). It might seem, at this point, that i am taking sides with the issue at hand, but i am not. I am merely taking time to bring to light the truth, from a journalist's stand-point.

    Indeed, critics are plentiful on a global scale, but i see hypocrisy in much of what is said here. You claim that this 'Ms. Etheridge' was wrong and flawed in her research on bloggers, but then you attack her from every angle made available to you.

    I appreciate Zaydoun's composure throughout all of this, despite the fact that he was the so-called victim. In sharp contrast, other bloggers have attacked 'Ms. Etheridge' whilst reassuring Zaydoun that he is a "constructive blogger."

    If being constructive is all that is in demand, then why aren't you people following suit? practice what you preach. If being constructive really is a trait to be admired, then why have you all made it your life's mission to attack 'Ms. Etheridge' so blatantly?

    Where i come from, we give constructive criticism.

    Despite all of that, I believe blogging in Kuwait is a silent revolution deserving no respect but with those involved in it - as with any other revolution. It is only those who are in the 'know-how' who would truly know what a great thing it is. Freedom of speech did not exist in Kuwait until the blogging phenomenon reached its shores. Keep up the good work everyone, and remember to be constructive in your criticism.


    p.s. If anyone wishes to contact me, look me up on blogger.

    ReplyDelete

Keep it clean, people!