The Blogging Journalist

Why Gawain Towler is Suspending His England Expects Blog

Back on September 23, 2008, Gawain Towler at England Expects told his readers:

So long, farewell, auf weidersein, goodbyeee. Ladies and gentlemen, I am sad to announce that from henceforth England Expects shall be consigned to the dustbins of history. I say this with a heavy heart, but it is the case. And this is why.

Yesterday I was summoned by my Secretary General and informed that a formal complaint had been made about my posting on this blog.

Towler said his "activities were found to be in contravention of the Staff Code of Conduct..."

See "ironique et eurosceptique" for more details. Also see EurSoc's "The EU Blog Wars Have Begun."

Technorati Tags: England Expects,Gawain Towler

Report: Egyptian Bloggers Number Around 160,000

"The Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC)" has issued a report detailing "the usage and content of Egyptian and Arab blogs," according to a July 31, 2008 report by Meghan Michael in the Daily News of Egypt, which calls itself "Egypt's on Independent Newspaper in English."  See "Blogging on the rise in Egypt despite security risks, threats, says report.

Michael notes that, "A few years ago, the word blog would have mostly likely been met with blank stares or looks of confusion. In 2004, Egypt had only 40 registered blogs, and the idea of posting thoughts on personal web pages for the public to read was virtually unheard of at the time."

"Today, however," she adds, "the number of Egyptians who are venturing into cyberspace and blogging totals an estimated 160,000, according to a recent report."

Technorati Tags: Egyptian Bloggers,Daily News of Egypt,Meghan Michael

Pakistani Blogs Expected to Increase by Thousands

Noor Aftab of the Pakistani publication The News contends in a July 22, 2008, post: "Fast emerging Internet-based blog culture offers vast opportunities to express thoughts and share feelings but at the same time poses a real threat to social norms and traditions of our society because it goes beyond any censorship policy." See "A Real Threat to Social Norms.

Aftab quotes Muhammad Sadiq, an employee at Pakistan's state-run telecom regulator, as saying:

The number of Internet- based blogs developed in Pakistan is expected to increase from hundreds to thousands in the coming months.

That's good. Hopefully, the government and religious groups won't try to censor them just because they might not like what bloggers write or the discussions that take place between commenters.

Technorati Tags: Pakistani Blogs,The News,Noor Aftab

Mea Culpa: Females Dominate Swedish Blogosphere

Swedish "public relations practitioner" Hans Kullin, who blogs at Mea Culpa, revealed on February 20, 3008, that, "The results of my third blog survey suggest that three out of four Swedish bloggers are female (76.2% vs 23.8%)." See "Female bloggers register three times as many domains as male bloggers."

"Statistics from .SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) now support the view that women are dominating the Swedish blogosphere," Kullin wrote. "According to a press release, female bloggers registered 18% of all new private domains in Sweden (.se) during 2007 while male bloggers only registered 6%. That is almost exactly the same female/male ratio (75% vs 25%) as in my survey," Kullin noted.

Technorati Tags: Hans Kullin,Mea Culpa,Swedish Blogosphere,Female Bloggers,The Blogging Journalist

Bloggers Salute Guido Fawkes for Exposing Funding Scandal

Owen Walker, described in the New Statesman as "a journalist for a number of titles within Financial Times Business, primarily focusing on pensions," told readers in a January 28, 2008, post:

In the week Peter Hain [link added] finally fell on his sword [link added], Iain Dale salutes his fellow  blogfather, Guido Fawkes [link added], for breaking and persisting with the funding scandal story: “Bloggers do not exist to get political scalps. But when a blogger reveals possible law breaking and drives the media debate, as Guido has done, let’s recognise that as a good thing and give him the credit he is due.

Dale was joined in his blog back slapping by scores of posters on Guido’s blog.

Walker cites the opinions of several political bloggers in the United Kingdom who've followed the inquiry into Hain's role in a political donations scandal, and bloggers reactions to it.

By the way, Hain was Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State for Wales under British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Leader of the House of Commons under Tony Blair, Brown's predecessor.

If you want to read Walker's entire post, see "The curse of Wales."

