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\begin_body
\begin_layout Title
Reclaiming Grounds: How the Blogsphere Supports Egypt's Rising Social Movement
\begin_inset Note Note
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Working-title is very bad
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\begin_layout Author
Amr Gharbeia
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\begin_layout Standard
\begin_inset CommandInset toc
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\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
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R
\end_layout
\end_inset
, Digressing
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Digressing
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\end_inset
, Baheyya
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Baheyya
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\end_inset
, Socrates
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Socrates
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\SpecialChar \ldots{}
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\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
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\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
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Dostour
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\end_inset
Zilaqi
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Zilaqi
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\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
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http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/748/eg9.htm
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"
\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
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Kareem Amer
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Where the Free Kareem campaign went wrong
\end_layout
\begin_layout Section
Abu Islam
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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
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Alaa
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and Malek
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Malek
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detention
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\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
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Mounir
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\end_layout
\begin_layout Section
Kafr alElw
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\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
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Morad
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\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
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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
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Leila
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\end_layout
\begin_layout Standard
Mansoura girl
\end_layout
\begin_layout Chapter
Anti-Muslims
\end_layout
\begin_layout Part
Campaigns
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\begin_layout Chapter
Judiciary
\end_layout
\begin_layout Chapter
Obscenity
\end_layout
\begin_layout Chapter
Kareem
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\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
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Monem
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\end_layout
\begin_layout Chapter
Sayyida
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\begin_layout Chapter
Sectarian strife
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\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
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Check the number
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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
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http://twitter.com/MaLek/statuses/922159676
\end_layout
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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
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\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
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Nawwara
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\end_inset
, Egyptian Watchman
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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
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O7od
\end_layout
\end_inset
\end_layout
\begin_layout Chapter
Iblis
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Iblis
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\end_inset
\end_layout
\begin_layout Chapter
Mostafa Hussein
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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
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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
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