NEWS & COMPETITION FOR PAKISTANI BLOGGERS - DBTB update
After the release of the last Don’t Block The Blog (DBTB) Press Alert, I’ve been in discussion with several Pakistan based bloggers regarding the problems they are facing accessing specific blogging platforms and blogs in general. While Teeth Maestro expertly continues to source technical solutions to the problem, I’ve been updating with various international (free speech) organizations regarding the blogging problem in Pakistan. The most prominent of these Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), also known as Reporters Without Borders, has been fighting for the protection of journalists and free speech in general for the past 22 years. RSF strongly supports and continues to fight for the rights of all international bloggers.
I have been fortunate enough to be in communication with RSF from the start of DBTB. In my recent discussion with Mr. Julien Pain (Head of the Internet Freedom Desk at RSF), we were both in agreement that the blanket ban was not just an a strong interference for Pakistani bloggers but may actually turn into a deterrence where some bloggers might just get fed up with the problems with the accessing their blogs and give up blogging altogether. We cannot allow this to happen. With that concern in mind I have a small reminder for blogspot domain bloggers to please source alternate solutions for hosting your blog. Launch a new blog on typepad, wordpress or livejournal, until such time when a concrete solution is provided to you for accessing your blogspot blog so you can permanently transfer all your old posts to your new blog. The point is to continue blogging and invite others to blog. I realize that there are no guarantees with either of these other blog solutions but it is most likely to be better than blogspot.
To additionally encourage Pakistani bloggers to exercise the right to free speech, DBTB would like to announce a small writing competition which for Pakistan based bloggers. RSF which provides a paid solution for prominent political and social bloggers to host their blogs at the RSF blogging platform, has decided to award a free blog, on my behest, to the winner of this competition. The topic for the writing competition will obviously will have to do with free speech. The formal announcement and rules of the competition will soon be highlighted on DBTB blog, Bloggers.Pakistan, and the respective blogs of the DBTB team members.
What is the advantage of (winning and) owning a blog at rsf.org?
- Your blog will be associated with an NGO that defends press freedom and the rights of bloggers and journalists.
- Your address will be myblog.rsfblog.org
- You can contact others in the rsfblog community, people who know about and are interested in what’s happening on the other side of the world and care about human rights
- What you post may be picked up on the front page of “Looking at the world through Blogs,” a website that reviews what bloggers everywhere are doing.
- Your details will remain totally confidential. Unlike hosts such as Yahoo! or Google, who in the past have worked with authorities in repressive countries by providing private information.
- This blog is the least likely to cause you problems as it is a paid service platform and should provide you the requisite support technically and in support of your free speech.
- It is just one of the ‘coolest’ blog addresses to have on the internet!
That’s all for now but I hope to bring you more DBTB updates and hopefully some concrete solutions to the Pakistan blogging ban issue.
8 Comments so far
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IMHO, this is not a solution to keep switching blogs. What would a wordpewss user do if even wordpress is blocked as well or a personal domain? I personally will try my best to stay with blogger.
I believe the only solution is to set up individual blog sites each having a small dedicated group of posters.
Hence, there will be too many sites to block and that isn’t feasible for PTA.
@Adnan,
it IS a solution for bloggers who have been struggling to access their blog panel and blogspot and can’t. Please realise not all bloggers are tech-savvy and can source work-arounds. I know of several blogspot bloggers who are fed up with the inaccess and have planned to stop blogging all together. This IS a solution for them (for now). I also mentioned that there are no guarantees with any of the free blog hosting sites…but wordpress currently functions and services blogger better than blogspot.
@Asad,
you are right individual blogsites would work better. Obviously, paid hosting of block would guarantee access to your blog. And unique domain addresses would obviously not fit under the umbrella of the blogspot ban.
This whole blogspot thing has been really distressing, i am certainly one of those bloggers who have lost the urge to blog on Blogger because people in Pakistan cannot access it and comment. Really wish the Government that is forever paying lip service to the freedom of media in the country would reassess this whole situation.
This RSF idea is an interesting incentive for Pakistani bloggers and should help bring this issue more into the limelight.
Even for somebody who has been made aware of the exhibitionist thrill of putting my words on the web, the high just keeps getting lower with all the issues that keep cropping up. Although switching blog sites is a solution for the moment, the sword of a potential ban or censor is ever present.
Maybe by continuing to write and having even a single person read us we can be part of a generation that did more than just talk or think about an issue. Besides imagine having my veddy own blog space to have, hold and misuse to my heart’s content and knowing that i am brainwashing so many across the world and turning them into my mindless minions… uh… hmmmmm…
If anyone wants to blog but not on the blogspot site, I am looking for people to join the blogging team on my site. If someone is interested, just contact me and we can discuss blogging topics of mutual interest:
http://www.asadasif.com/index.php?memberid=1
This, in my opinion, is the way I can contribute to the blogging community of Pakistan. I request others to do so too.
dear omer, its not all about being a techie. wht if wordpress is also banned? IMO, the decent solution is that people start buying their own domains[like you did] so that they don’t face any kind of general ban in future.
p.s: I often check my stats and find dubai visitors also use pkblogs.com. Is it banned in Middle east as well?
Adnan,
I do understand your point, and like I mentioned earlier there are no guarantees on any free blog site. Same applies to wordpress.
Buying your own domain, is I agree, a good solution. But keep in mind that even paid hosting site with your own domain can be blocked by authorities if they disagree with or dislike the content.
My point was that for those bloggers, who are not well informed in the technical management of blogs, and are finding it difficult to blog should consider launching another blog from a free hosting solution other than blogger. The point is to continue to blog rather than just give up and wait for someone to resolve the issue.
I hope you get my point. It is primarily to ensure that the Pakistani blogging voice does not die down.
No, blogspot is not blocked in the UAE. The reason why pkblogs shows up is because a lot of the Pakistani bloggers have altered their blogroll URL’s to incorporate pkblogs so that sites are viewable for the Pakistani audience.
Thank you for your comments - they are much appreciated. I think we both believe in free speech and that is what really matters.