Baksheesh

The Arabist has been run by freelance journalists since 2003 as a labor of love. We don't make much from ads, so please contribute to keep this site going.

Search
Subscribe

Get Arabist via email: 


Your Middle East is a digital newspaper about the Middle East for the web, iPad and iPhone.


Get Arabist contributor Ashraf Khalil's new book!

Social

The Arabist Podcast
Sponsored Links

UK City Guides        Enquira Local


For low prices on Las Vegas Show Tickets shop ShowTickets.com for your upcoming Las Vegas trip.


Graduation Dresses


The UK Web Directory Can Give You What You Need


Connecting global buyers with China suppliers — 
Made-in-China.com 


Sourcing Quality Products from Qualified Manufacturers — ECVV.com

Partners

 

Powered by Squarespace
« Links March 4th to March 5th | Main | Bitter black coffee »
Thursday
Mar052009

Web 2.0 silliness

Unlike Hossam, I am slightly skeptical about Web 2.0 social software technology. It's true activists in Egypt and elsewhere have made good use of Twitter and Jaiku to update each other about demonstrations and such, but I can't quite shake off the feeling that over time using these things too much reduces your brain to mush. I've already given up on Facebook, never found Doppler very useful, haven't used LinkedIn in months, and only keep up to date with Jaiku because Hossam forced it upon me, although I don't really post myself (in any case it would be along the lines of "having sardine and toasted cheese sandwich LOL!" I'd rather spare people.)

But yesterday someone registered a State Security account on Twitter, and this morning I received this:

Hi, arabist (arabist).

Habib El-Adly (ElAdly) is now following your updates on Twitter.

Check out Habib El-Adly's profile here:
http://twitter.com/ElAdly


Habib al-Adly, of course, is Egypt's interior minister.



Technorati Tags:
,


Reader Comments (3)

Teehee. Not very good about covering their tracks, are they.

Sardine and toasted cheese, really? Sardine and harissa with gargeer is better.

Mar 5, 2009 at 3:49 PM | Unregistered CommenterBint Manga

ROFL personally IO got paranoid, but really this is not a reason for not optimizing the use of web2.0

Web2.0 should be used by the masses, not just by a bunch of activists. When Web2.0 becomes a general trend, as well as the Internet (The Internet is not really used to a nice "level"), it really reaches its power. The more you are engaged, the more you are powerful.

That "mush" thing you are referring to isn't of high importance, you know, they said the same about it on Printed Papers in the 1600s, TV, cars, etc...

This is new technology, new technology has its side effects like everything in life, as well as old technology. The human role here is optimizing good effects and minimizing bad effects, NOT not using it. You use the chance, you CAN fail, you don't use the chance, you WILL fail.

Mar 5, 2009 at 8:01 PM | Unregistered Commenterircpresident

re: habib al adly - this must be a prank! maybe that's your nom-de-twitter, issandr?

Mar 8, 2009 at 11:56 AM | Unregistered CommenterLiam

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>