BY KM RAKESH
The Gulf Today :: 27 Apr ’06
Bloggers speaking for the virtual platform that guarantees anonymity to express their views on anything from religion to politics blasted the traditional media for not living up to people’s expectations in providing credible and frank information.
In a session titled “Bloggers’ Phenomenon in the Arab World,” Arab nationals lambasted the region’s print and electronic media for being what they called pro-administration tools.
While some of the bloggers sought to remain anonymous, the panellists at the discussion held the view that blogging in the Arab World itself is a recent development and mainly stemmed out of the lack of credibility of the traditional media.
Vociferous in views and incisive in comments, Mahmood Al Yousef, a veteran blogger from Bahrain who never concealed his identity — on or off blog space, said blogging is fast becoming a credible source for information since deceit and lie would be easily exposed.
“Your lie will be exposed quickly by peer review which is very strong in the world of blogging,” he told the gathering comprised mainly of fellow bloggers from the Arab World.
While anonymity offered by the web-based platform could be misused if the blogger wishes so, Yousef said those dispensing lies would not last long since they would be flooded by strong protests from the web community.
Unlike the traditional media that are guided by the legal framework of the country or specially designed press laws which he said was mainly to reign in their freedom, bloggers cannot be curtailed since they are operate in the virtual space.
He however said bloggers could do with code of ethics to ensure they follow certain principles.
“You may call it a personal diary or just throwing up your thoughts on any issue or development. But blogging is here to stay,” he said to applause.
Having started blogging way back in 1986 while in the US, Yousef said his site gets three to four million hits a month.
“For that simple reason I better be careful about what I write and make sure there’s no lie on my blog, lest it will be shred to pieces by the peers who are out there watching,” he said about self-imposed checks and balances to maintain honesty.
A direct outcome of computer and internet technologies, blogging provides a level playing field where the player is always under watch for breach of ethics. But truth prevails in blogs since the platform itself provides anonymity assuring bloggers that much security from vested interests, he said.
“Blogging is an explosion of personal expression,” was how he defined the development that has caught the fancy of the IT-savvy in the Arab World.
Yousef said his own blog “Mahmood’s Den” serves as a bridge between East and West to encourage communication between different cultural to bring about greater understanding.
UAE national Anisa Al Sharif, a blogger herself who preferred to keep the identity of her blog under wraps, said it is a release for many Arabs who want to speak out.
Dr Imad Basheir, the first branch manager of Media and Documentation College, Lebanon, said the special characteristics like interactivity, individuality, synchronicity and segmentation lured people of all ages into the activity.
ed notes: the article claimed that I started blogging while in the US, I did not, I started StrayCats BBS very much in Bahrain in 1986.