#LyX 1.6.2 created this file. For more info see http://www.lyx.org/ \lyxformat 345 \begin_document \begin_header \textclass memoir \use_default_options false \language english \inputencoding auto \font_roman default \font_sans default \font_typewriter default \font_default_family default \font_sc false \font_osf false \font_sf_scale 100 \font_tt_scale 100 \graphics default \paperfontsize default \spacing single \use_hyperref false \papersize default \use_geometry false \use_amsmath 1 \use_esint 1 \cite_engine basic \use_bibtopic false \paperorientation portrait \secnumdepth 3 \tocdepth 3 \paragraph_separation indent \defskip medskip \quotes_language english \papercolumns 1 \papersides 1 \paperpagestyle default \tracking_changes false \output_changes false \author "" \author "" \end_header \begin_body \begin_layout Title Reclaiming Grounds: How the Blogsphere Supports Egypt's Rising Social Movement \begin_inset Note Note status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Working-title is very bad \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Author Amr Gharbeia \end_layout \begin_layout Standard \begin_inset CommandInset toc LatexCommand tableofcontents \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Part Introduction \end_layout \begin_layout Standard My own experience is that Internet was only an entrance to Egypt's political scene. \end_layout \begin_layout Standard My first post began with a suicidal note, as well as different campaign banners. Throughout the early years of my experience as a blogger/activist, I had to deal with my diagnosis as a bipolar. \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Having been a witness and a contributor to much of the narrative, and in order not to present this as a personal account, I will put my personal remarks and experiences in the footnotes, unless unavoidable. \end_layout \begin_layout Part Beginnings \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter The Commentators \end_layout \begin_layout Section R \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout R \end_layout \end_inset , Digressing \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Digressing \end_layout \end_inset , Baheyya \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Baheyya \end_layout \end_inset , Socrates \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Socrates \end_layout \end_inset \SpecialChar \ldots{} \end_layout \begin_layout Section Building the Network \end_layout \begin_layout Standard An affinity group. This small network of people formed the model for the later bigger internet activism \end_layout \begin_layout Section Other circles \end_layout \begin_layout Subsection Old MB \end_layout \begin_layout Subsection Alexandria \end_layout \begin_layout Subsection Cairo/activists \end_layout \begin_layout Subsection Mansoura \end_layout \begin_layout Subsection Fayyoum \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter The Aggregator \end_layout \begin_layout Chapterprecis Talking to a public \end_layout \begin_layout Paragraph The aggregator's main achievement was not excluding any speech\SpecialChar \@. \end_layout \begin_layout Paragraph Alaa is the closest to Slavoj Žižek \noun on \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Slavoj Žižek \end_layout \end_inset \noun default you find in Egypt \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Picked up by the MSM \end_layout \begin_layout Section AlHayat: Amina Khairy and Jihad alKhazin \end_layout \begin_layout Section Dostour \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Dostour \end_layout \end_inset Zilaqi \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Zilaqi \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Section Amira Howeidy \end_layout \begin_layout Quotation "a new dynamic that will shape the future of the movement for change.Al-Ahram Weekly | Voices of dissent \begin_inset Flex URL status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/748/eg9.htm \end_layout \end_inset " \end_layout \begin_layout Section AlJazeera documentary \end_layout \begin_layout Section 10 O'Clock \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter 25 May 2005 \end_layout \begin_layout Chapterprecis The Emergence of Citizen Journalism \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Unlike East European movements, Kifaya was born in the Popular Committee for the Support of the Palestinian Intifada, and the Anti-war movement. \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Although having a belley dancer and at least one openly homosexual person in the movement (as open as can in the country), Kifaya collectively tended to side those issues and focus only on Gamal Mubarak assention to power. The lack of any social and economic detail in Kifayas discource meant its end and failure to achieve its decalred goal, even though one can assume that a larger and more important goal has been unintentionally achieved, namely reclaiming the right to protest and exposing protests to the media, which helped lead to the largest wave of protests based on social demands in the life of the Egyptian republic, second in Egypt's modern history only to the 1946-1947 protests, allegedly aborted by the 1952 coup by colonel Nasser. \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter The Blogger/Activist \end_layout \begin_layout Chapterprecis One foot in the blogsphere and one foot in the streets \end_layout \begin_layout Section The first campaign \end_layout \begin_layout Standard The democratization movement goes back to the second intifada 2000 \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Noam Chomsky, Failed States, p169 \end_layout \begin_layout Standard 'In recent years, probably the most important democratising force has been AlJazeera, the primary reason why it is so dispised by Arab tyrranies and Washington.' chomsky \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Absolute Free speech \end_layout \begin_layout Standard The human rights movement, where it is right now, is being left behind in the realm of Internet\SpecialChar \@. In the eyes and experience of those of us living