Technorati Tags: Peter hain,Ian Dale,Guido Fawkes,Owen Walker,New Statesman

'Kenyan Are Among Africa's Most Avid Bloggers'

Kenyan Journalist Charles Onyango-Obbo,  writing in the January 28, 2008, edition of The East African of Kenya, made the following observation:

One of the things that brought a lethal edge to the Kenyan election is that, unlike Ugandans, Kenyans are among Africa’s most avid bloggers. There were over 600 blogs that were hot on the elections, some spewing shocking tribal vitriol.

That, and the hate speech on some FM stations and SMSs gave insights into how new technologies can shape politics in poor countries and fragile democracies.

Onyango-Obbo said, "If Kenya teaches us anything, it is that in African countries where ethnic rivalries are still strong, these messages find very many people waiting for their worst prejudices to be reinforced."

To read his entire post, see "Low-tech political class losing control to savvy hate merchants."

Technorati Tags: Kenyan Bloggers,The East African,Charles Onyango-Obbo

Delhi Bloggers Host Blogger Meeting

Garima Dutt at NDTV.com in New Delhi, India, reported January,13 2008, that "The capital over the weekend hosted its first bloggers meet to bring together ideas and help bridge the gap in the fragmented space of blogging."

Dutt said, "The meeting was the brainchild of a group of active bloggers."

"This is not exactly the first of its kind but the idea behind this meet is that this is basically a platform to share ideas," Abhishek Kant, founder member of Delhi Bloggers and New Media Society, was quoted as saying.

For more, please see "Diverse space: Delhi Bloggers gather."

Technorati Tags: Delhi Bloggers and New Media Society,NDTV.com,Garima Dutt,Abhishek Kant

Salam Pax Analyzes Iraqi Media's Presence on the Internet

Recommended: Iraqi blogger Salam Pax's December 20, 2007, post at Electronic Iraq.Net headlined "Iraq Online." It's "a quick look at the virtual space Iraqi media occupies on the Internet..."

Technorati Tags: Salam Pax, Electronic Iraq.Net,Iraq Online

Edmonton, Canada Wants to Set a Blogging Record

Edmonton Sun.com, which covers Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, reported December 21, 2007, that "Edmonton's Internet junkies are poised to set a Guinness record in the new year for the most simultaneous blog posts from a single community." See "Bloggers: Help Set a Record."

"For three hours on Jan. 1 -from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Edmontonians are asked to visit the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts to post an online journal entry on one of several sites monitored during the event," the Sun reported.

The publication said, "Bloggers can participate from home but helpers will be on hand at the arts centre, 9702 111 Ave., to introduce people to the trend."

According to the Sun, "Mari-Lyn Hudson, one of the event's co-organizers, said the record attempt will raise Edmonton's profile and teach people about blogging."

Technorati Tags: Edmonton Bloggers, Edmonton Sun.com, Guinness Record

The Guardian Highlights Blogs in Several Cities in the UK

Guy Clapperton of The Guardian of London has a good roundup today of bloggers from various cities and towns in the United Kingdom.

"Blogs are changing," Clapperton contends. "What appeared at first to be a solitary occupation behind closed doors has spawned award ceremonies, social gatherings and networking events - and it's inspired this roundup of the liveliest cities in the UK for blogging."

To read the roundup, please see "Mapping Britain's blogosphere." Clapperton highlights bloggers in Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, London, Glasgow and Liverpool, to name a few cities.

Technorati Tags: Guy Clapperton, Guardian Unlimited, UK Bloggers

Why Was Blogging Journalist Llewellyn Kriel Fired?

South African Journalist Paul Jacobson, who blogs at The Blogumist, one of the blogs of the Johannesburg, South Africa-based The Times', notes in a December 19, 2007, post that, "A hot topic in the last few weeks was [journalist] Llewellyn Kriel’s [November 29, 2007] dismissal from the Sowetan (a sister publication to The Times) after he blogged about morale at the Sowetan on Thought Leader, a group blog run by the Mail & Guardian (the competition).

"A debate has raged about whether he was fired simply because he blogged or because he actually divulged confidential information (the reason given for his dismissal)," Jacobson writes.

