Stories about Technology from February, 2012
Georgia: Online Campaign Targets Russian President's Facebook Page
With Russian soldiers stations in Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, hundreds of Georgians called for their withdrawal on the Russian president's Facebook page.
Russia: Pro-Putin Rally in Vladivostok Causes Controversy
Pro-Putin rallies, also known as Putings, took place in many Russian cities last weekend. One such Puting caused a scandal in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, which is renowned for its strong support of the opposition and for anti-Kremlin moods in general. Masha Egupova reports.
Tunisia: Court Quashes Verdict Ordering the Filtering of Pornography
Today, the Cassation Court of Tunis (highest court of appeal) threw out a verdict to censor pornography on the Internet. On May, 26, 2011, a court of first instance issued a ruling ordering the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI), to filter X rated websites. At the time, the decision was criticised by by bloggers, and free speech advocates, who believed that such step could limit freedom of speech, and thus pave the way for the return of censorship. Today's decision received a more favourable response online.
Lebanon: How Facebook Makes us Miserable
Lebanese blogger Adon (at Ninar) starts a series of posts on his blog entitled “Living as a Photo: How Facebook Makes us Misrable“[Ar]. He has published four posts so far: “Can you Survive without Facebook for 30 Days?“[Ar], “Why I Quit Facebook“[Ar] and “Does Facebook really helps us to Communicate?[Part...
Egypt: One year after the revolution, 10% of its Social Media Documentation is already gone
One year after the Egyptian revolution, 10% of its Social Media Documentation is already gone. An article on US magazine The Atlantic explains how this is happening, quoting a study conducted by a phD student in computer science and Web preservation at Old Dominion University. “Twitter gives us a new...
Trinidad & Tobago: Bloggers Make Mas
Today is Carnival Tuesday in Trinidad and Tobago and though most bloggers are taking part in the festivities, a few of them have managed to post atypical photos of their 2012 Carnival experience…
Africa: African Arguments Online
African Arguments Online is a multi-blogging platform that covers contemporary African events and develops debates on themes that are important to an ever changing continent. The platform has 6 blogs: Making Sense of Sudan, African Politics Now!, Rethinking Zimbabwe, Business Africa, The Central Africa Forum and Diaspora Debate.
Barbados: Blogging Types
Barbados Underground says that “there are basically five types of bloggers, the political blogger, the philosophical blogger, the religious blogger, the light hearted blogger and the blogger extraordinaire.”
China: New Monetization Model for Sina Weibo
Jin Ge from China Bubble Watch introduces a new monetization model for Sina Weibo.
Iran: Internet not just spying tool but spy itself
Iran's intelligence Ministry says Internet not just spying tool but spy itself.
Africa: Weaving the African Dream Through Social Innovations
Gamel identifies social innovations that weave the African dream: “Tech in Education: This project is the main motivation behind today’s post. Tech in Education is a 48hr gathering of ideas, people and digital tools aimed at creating novel web and mobile solutions to improve learning amongst primary and secondary school...
Morocco: Historic Telecom Operator Blocks Skype
“What a dreadful news today!” laments the blog Moroccan Geeks [fr], which reports that the Moroccan historic operator Maroc Telecom is now officially blocking all VoIP services, including Skype. The news sparked a heated debate on social media. Many netizens speculate the move is meant to bolster Maroc Telecom‘s paying...
Madagascar : Why Malagasies Cannot Use Paypal
The Malagasy blogger Sam bemoans on Reflexium the absence of an electronic payment system in Madagascar [fr]: ” It is ludicrous that Malagasy people can open accounts on Paypal but cannot withdraw money from their accounts or credit it. Madagascar launched a few initiatives to have Paypal services in the country. Yet, the...
Bangladesh: Liveblogging TEDxDhaka
Farzana Rahman Sadia provided live updates of the proceedings of TEDxDhaka 2012, which took place today in the capital of Bangladesh.
Reports on North Korea Cell Phone Ban is Incorrect
A Cario-based telecommunication company and the majority owner of North Korea’s cellular network., Orascom corrected recent media reports which claimed that North Koreans have been banned from using mobile phone during a mourning period for North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Il. North Korea Tech has more details.
Bangladesh: Government Observation of Facebook Ignites Debate
For a while now, the Bangladeshi authorities have been keeping an eye on the social media space and the country's Facebook users are increasingly finding themselves in the eye of the storm. Recently the country's High Court sentenced an university teacher to a 6 month jail term after he failed to appear in court to face trial regarding his Facebook status update.
Uruguay: Ice Cream Parlor's Lacking Twitter Strategy
In the blog El Cielo es Verde [es], Fernando Bernini critiques the Twitter strategy of La Cigale (@HeladosLaCigale), a well-know Uruguayan ice cream parlor.
Sri Lanka: What Makes a Qualified Social Media Marketer?
Sri Lankan Tech blogger Amitha Amarasinghe lists the best possible qualifications and characteristics of a social media marketeer
China: iPads Now Officially Banned
IPads continue to disappear from store shelves in China as Apple remains embroiled in a dispute over the rights to the "IPAD" trademark, registered by a Shenzhen-based company a decade ago.
Introducing Bloggers and Twitter Users from Ecuador
During the Campus Party Quito, held in October 2011, Juan Arellano interviewed outstanding bloggers and Twitter users from Ecuador with the aim to describe the wealth and variety of ways in which Ecuadorians use the Internet and social media. In the following videos you will get to know some of those who inspire the Ecuadorian Internet.
France : Dozens of Anti-ACTA Protests
Despite freezing temperatures, a few thousand netizens joined the Saturday Feb. 11 worldwide protests against ACTA, in Paris and some 40 other cities in France. One can find pictures on clubic.com, a video of the protests [fr] on Madmax's blog, an Anti – Acta France Facebook page and the details [fr] of a petition on the Gizmodo blog.