online, the notion that freedom of speech --- protected \emph on and \emph default enforced by law --- in effect belongs to decades ago in a different domain\SpecialChar \@. At least by design, internet is anarchistic and against regulation (although, in effect, and as we shall see in \end_layout \begin_layout Section Kareem Amer \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Kareem Amer \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Where the Free Kareem campaign went wrong \end_layout \begin_layout Section Abu Islam \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Abu Islam \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Torture \end_layout \begin_layout Section Ethics \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Judiciary \end_layout \begin_layout Section Alaa \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Alaa \end_layout \end_inset and Malek \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Malek \end_layout \end_inset detention \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Citizen Journalists \end_layout \begin_layout Section Referundum \end_layout \begin_layout Section Elections \end_layout \begin_layout Section Sinai border sit-in \end_layout \begin_layout Section Mahalla \end_layout \begin_layout Section Torture \end_layout \begin_layout Section Sudanese \end_layout \begin_layout Section Alexandia Sextarian Strike \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Haisam and a Third Brother of Ours \end_layout \begin_layout Section Mounir \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Mounir \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Section Kafr alElw \end_layout \begin_layout Section Qorsaya \end_layout \begin_layout Section Gaza \end_layout \begin_layout Section sexual harassement \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Trouble \end_layout \begin_layout Section Morad \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Morad \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Section Bloggers detained \end_layout \begin_layout Section Technology \end_layout \begin_layout Section Workers \end_layout \begin_layout Part Banned from Public Discourse \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Muslim Brotherhood \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Communists \end_layout \begin_layout Standard In a part of the world filled with religious sentiments, the only metaphysical experience communists may know is torture\SpecialChar \@. \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Bahia's, and religion in IDs cards \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Homosexuals \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Homosexuals \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Standard veiled women chatting about nice outings with openly gay Egyptian men. \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Women \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Leila \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Leila \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Mansoura girl \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Anti-Muslims \end_layout \begin_layout Part Campaigns \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Judiciary \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Obscenity \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Kareem \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Solidarity with Kareem and debate around him was one reason the blogsphere emerged as a community. \end_layout \begin_layout Standard The difference between the local and international campaign: focus on legality rather than speech. \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Alaa and Malek \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Monem \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Monem \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Sayyida \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Sectarian strife \end_layout \begin_layout Part Dynamics \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Shaping the Media Agenda \end_layout \begin_layout Section sexual harassment \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Building the social network \end_layout \begin_layout Section Mobile \end_layout \begin_layout Subsection Twitter \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Buck http://twitter.com/jamesbuck/status/786571964 \end_layout \begin_layout Standard \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Coordinating follwing Malek while detained in a blue transport in Tahrir square. Turned out that the 8 \begin_inset Note Note status open \begin_layout Plain Layout Check the number \end_layout \end_inset other people with him at the back of the transport were soldiers put their by police officers to 'control' Malek. \end_layout \begin_layout Subsection Move to Jaiku \end_layout \begin_layout Standard After Twitter's decision to stop SMS support in all countries except US, UK and India, the Doweiqa rockslide triggered another need for networked communication while on the move. Talking to Malek over the phone, he asked me to spread the news on Jaiku. On 15 September 2008, Malek sent a tweet from the web \begin_inset Flex URL status open \begin_layout Plain Layout http://twitter.com/MaLek/statuses/922159676 \end_layout \end_inset asking if anyone needs Jaiku invites (Jaiku is still in beta at the time). A number of people had Jaiku accounts already. Malek's tweet, however, revitalised those users, and invited helped to move the rest of the blogger/activist network over to Jaiku. By 19 September 2008, the move was almost complete. \begin_inset Note Note status open \begin_layout Plain Layout Thank Mostafa for the help on this one. We are chatting on midnight 24 September 2008. He pointed my attention to the swift move. I added this is a good time to introduce the decentralised, open social network now, as the situation helps explain how it is superior. \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Mostafa wrote: \end_layout \begin_layout Quote MalekX, after weeks of twitter announced end of SMS to international