Media in Transition's Vincent Maher contends in a November 30, 2007, post headlined "Sowetan Journalist Fired for Blogging" that:

What this situation highlights is the strategic complexities of Media 2.0 as a set of publishing principles, and the risks corporates now face when every irritated employee could potentially have a voice on the web that will be indexed by Google in perpetuity. What it does is raise several important questions about the role of the journalist in the media company. On paper Kriel must have violated several confidentiality clauses in his contract if one ignores his argument that what he was saying was already on public record but, looking at things slightly differently, what Kriel said would have faded away had he been disciplined subtly and constructively. As always in these things, I suspect there is more to this than meets they eye but, nevertheless, Kriel will become a sort of martyr for the cause.

For more of Jacobson's December 19, 2007, post, see "Getting Fired for Blogging." Also see "Blogger of the Week: SA’s first media blog casualty" and "Fired for blogging."

To read the post Kriel was purportedly fired for writing, see "Working on that pig’s ear, baby."  To read his response to being sacked, see "The ‘gross misconduct’ of blogging."

Technorati Tags: Llewellyn Kriel, Sowetan, The Times, Mail & Guardian, Blogging

Britain's National Union of Journalist Wants Bloggers to Unite

Britain's "National Union of Journalists (NUJ) recently caused a stir by welcoming its first full-time freelance blogger into membership. It's just another example of the increasingly diverse workforce being represented by unions today," Jeremy Dear, general secretary of NUJ, wrote in the December 17, 2007 Comment is Free blog. If you are inclined to read more, see "Bloggers of the world, unite.

Technorati Tags: National Union of Journalists

Iran's Blogging President

New York Times correspondent Nazila Fathi, writing from Tehran, Iran, says "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, is not the first name that comes to mind when thinking of net surfers and instant messages.

"Yet, it turns out, the man is a blogger," she notes in an article I read in the December 15, 2007, StarTribune.com of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.

Fathi said, "Equally surprising for a leader known for a thundering public presence, his blog is not especially tough. He condemns Washington's policies, but writes infrequently and more ponderously than in his famously confrontational speeches. Yet the reader comments posted alongside his own seem far less censored and harsher than one might expect."

It doesn't surprise me that he is less harsh than he is often portrayed. I suspect much of what we read about foreign leaders our government despises is propaganda. The same goes for the way U.S. leaders are sometimes portrayed in countries at odds with the U.S.

 If you're inclined to read more about the Iranian leader's blogging, see "Iran's president gets personal in blog.

Tags: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Nazila Fathi, New York Times

Some Elderly Citizens in India Taking Up Blogging

"Filmstars are doing it, stay-at-home moms are discovering its joys, jetsetting CEOs are logging in to network, and of course, the young are earning a tidy bit from it. And now, elderly Indians have jumped into the engaging world of blogging," writes Meenakshi Kumar in the December 16, 2007, edition of The Times of India.

Kumar said, "Age isn’t stopping them from exploring a completely new medium." It's a great way for them to record family histories and make their views known on a variety of issues. I would love to see more elderly get into blogging.

To read more, see "Old Hands at Blogging."

Tags: Times of Indian, Blogging

New Zealand's Prime Minister Starts Blogging: Why?

"Prime Minister Helen Clark [of New Zealand] has entered the blogosphere, posting a rebuttal to The Press political reporter Colin Espiner's On the House blog over her criticism of journalism standards," according to a December 13, 2007, report at Stuff.co.nz.

To read more, please see "PM has lift-off into blogosphere."

Tags: Prime Minister Helen Clark. The Press, Colin Espiner

Saudi Arabia,the Internet and the Blogosphere

CHICAGO, USA -- Mshari Al-Zaydi, the English language, Arab-owned international daily Asharq Al-Awsat’s opinion page Editor, notes in a post in the December 10, 2007, edition that, "According to the prevalent circulating information; internet technology was first introduced in Saudi Arabia in January 1999, despite the fact that the first application of the World Wide Web technology dates back to 1992 after it was released by the US Department of Defense in 1983."

 "The Internet was well-received in Saudi and everyone was impressed by its capabilities, especially the fact that all the required information could be obtained with the click of a button," he contends. "Some could not stand to wait for the slow-paced efforts to introduce the Internet to Saudi and instead subscribed to the international rates available in Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates (UAE)," he writes.

