Comments on: Will the free-Alaa campaign work?

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By: Serious Golmal » Blog Archive » 100 Egypts 4U

Serious Golmal » Blog Archive » 100 Egypts 4U — Sun, 14 May 2006 23:49:48 +0000

[...] A lot revolves around deobfuscating the business logic of the algorithms used for scoring keywords in Google rankings. Sunny H might have a handle on it: I could be wrong here, but my thinking is that a Google-bomb for the word Egypt to bring up the free-Alaa campaign would need something around 5,000 links using the word Egypt to bring it to the top of Google rankings when someone searches for that word. The second-ranked website currently, TourEgypt.net is ranked 7 and has 3,880 links for example. That needs to be topped. [...]

By: Robert Sharp » Blog Archive » Free Alaa - Egyptian blogger detained

Robert Sharp » Blog Archive » Free Alaa - Egyptian blogger detained — Sun, 14 May 2006 20:31:06 +0000

[...] The web can raise awareness of these issues, but we must still focus on more traditional channels in order to effect change in this particular issue. Pickled Politics suggests that Google-bombing might not be successful, and in any case should not be an end itself. [The] free-Alaa campaign needs to become more prominent with mentions in the national papers. But surprise surprise the press has largely ignored the story … My suggestion is: organise or join a demonstration outside the Egyptian embassy or send emails to your newspaper or broadcaster of choice and ask why haven’t they yet written about this story. [...]

By: Nindy

Nindy — Sun, 14 May 2006 19:59:01 +0000

I think one of the main reasons this story hasn’t recieved much press is the fact that although the mass media in western democracies likes to think of itself as forerunners of free speech and all things progressive, it is in effect no different to press in authoritarian regimes – controlled and with agenda.

The Fourth Estate idea is merely a myth. See Chomxky, Media Control (2002), which explains a lot of this.

All across the world bloggers/journalists are imprisoned and “silenced” in many ways. (I have written an essay on this if anyone is interested).

The case of Alaa doesn’t get press because it does not constitute a story of particluar significance – it is simply one case among many.

However, if, like you said, we the people are more proactive then it generates publicity not only for Alaa, but for other courageous people who are willing to challenge their governments, and puts pressures on our government(s) to make efforts to free these people whose only crime is to express their right of free speech.

By: Bikhair

Bikhair — Sun, 14 May 2006 18:15:09 +0000

Sunny,

I would like someone to make a list of all the prominent peoples who have spent time in Egyptian jails, including its most famous Ibn Taymiyah. That is one incarcerating place.