On a government TV channel a talk show hostess and guests discussed the effects of Facebook on Egyptian society with all the abilities and facts that one would expect from Fox News. The recent fuss over the photoshopped picture of Mubarak at the Arab summit in the US was a pretty clear indicator of the internet abilities and sophistication of the print news service so it isn't really a surprise that the conversation, when it managed to be correct factually, was pretty naive. The response from Egyptian bloggers ranged from scorn to hilarity. One of the very interesting suppositions was that the internet hasn't really penetrated Egyptian society. Cairo is one of the most well-served cities I've seen and even in the villages there are internet cafes everywhere. With many mobile phones capable of accessing the net and Facebook, it is astonishing to see who is on Facebook.
Global Voices in English » Egypt: Bad Bad Facebook
copyright 2010 Maryanne Stroud Gabbani
1 comment:
Hi Maryanne, I have only just discovered your blog and wanted to say 'hi'. I am a German expat living with my British husband in Dubai. I can so relate to many of your postings, and will enjoy reading more. Thank you.
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