Mshari said, "It did not take long for the public to catch on to forums and chat rooms, which developed quickly and efficiently. Al Sahat website became the most prominent Arab platform where political and ideological wars were launched between bloggers," he added. "The web site used to be characterized by a plethora of visitors, some of whom supported the Taliban, then Al Qaeda following the 9/11 attacks, and others who fiercely defended liberalism and enlightenment. The level of debates in the website’s forums was once compelling and used to transcend the sensitivities of politicians and conservatives."

To read more, if you're so inclined, see "The Internet: Who Will Stop The Flood?

Tags: Bloggers. Asharq Al-Awsat, Mishari Al-Zaydi, Al Sahat

Blogging in Saudi Arabia Reportedly Gaining Momentum

Abdul Ilah al Khalifi at London-based asharq alawsat reported October 18, 2007, that "The Official Community for Saudi Bloggers (OCSAB)"recently ... held a series of meetings with bloggers in various regions of Saudi Arabia, urging them to continue their efforts; particularly in the social, cultural, economic and scientific domains."

To read more, see "Saudi Arabia: Blogging Continues to Gain Momentum."

Bloggers With Mobile Phones, E-Mail Keep News Flowing Out of Myanmar

Jane Holroyd and Daniella Miletic report in the September 27, 2007, edition of The Age of Australia that, "young student bloggers [in Myanmar/Burma] are risking years in prison by breaking the junta's stringent Internet controls to post descriptions and photos of the biggest anti-government protests in 20 years."

"Known as "citizen journalists", the students are leaking videos and photos mainly caught on mobile phones," they reported.

To read the entire report, see "Bloggers go armed with mobile phones."

Technorati tags: Myanmar Bloggers, Myanmar, Burma, The Age

An Update on Africa's Blogosphere

CHICAGO, USA -- "The African blogosphere is on the move," according to an article in Africa News reported by Elvira van Noort of  Grahamstown, South Africa. "An explosive growth in blogs and the coming of different Web 2.0 tools continue to change the South African online media landscape," she reported. "The rest of Africa is also on the move: with many challenges and restrictions in place the continent sees a growth in kiSwahili blogs." 

To learn more about it, see "Africa: Time for update on blogosphere."

Technorati tags: Africa's Blogosphere, Africa News, Elvira van Noort, South Africa Online, kiSwahili Blogs

Blogger Riverbend Finally Leaves Iraq and Settles in Syria

Riverbend, the Iraqi blogger behind the widely popular Baghdad Burning blog, which was launched on August 17, 2003, and became known around the world, has finally left Iraq. She blogged about it on September 6, 2007. Before then, her last post was on April 26, 2007, and was headlined "The Great Wall of Segregation..."

River's September 6 post is headlined "Leaving Home..." and is an account of her family's escape to Syria after  living under U.S. occupation since March 2003. The car bombings, kidnappings and living with the constant fear that death could come at any moment took its toll on her family. She writes:

There was one point, during the final days of June, where I simply sat on my packed suitcase and cried. By early July, I was convinced we would never leave. I was sure the Iraqi border was as far away, for me, as the borders of Alaska. It had taken us well over two months to decide to leave by car instead of by plane. It had taken us yet another month to settle on Syria as opposed to Jordan. How long would it take us to reschedule leaving?

It happened almost overnight. My aunt called with the exciting news that one of her neighbors was going to leave for Syria in 48 hours because their son was being threatened and they wanted another family on the road with them in another car- like gazelles in the jungle, it’s safer to travel in groups. It was a flurry of activity for two days. We checked to make sure everything we could possibly need was prepared and packed. We arranged for a distant cousin of my moms who was to stay in our house with his family to come the night before we left (we can’t leave the house empty because someone might take it).

It was a tearful farewell as we left the house. One of my other aunts and an uncle came to say goodbye the morning of the trip. It was a solemn morning and I’d been preparing myself for the last two days not to cry. You won’t cry, I kept saying, because you’re coming back. You won’t cry because it’s just a little trip like the ones you used to take to Mosul or Basrah before the war. In spite of my assurances to myself of a safe and happy return, I spent several hours before leaving with a huge lump lodged firmly in my throat. My eyes burned and my nose ran in spite of me. I told myself it was an allergy.

