[governance] Internet blackout in Egypt

[Qusai AlShatti]

(THIS E-MAIL IS WRITTEN IN CAPITAL LETTER TO PROTEST DEPRIVING
INDIVIDUALS FROM THEIR RIGHTS TO ACCESS THE INTERNET AND OTHER MEANS
OF COMMUNICATIONS)

IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD DOES NOT LEARN FROM
HISTORY EVEN WHEN EVENTS CLOSE TO THEM JUST HAPPENED DAYS AGO. IT IS
OUTRAGEOUS THAT SOMEONE STILL THINKS THAT BY BLOCKING WEBSITES OR
CUTTING THE INTERNET, SMS, AND OTHER MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONS WILL
RESOLVE UNRESTS RATHER THAN ADDRESSING THE REAL ISSUES THAT CAUSED IT,
RESPOND TO IT AND COMMIT TO CHANGE.

THESE ARE ALL COUNTRIES THAT SIGNED THE WSIS GENEVA DECLARATION OF
PRINCIPLES WHICH STATES:
 "Communication is a fundamental social process, a basic human need
and the foundation of all social organization. It is central to the
Information Society."

THESE ACTS NOT ONLY DEMONSTRATE THE INCAPABILITIES OF THESE
AUTHORITIES TO DEAL WITH CHANGE, SOCIAL NETWORKS AND THE IMPACT OF THE
INTERNET, IT MAKES THE INTERNET AS THE FIRST TARGET TO BE HALTED WHEN
EVER ANY PROTEST TAKES PLACE RATHER THAN ADDRESSING THE REAL ISSUES
(IT IS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS).

IT IS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES THAT MAY GO
BEYOND THE CAPABILITIES OF GOVERNMENT TO BLOCK THE INTERNET BUT WE
NEED TO MAKE WHO EVER COMMIT SUCH ACTIONS BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT. WHILE
THE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT A DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATORY INTERNET,
SOMEONE ELSE IS CUTTING THE INTERNET OFF. THIS IS BEYOND BLOCKING SOME
SITES OR FILTERING CONTENTS.

REGARDS,

QUSAI ALSHATTI

On Friday, January 28, 2011, Nyangkwe Agien Aaron
<nyangkweagien at gmail.com> wrote:
> Yes McTim
>
> But Internet ws created by man not out of any said government policy
> (I hope Tim Lee will not disagree here)
>
> How on earth did it even occur to some one that Governments (that are
> mainly bureaucrats) be given leeways to control Internet.
>
> Regulating, yes but controlling the nternet, no!
>
> What is happening in Egypt is sure sign that the Oligarchy there is
> living its last moments...
>
> For a more free Egypt. Mark that Opposition Leader El Baradei has been
> placed under house arrest.
>
> Aaron
>
> On 1/28/11, McTim <dogwallah at gmail.com> wrote:
>> This is why its madness to comtenplate giving govts MORE control over
>> things Internety. Rgds, McTim
>>
>> On 1/28/11, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:
>>> Today may turn out to be a historic day for Egypt...
>>>
>>>
>>> Pl read below.
>>>
>>> AP: "The day part of the Internet died: Egypt goes dark"
>>>
>>> http://bit.ly/gCJFHt  (AP / MSN)
>>>
>>>    "The Internet blackout in Egypt shows that a country with strong
>>>     control over its Internet providers apparently can force all of
>>>     them to pull their plugs at once, something that Cowie called
>>>     'almost entirely unprecedented in Internet history.'"
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Sent from my mobile device
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> McTim
>> "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A
>> route indicates how we get there."  Jon Postel
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>
>
> --
> Aaron Agien Nyangkwe
> Journalist-OutCome Mapper
> C/o
> P.O.Box 5213
> Douala-Cameroon
>
> Tel. 70 56 00 28
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