· March, 2008

Stories about Technology from March, 2008

Bulgaria: Against Internet “Bugging”

  31 March 2008

This year, the Bulgarian government has issued a decree, which, among other things, allows the security services to gather from each internet user the data about who they have written to, who is on their contact lists, what instant communication agents they are equipped with, when they used them and the precise manner of using them. The majority of internet users in Bulgaria interpreted it as an encroachment on their civil liberties. Yavor Mihaylov reports on Bulgarian bloggers' attempts to resist the government's initiative.

Cuba: Can You Hear me Now?

  31 March 2008

News that Cubans will now be allowed to buy cell phones has been met with differing reactions by Cuban bloggers…El Cafe Cubano: “Cubans on average earn about $20 a month and cell phones in Cuba are selling for $260 and above. Do the math…”; Uncommon Sense: “I do not begrude...

Japan: Why does Mario move from left to right?

  31 March 2008

Blogger lastline has drawn over 400 bookmarks on the Japanese bookmarking service Hatena for a detailed investigation of the question: Why does the video game character Mario run across the screen from left to right, and not right to left [ja]? The blogger explains that video tends to prioritize movement...

Brazil: Blogs banned from the 2008 elections

  30 March 2008

Brazil is warming up for local elections later this year, but the Supreme Electoral Court has just passed regulations that have raised eye-brows throughout the blogosphere: only candidates' purpose-built web pages will be allowed. Blogs and 'social web' facilities have not been subjected to a more comprehensive legislation and as a result these are now left in limbo. Will the netizen be silenced?

Qatar: Some Facebook Applications Banned

Ngourlay announces that Qatar Telecoms has blocked some of Facebook's applications. The blogger also lists five reasons the telecom provider censors sites: pornography, political criticism of Gulf countries and anti-Islamic sites; some sites are also blocked ‘by mistake’ and others are banned because they may be offensive to some people.

Colombia: Contest brings forth multimedia citizen journalists

  28 March 2008

Contest open for anyone, regardless of nationality, to write, show and create content telling the world about a very special place in Colombia most people wouldn´t normally be aware of. Bloggers and vloggers are already responding, here are examples from the Chocó and Antioquia regions.

Cuba: Verifying Blocked Websites

  27 March 2008

Yoaní Sanchez of Generación Y [es] in Cuba details which blog and websites are currently being blocked within the island after verifying this fact at a local cybercafe.

Zimbabwe: Using Google Maps to show election rigging

  27 March 2008

Sokwanele uses Google Map to show election rigging in Zimbabwe: “The interactive map aims to give a visual impression of the scale and many ways in which the Zimbabwean government has breached the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.”

Nigeria: Website for Obama

  27 March 2008

David Ajao's comments about the launching of a website for Obama in Nigeria: I regularly glance through the leading Nigerian Internet-based discussion forum Nairaland, to keep an eye on the current trends in Nigeria. Knowing the typical lack of a sense of priority of some Nigerian leaders, I wasn’t very...

Seychelles: Embassy Blog

  27 March 2008

Official blog of the Seychelles embassy: “This is the official blog of the Seychelles Embassy accredited to the European Communities and institutions, and the Benelux countries with residence in Brussels.”

Kenya: SLUM-TV

  27 March 2008

African Loft has an article about SLUM-TV in Kenya: “Operating from Mathare, the biggest slum in Kenya, the SLUM-TV was created to document the lives of the people in the slum and to ‘reevaluate’ these lives through the camera.”