As Wikipedia notes, River's "weblog entries were first collected and published as Baghdad Burning, (with a foreword by investigative journalist James Ridgeway), and Baghdad Burning II,  (also with an introduction by James Ridgeway and Jean Casella). They have since been translated and published in numerous countries and languages. In 2005, the book, Baghdad Burning, won third place for the Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage and in 2006 it was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson prize.

According to Wikipedia, "Baghdad Burning has also been made into several dramatic plays, mostly produced in New York City. BBC Radio 4 broadcast a five-episode dramatisation of her blog, "Baghdad Burning", on the "Woman's Hour" Serial, on each day from the 18th of December, 2006 until the 22nd of December, 2006."

Hopefully, River will blog more about Iraq now that she is in a relatively safe place.

Technorati tags: Riverbend, Baghdad Burning, Leaving Home

In Vietnam, Blogging Took Off With the Introduction of Yahoo 360

"In Viet Nam," according to VietNamNet Bridge, "blogging really took off among the younger set in 2005 and 2006 with the introduction of Yahoo! 360, which doesn’t ask for the user’s full name and only requires a nickname (a “handle”) and a name for the blog."

VietNamNet Bridge reported September 3, 2007, that "The online ratings outfit alexa.com ranks the number of Vietnamese bloggers fourth."

To read more, see "Blogging – A controversial issue."

Technorati tags: Vietnamese Bloggers, VietNamNet, Yahoo! 360

ICJ to Honor Egyptian Blogger, Burmese Reporter November 13

Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas and freelance Burmese investigative reporter May Thingyan Hein will be honored November 13, 2007, at the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) awards dinner at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., USA. See "Along with Tom Brokaw, they will be honored at the  International Center for Journalists Awards Dinner on Nov. 13. They are the 2007 Knight International Journalism Award Winners.

Abbas, 32, who blogs at Digital Misr, told Jumana Al Tamimi, Middle East Editor at Gulf News.com:  "I was surprised, but at the same time, don't know how to describe my feelings, (at the time of receiving the news of the award). "I had mixed feelings. I have met with appreciation and honour from strangers and foreigners, which I don't get from my compatriots." See "Egyptian blogger first to win award.

Technorati tags: Wael Abbas, May Thingyan Hein, International Center for Journalists, Knight International Journalism Award, Digital Misr

The Cambodian Bloggers Summit

Beth Kanter, "a professional blogger" who "writes about the use of social media tools in the nonprofit sector for social change," published a revealing post on August 30, 2007, headlined "Cyber Cambodian Session - Cambodian Bloggers Summit."

I've declined to quote from Kanter's post since she doesn't use quotes and I can't tell when she's speaking or paraphrasing speakers whose ideas are coming to her through a translator. Anyway, the report gives a sense of what blogging is like in Cambodia, where there is no word for blogging.

Technorati tags: Beth Kanter, Cambodian Blog Summit

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How UK's Farmer's Weekly Uses Online Forums to Get Information to Farmers

Isabel Davies, Community Editor of Farmers Weekly in the United Kingdom, has a column at Press Gazette.co.uk headlined "My Week: Isabel Davies." It's nothing fancy but I found it informative. I saw immediately the benefit of Farmers Weekly's online forum. For example, Davis wrote on August 23, 2007:

"Online communities helped Farmers Weekly get vital information out to readers on the new foot-and-mouth outbreak… and hear back from those affected."

That means readers got information fast and unfiltered although some of it may have been speculative. At least they were talking to each other.

By the way, Davies tells how she does her job. On August 13, 2007, she wrote: "I spend the morning in our weekly diary meeting dissecting our coverage in last week's magazine as well as online.

"The feeling is that we had addressed all the big issues – not least because of the positive feedback we've been getting through our new online forums, FWiSpace. They are proving invaluable as a way of getting information out to farmers quickly and also for picking up leads from our readers."

These forums are as important to farmers as TechMeme and Megite are to tech bloggers. Maybe even more so.

Technorati tags: Isabel Davies, Farmers Weekly, Press Gazette.co.uk, My Week: Isabel Davies, FWiSpace, TechMeme, Megite

'Blogging for Democracy Around the World

Global Voices has an interview with Antony Loewenstein, "a Sydney [Australia]-based freelance journalist, author and blogger" who "recently traveled to Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and China to meet with bloggers." According to blogger Hamid Tehrani, Loewenstein "is currently writing a book on “Democracy and Blogging.”

