· December, 2011

Stories about Weblog from December, 2011

Philippines: Typhoon Sendong and Social Media

Typhoon Sendong victims, their families, and friends, in the Philippines are using social media to look for missing victims, coordinate and document relief efforts, and record images and accounts of the destruction.

31 December 2011

Brazil: “We Have Overtaken the United Kingdom's GDP. So What?”

The news, published in the international press and echoed by the country's media, filled nationalist Brazilians with with pride and optimism, and left those who analysed the numbers more closely concerned. Bloggers ponder the meaning of being the world's sixth largest country in terms of Gross Domestic Product, and occupying the 84th position in Human Development Index.

31 December 2011

Egypt: 2011 in Blog Posts

The year 2011 is coming to an end, and with all the events took place in Egypt, it is important to list the most important or controversial blog posts of the year. Tarek Amr polls Twitter users to decide this year's top blog posts.

30 December 2011

Chile: Neighbors and Netizens Unite to Save Concon Dunes

After 20 years of struggle against the construction of a real-estate project on a delicate and unique ecosystem called the Concon Dunes, neighbors and netizens have united their voices to continue the protest on the day the development company started closing in on this nature sanctuary.

30 December 2011

Yemen: Should the US Grant Saleh a Visa?

A recent buzz among tweeps following Yemen news has been the issue of Honorary President Ali Abdullah Saleh's plans to travel to the US. Netizens warn against granting a visit visa to Saleh in this round up of reactions from Twitter.

30 December 2011

Russia: AIDS Epidemic – “Shame Russia Shame”

RuNet Echo

International organizations are taking notice of Russia's AIDS epidemic and the hurdles the country faces in combating it. Recent international attention has been directed toward Russia's healthcare system, the stigma attached to those infected, and Russia's drug policies. Donna Welles reports.

30 December 2011

Singapore: Is it Flooding, or Just Ponding?

Singapore's Public Utilities Board used the term “ponded” rather than "flooded" when heavy rains caused flash floods in various parts of the city last week. The use of the word has led to much scorn and ridicule from Singaporeans online.

30 December 2011

Cape Verde: The Musical Legacy of Cesária Évora

After the death of Cesária Évora, symbol of Cape Verdean music, on December 17, there was an abundance of tributes and declarations by her faithful audience from almost every corner of the globe. With the singer and Cape Verde in the spotlight, the blogosphere discussed who might take her place as musical spokeswoman for the country.

29 December 2011

Mozambique: On the City of Quelimane, New Epicenter of Politics

Mayoral by-elections in the city of Quelimane, which opposition candidate Manuel de Araújo won, were enthusiastically debated in social networks. Interest in the electoral process went far beyond the provincial city and its repercussions were felt in the capital, Maputo. We document this unexpected end to 2011, an important political moment in Mozambique.

28 December 2011

Russia: Social Network In-Between Security Services and Free Market

RuNet Echo

As social networks in Russia like Vkontakte play an ever increasing role in communication between post-election protesters, so too grows the interest of the security services to limit them. This conflict leads to a hard choice: whether Vkontakte should respond to security service requests, or allow its users uncontrolled protest activity.

28 December 2011

‘Developing Latin America': Open Data Projects

The 'Desarrollando Latin América' (Developing Latin America) competition, a public hackathon for creating technological solutions to education, security and budgetary problems in six countries in the region, took place on the 3rd and 4th of December. Juan Arellano, who acted as a judge in Lima (Peru), summarises the results and the reactions from the participants.

27 December 2011