UAE Community Blog: A small protest

27 July, 2006

A small protest

If anyone wants to join me in a small protest against, the images can be found here. Script and code can be ripped from my template if you want to put them in rotation (or just email me for it).

For reasons of keeping this place open, I won't be posting any of them here. We need at least one "safe place" in these increasingly dark times.

21 comments:

Brn said...: SD, that is those are too funny and sadly needed. Thanks for sharing.; 27 July, 2006 15:57
Anonymous said...: That's funny secretdubai. Will look forward to seeing them spread on UAE blog sites.; 27 July, 2006 16:52
podme said...: Love it! Very nice; 27 July, 2006 17:02
B.D. said...: Pretty much on the mark. Did you make them SD? But I wonder if Etisalat is really as bad as China. I suppose the UAE's excuse for Etisalat is Telco. Those businesses in the so called Internet City, I guess, are free of the proxy--so they probably won't need to go to Qatar.

But what really is the point of it all--the blocking? It's very juvenile.; 27 July, 2006 17:08
Anonymous said...: Yeah I think the pics are funny, but I believe that Etisalat has blocked certain sites because of the morals and the religious values of the local community.
If we believe in freedom, then they are free to believe and uphold their morals in their own way without our influence. Why try to make everyone like us?; 27 July, 2006 17:09
samuraisam said...: free: yeah, blocking websites is clearly consistent with the "ignore streetwalkers" policy that goes on in most of Dubai; really, please don't get me started about their (them being Etisalat) crock of shit moral values.; 27 July, 2006 17:12
Anonymous said...: I think a problem many people have with the blocking, "free", is that it seems so arbitrary. They block this site for no apparent good reason, then they block that site, etc. And sites that many people in the Emirates - including scores of nationals - found interesting and useful (Flickr comes to mind) are blocked. Sure there is some "objectionable" content on such sites, but the good outweigh the bad.

Personally I believe these decisions should be made by the individuals, not by governments or government-monopolies. If a family signs up for broadband internet it's their responsibility to "protect the members of that family from whatever content they find objectionable. Or why not make all connections block this stuff by default but if a customer asks for their connection to be open, they can open it up?

I also think they're fighting a losing battle. With more free and international trade, businesses investing here, etc. it's not going to work to arbitrarily block sites like this. I had a site of mine blocked for a while and I tried to contact ecompany about it to find out why it was blocked and I never got through to anyone who could tell me anything. They just kept repeating what it says on that message that comes up when you try to go to a blocked site. Then one day the site was not blocked anymore. Same thing then, there was no answer, justification, or whatever, from them.; 27 July, 2006 17:19
B.D. said...: So, let's say the internet is unrestricted--then you'll have just everything out there. You could give people a choice to protect their kids, but let's face it, there will always be internet cafes and unprotected terminals in schools and other people's houses. So, it's about protecting kids, morals and stuff like that.

That being said, I'm still totally against blocking. The government should spend more time, money and effort in the schools teaching children to be responsible. I know that's not easy either, but that would be more sensible than trying to ban things and as a result restricting everyone's freedom.; 27 July, 2006 18:36
Woke said...: This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.; 27 July, 2006 18:54
samuraisam said...: bd: sooner or later any kid is going to have an opportunity to look at porn/take drugs/consume alcohol; trying to take away all those opportunities doesn't really do much does it?

"HAHA! OUR KIDS NEVER DO ANYTHING WRONG! WE ARE MORALLY PERFECT"
But your kids don't have anything to do wrong in the first place.

I think people feel it's inevitable that if these kids had the opportunity to stare at porn all day, then they would; believe it or not, these ‘kids’ have minds too!

The problem with building this stupid 'protective' shell over kids is that when they leave Dubai (more accurately referred to as 'Disney Land') they have all these opportunities to do stuff in the real world and none of them will appreciate the consequences, or even if they know the consequences, they'll go ahead with any action thinking "big brother" will always be there to lend a hand fighting off any consequences. Or in the case of locals that will forever stay within the UAE, they’ll grow up with this ‘protective’ shell and while logically the world around them will change on a day to day basis, they never will (contrary to many fairy tales; this doesn’t work.)

It also supports the mentality of many in the region; that being… "we don't agree with your opinion so we're going to deport you/arrest you/block your website"; unfortunately going from Disney Land/Dubai Land back to the real world... There are always going to be people with an opinion you don't like, there is always going to be stuff in this world you may find morally reprehensible; tough shit.; 27 July, 2006 19:00
Woke said...: What do you think of bribing them with a home page redesign like this?

http://img101.imageshack.us/
my.php?image=etisalathomehj4.jpg; 27 July, 2006 19:16
B.D. said...: Good point:

The problem with building this stupid 'protective' shell over kids is that when they leave Dubai (more accurately referred to as 'Disney Land') they have all these opportunities to do stuff in the real world and none of them will appreciate the consequences, or even if they know the consequences.

That to me is the best reason not to put up these restrictions. Short of creating a North Korea, there is no way that the individual is not going to get exposed to the real world. Better to help him develop skills to deal with it, rather than try to keep his eyes shut.; 27 July, 2006 19:20
Anonymous said...: Perhaps the people in charge of blocking websites are not the same as the people in charge of what's happening on the streets.

From my Muslim point of view, if I were responsible for something that can open a door to sinning (what Islam deems to be sinning I'm not forcing you to believe anything), than I am not allowed to open this door.; 27 July, 2006 20:54
Anonymous said...: funniest thing i've seen today!but can u explain why qatar? are they open?; 27 July, 2006 21:07
Anonymous said...: The BoycottBatelco crew are with you! Good luck with your campaign.; 27 July, 2006 23:05
BuJ said...: very crafty ya SD...; 28 July, 2006 00:10
فهد المحمود said...: I loved it! It's already in (fahad.com) ... thank you secretdubai!; 28 July, 2006 01:19
Anonymous said...: Love the buttons....shame on you Etisalat...; 28 July, 2006 01:28
Anonymous said...: LOOOOOOOOL awesome! :D

if we all put these buttons in our blogs, we'll get blogger.com blocked! hehe! XD; 28 July, 2006 18:52
Tainted Female said...: Bravo.

This is a fantastic call... Though I worry if too many bloggers post these, blogger will be banned in as a whole. This is the only reason I'm not joining you on this, but I've linked this post in my blog and hopefully enough people using other hosts will get enough of these up to make a statement in as many random places as possible so that Etisalat can't possibly block all those protesting these insane bans.; 29 July, 2006 22:49
Anonymous said...: Great Stuff!; 31 July, 2006 11:15