To read the interview, which I found enlightening, see "Blogging for democracy around the world."

Technorati tags: Hamid Tehrani, Antony Lowenstein, Blogging for Democracy Around the World

'Like it or Not, Blogs are Here to Stay'

Daniel Morton at Six-Oh-Four, a blog offering "thoughts from a Journalism student in Vancouver," British Columbia,  Canada, offers the following advice about blogging and its critics:

Like it or not, blogs are here to stay. They’ve been heralded in turn as the saviour and the downfall of modern news, but these ‘citizen Journalism’ sites aren’t going away.

"So for every disheartened blogger out there who’s thinking that his or her long nights are going to amount to nothing more than a caffeine addiction and carpal tunnel syndrome, lets stop and take a look at how a small blog helped launch the career of one of Langley, B.C’s (my hometown) newest politicians," he wrote.

To read the entire post, see "Bateman, Blogs and Langley politics."

Technorati tags: Six-Oh-Four, Daniel Morton

E-Bangladesh Link Fixed

I've heard from Rezwan, proprietor of The 3rd World View, regarding my August 18, 2007, post headlined "The Third World View Blog Introduces E-Bangladesh. I noted that, "When I clicked on E-Bangladesh I got this: "Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here." It seems to be due to a  WordPress database error. Hopefully, it will be fixed soon."

Well, it has been fixed. Click on E-Bangladesh and you will see a "News/Headlines service and a group blog aimed at bringing the latest news and best analysis from Bangladesh to its readers." The blog is based in London.

In the post, I also said, "Thanks to Rezwan, I can follow the blogging of Bangladeshi bloggers Tasneem Khalil, Mashuqur Rahman and Saleem Samad. At least until their blogs are blocked or they are arrested. Khalil was arrested on May 11, 2007."

According to Rezwan, "Tasneem Khalil was released on May 12, 2007. He is in exile in Sweden and one of the person behind E Bangladesh, which is registered in UK as a newspaper." See http://rezwanul.blogspot.com/2007/05/tasneem-khalil-freed-at-last.html"

As for Saleem Samad, he "is in Canada and has been granted political asylum," according to Rezwan. "Mashuqur Rahman is a Bangladeshi American who is vocal against the involvement of Army in the interim Bangladesh Government and the prevailing State of Emergency."

Thanks Rezwan. I've subscribed to E-Bangladesh and will follow it and The 3rd World View closely.

Technorati tags: Rezwan, The 3rd World View, E-Bangladesh, Trasneen Khalil, Saleem Samad, Mashuqur Rahman

The Third World View Blog Introduces E-Bangladesh

On August 16, 2007, The 3rd World View blog announced "the formal launch of E-Bangladesh, Bangladesh's answer to The Huffington Post. Focusing on Bangladesh, this aggregated weblog offers latest news and best analysis to its readers, uncensored," writes a blogger who goes by the name Rezwan. See "Blogs, Anonymity, Freedom of Expression

When I clicked on E-Bangladesh I got this: "Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here." It seems to be due to a  WordPress database error. Hopefully, it will be fixed soon.

I usually won't quote anonymous bloggers or bloggers that use one name. However, when it comes bloggers and journalists in countries where the killing, beating and incarceration of journalists is as common as breathing I make an exception. This is one such case. Bangladesh has a long history of mistreating journalists.

Thanks to Rezwan, I can follow the blogging of Bangladeshi bloggers Tasneem Khalil, Mashuqur Rahman and Saleem Samad. At least until their blogs are blocked or they are arrested. Khalil was arrested on May 11, 2007.

Technorati tags: The 3rd World View, E-Bangladesh, The Huffington Post, Tasneem Khalil, Mashuqur Rahman, Saleem Samad.

'The African Blogosphere - More Extensive Than You Might Think'

The SIG-III Blog, published by The Special Interest Group for International Information Issues (SIG-III) of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), says in an August 16, 2007, post that "The African blogosphere (is) more extensive than you might think."

