Forums in other Countries

[PatW]

Suddenly, the question came to mind about USA freedoms & thoughts about this type of Forum existing in other Countries such as Iraq, Iran & Afghanistan. Does our type of email freedom exist in warring countries? Can a person from Iraq join a public forum?

If so, does our own Iraqui's who are US citizens belong to such Group forums? I am curious as to the topics... I am sure war is not part of each topic.

Doe the Iraqui people have to be afraid of discussing politics, their president or even their next door neighbor? We have no fear here, but am curious as to other countries technology freedoms.

Before the war started in Iraq, I simply stated "no one has taken the time to understand them." (I am not talking Hussain or Osama) - I am talking about the average citizens of Iraq and Iran.

Do they have freedom of owning a home computer? Do forums exist in Iraq? If so, are their topics monitored.

Never take for granted the good ol' USA, Wisconsin and the Bubbler as being one of our FREEDOMS!.

[keith]

This doesn't address your post head on, but I think it gives insight into the means of posting people have to use if they are dissidents of totalitarian states.

A free Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents is available at Reporters Without Borders at www.RSF.org

The handbook link is at http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=542

Here's the description at that page:

Blogs get people excited. Or else they disturb and worry them. Some people distrust them. Others see them as the vanguard of a new information revolution. Because they allow and encourage ordinary people to speak up, they’re tremendous tools of freedom of expression.

Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure. Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest.

Reporters Without Borders has produced this handbook to help them, with handy tips and technical advice on how to to remain anonymous and to get round censorship, by choosing the most suitable method for each situation. It also explains how to set up and make the most of a blog, to publicise it (getting it picked up efficiently by search-engines) and to establish its credibility through observing basic ethical and journalistic principles.

The 46-page handbook is a great combination of text and graphics and could be useful for anyone interested in blogging. The guide discusses blog tools, techniques, ethics and search engine indexing.

The guide describes fascinating personal accounts of bloggers from around the world on the way to describing how to blog anonymously, technical ways to get around censorship and ensuring your e-mail is truly private.

Regards,
Keith

The above originally posted by me at this thread.

Regards,
Keith