users, decided to twitter about Jaiku with enthuthiasm and started to send invites. He also blogged about it and created a how to help people enter their phone numbers. \end_layout \begin_layout Quote I think people who were reluctant at first decided to migrate when they found a considerable number of people joining the other network .. and most importantly found out that conversations started to take place in the new land \end_layout \begin_layout Quote secondly some decided not to cut off communication with their original network by using ping.fm \end_layout \begin_layout Quote tab3an, when people found out that SMS worked they were convinced with the migration \end_layout \begin_layout Quote however now people are doubtful of Malek's prophecy and are making a golden calf \end_layout \begin_layout Quote also malek responded with technical support to people who wanted help with jaiku \end_layout \begin_layout Quote his first message mentioning Jaiku invitations http://twitter.com/MaLek/statuses/ 922159676 \end_layout \begin_layout Quote I guess the migration was almost complete by the 19th of September \end_layout \begin_layout Quote Mostafa then, being the geek he is, continued: \end_layout \begin_layout Quote you can plot the number of twitters from the core members of the network   23:59:53 Mostafa Hussein   over time   00:00:58 Mostafa Hussein   and plot the number of jaikus from the same core members and superimpose them to get an idea of the migration .. ya3ny tab3an this is difficult bas will be interesting \end_layout \begin_layout Subsection Jaiku \end_layout \begin_layout Standard On 6 December 2008, Ahmad Abdelfattah sent a Jaiku message saying 'arrested'. Abdelfattah was taking part in a caravan to break the siege on Gaza. Several other caravans were stopped on the way before crossing into Sinai. This was the first caravan to go after the Administrative Court decided the police will not stop such caravans. The caravan started in front of the State Council, and a press conference was planned in the Journalists Syndicate in case of abortion. Ahmad was reportedly picked up in front of the Syndicate and was kept for the day between Doqqi Police Station and State Security Headquarters in Doqqi, until he was released early evening. Abdefattah was picked up from the street before he reached the busses. Blogger and journalist Sarah Carr followed the case upclose. I notified Gamal Eid of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Infromation, who made sure a lawyer is sent. I was informed by Mohamed Gaber. \end_layout \begin_layout Quote http://scarr.jaiku.com/presence/50064869 \end_layout \begin_layout Quote Bloggers Mohamed Adel and Mohamed Khairy had been respectively kidnapped and detained for trying to join similar caravans in the past months. \end_layout \begin_layout Quote Mostafa started http://jaiku.com/channel/gaza during the Israeli assault on Gaza between Chirsmas and New Year 2008 \end_layout \begin_layout Section Facebook \end_layout \begin_layout Section Delicious and Diigo \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Turned Authors \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Culture Wheel concerts \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Free Software \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Nawwara \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Nawwara \end_layout \end_inset , Egyptian Watchman \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Egyptian Watchman \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Bloggers unions \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Quran and the Crisis of Yehia Megahed \end_layout \begin_layout Part Profiles \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter O7od \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout O7od \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Iblis \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Iblis \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Mostafa Hussein \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Mostafa Hussein \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Standard it takes a geek to start new trends: twitter, delicious \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Zobaida \begin_inset Index status collapsed \begin_layout Plain Layout Zobaida \end_layout \end_inset \end_layout \begin_layout Part Challenges \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Arabic hosts \end_layout \begin_layout Standard comparison between Katib, Jeeran, Tadwin, Toot, and Maktoob \end_layout \begin_layout Standard Bloggre, WP and independent bloggers are more visible in MSM and on the streets \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Arabic technology \end_layout \begin_layout Section Arabeyes \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Detention \end_layout \begin_layout Standard http://garshkal.blogspot.com/2008/11/blog-post_10.html \end_layout \begin_layout Chapter Looking further \end_layout \begin_layout Standard The decentralised, open social network means that \end_layout \begin_layout Itemize It does not allow anyone to have too much power. There will be no Facebook management that is able to cooperate with the powers that be \end_layout \begin_layout Itemize It cannot be taken down without massive losses. Actually the only way to kill a decentralised and open social network is to kill communication technology altogether. Not only the web, and since the social network will have a face that works on mobile phone technology, not only the internet. For authoritarians, the social network will seem like a disease, and the only way to kill the disease is to kill the patient \end_layout \begin_layout Standard The next step after reclaiming the social network is to reclaim the hardware network, and to use free hardware and software. Even anthother step is to use decentralised renewable energy. Only then will the network be strong enough to defy and change the world as we know it today. \end_layout \begin_layout Standard \begin_inset CommandInset index_print LatexCommand printindex \end_inset \end_layout \end_body \end_document