I make it a point to try to find information on the African blogosphere. So if you are aware of African bloggers and blogs please let me know. I want to monitor them as closely as I can.

By the way, The Independent of London recently published an article on the African blogosphere headlined "Boom in blogs gives Africans a voice on the Web." 

Technorati tags: The SIG-III Blog, The African Blogosphere

Esra’a Al Shafei: 'Why Blog?'

"For many young writers, activists, and journalists, the Internet has revolutionized communication strategies, especially in countries where most media outlets are state-owned," writes Esra’a Al Shafei in an August 13, 2007, post at Global Comment.com. See "Why Blog. "

The writer said, "Middle Eastern people in particular have never had the opportunity to voice their opinions freely, which is precisely why blogging is so attractive. Its main purpose is interaction. For the very first time, we have a media outlet that we can rely on and lead. It is an exceptional source for alternative news and information. This is why bloggers are also commonly referred to as “citizen journalists,” who not only comment on existing media reports but also play a very big role in creating them. "

Esra’a also said, "The ultimate question remains, why blog?" He offers a few reasons.

Technorati tags: Esra’a Al Shafei, Global Comment, Why Bkog?

WordPress Reportedly Blocked in Turkey

 MIDEAST YOUTH reported August 17, 2007that, "WordPress [link added], a growing blog publishing system, has recently been blocked in Turkey [link added]." See "WordPress blocked in Turkey."

The publication said, "Founder and main developer Matt Mullenweg is asking for suggestions on ways to go about accessing WordPress within the country, after expressing his disappointment over this decision, which seems to be another strategy for Turkey to curb freedom of speech."

Curious, I stopped by Erkan Saka's blog, Erkan's Field Diary,  to see if he had written anything about this. I didn't find anything. Erkan, a "Ph.D candidate at the Anthropology Department of Rice University [in Texas, USA] and an instructor at the Public Relations Department of Istanbul Bilgi University," is from Turkey and is in the country now. Hopefully, he will write something about WordPress being blocked there.

By the way, The Technology Free Press, my technology blog, is powered by WordPress. However, I don't use the free version."

Technorati tags: Mideast Youth, WordPress, Matt Mullenweg, WordPress Blocked in Turkey, Erkan Saka, Erkan's Field Diary

Recommended: Arabisto.com - An Arab-American Blog Community'

LUTD [Light Up the Darkness) published an August 7, 2007, post on "Arabisto.com - An Arab-American Blog Community." According to LUTD, Nadia Gergis [link added] recently spoke with Global Voices about a new collective of blogs that make up the recently launched Arabisto.com. 

“We’re a group of 26 bloggers," says Nadia, according to LUTD. “All from very diverse backgrounds, who are either from the Arab world or surrounding regions or have an interest in the Middle East and its neighbors.” 

LUTD said, "Bloggers range from college students to professional journalists and represent all ethnicities, religions and political parties.  Topics run the gamut, with the goal of reflecting the view of the “Arab-American street”, on everything from honor killings to Middle East democracies to the Iraq war."

Technorati tags: LUTD, Arabisto.com, Nadia Gergis, Global Voices

The Independent: 'Blogs Are Taking Off Across Africa'

"Blogs are taking off across Africa as a new tech-savvy generation takes advantage of growing Internet access," reports Steve Bloomfield, a correspondent for The Independent of London. See "Boom in blogs gives Africans a voice on the Web."

 Bloomfield said, "The African blogosphere was, until recently, filled by the African diaspora and westerners living in Africa. But native African voices are now being heard."

Bloomfield, writing from Nairobi, Kenya, said that East African nation, "in particular, has seen a large growth in the number of bloggers. The Kenyan Blogs Webring began in 2004 with just 10 sites - now it has more than 430, blogging on everything from politics and business to arts and culture," he noted.

Technorati tags: African Bloggers, The African Blogosphere

Arabisto.com: Blogging in Arabic Steadily Increasing

"The growing trend of active Arab bloggers, both Islamic and Secular is largely unreported," contends Ahmed Shihab-Eldin in a July 31, 2007, post at Arabisto.com headlined "Arab Bloggers Exercise Democracy and Prompt Debate Despite Tough Opposition From Governments. "When the topic is covered," he adds, "the western media chooses to focus on liberal bloggers, telling the revolutionary story in a black and white filter of conservatives Islamists versus liberal secularists. But that is not a fair assessment," Shihab-Eldin asserts, noting:

The Muslim Brotherhood, for example--whether one agrees with their politics or not--has taken advantage of the new blogging phenomenon to spread their message, a fact that cannot and should not be ignored.

Young Muslim Brotherhood members are extremely Internet savvy and beginning to take advantage of a trend that has the power to spread any message, regardless of the political motivation, to Arabs across the world.

Shihab-Eldin said, "When Arab bloggers first began to publish in large numbers; the majority of them were more liberal voices who were writing in English."

"But now it is undeniable that new, and quickly growing groups of politically engaged bloggers -- blogging in Arabic-- have emerged, criticizing and promoting political agendas, both domestically and internationally," he opines.  "The use of blogging technology to spread their message has allowed them to harness a sense of solidarity across national, and in some cases, political spheres."

By the way, Arabisto is one of the best designed blogs I encountered during my trek through the "blogosphere." I also enjoy reading it.

Technorati tags: Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, Arabisto.com, Arab bloggers, Muslim Brotherhood, Middle East Bloggers

Guatemalan Journalist Strikes A Nerve Among Guatemalan Bloggers

Dr. Mario Roberto Morales, a writer and "a columnist at the Guatemalan daily El Periodico,  caused a quite a stir this week in Guatemala with an article headlined "“Thinkers of the Blogs,” according to Renata Avila in a July 30, 2007, post at Global Voices online. She said the writer "analyzed the lack of credibility among bloggers and the content of their articles."

"He alleges that [bloggers] suffer from poor education and that they lack knowledge and analysis of their chosen topics," Avila writes. "In addition, they expose a fragmented vision of the situations written about in their posts."

Avila said, "Reactions appeared not only the comments section of the on-line version of the article, but Guatemalan bloggers also reacted immediately to Morales’ attitude."

To read Avila's entire post, please see "Guatemala: Journalist’s Column Strikes a Nerve Among Bloggers."

Technorati tags: Dr. Mario Roberto Morales, El Periodico, Thinkers of the Blogs, Renata Avila, Global Voices Online

Are Malaysian Bloggers, Officials Overreacting Over Role of Bloggers?

"The [Malaysian] Government has to face the harsh reality that it no longer has control over media technology," contends Malaysia Star online columnist Wong Chun Wai in a July 29, 2007, post headlined "Rules of the game have changed."

Won thinks "There is an over-reaction by both sides of the divide to the issue of blogging. The impression given by the Government is that bloggers are a threat to national security and bloggers assume that they are being hauled up one by one," the columnist asserts.

Meanwhile, the blog Present Point Power quotes Dr Lim Keng Yaik, currently Malaysia's Minister of Energy, Water and Telecommunications, as saying :

“I warn bloggers who try to break the laws of the country. That is different from Bloggers censorship. I have already sent word to MCMC. It doesn’t matter if the blogger is residing locally or internationally. The punitive action will be the same for both cases"

If this is true, it's serious stuff. It also shows how much freedom we American bloggers have. We get sued and thrown in jail from time-to-time for refusing to disclose sources. However, the numbers are inconsequential, except to the blogger in jail and the implication for future bloggers, compared to the number of bloggers and writers jailed around the world.

Technorati tags: Malaysia Star Online, Columnist Wong Chun Wai, Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, Present Point Power, Malaysian Bloggers

Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin Hauled in For Questioning: Why?

Back on July 25, 2007, Claudia Theophilus, writing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for al-Jazeera.net, reported that, "Malaysian blogs and online political debates have garnered a steady following in recent years, mainly for their open discourses on politically-sensitive topics."

  "Until now," she writes, "websites have not been subject to the same government legal and administrative controls faced by the mainstream media."

"But in recent months,"  Theophilus adds in a post headlined "Government warns Malaysian bloggers, "several senior government officials have called for tougher action, including new legislation to rein in those who they say belittle Islam or are seen as sowing the seeds of discord."

Theophilus notes that "Raja Petra Kamarudin, who runs the Malaysia Today website, is the latest blogger to be summoned by the government. It "comes amid war