Saudi Arabia shuts down facebook!

Any reasons given yet? Immoral? Used by al Qaeda?

Tony

quote:

Originally posted by Tony Lockhart:
Any reasons given yet? Immoral? Used by al Qaeda?

Tony

Nothing mentioned yet. No mention of it on the news either. We'll have to wait and see.

A little surprising, as a few prominent government officials and departments seemed to have embraced fb.

Tony

I've just been in touch with my friend in Dhahran. He deleted his fb account a couple of days ago, but for all his erm, less favourable internet viewing he goes through a proxy server. That's no help with iPhone apps though.

Tony

I am aware that there are "cheats" around the firewall but my dissatisfaction is with the ideology behind the firewall in general and blocking facebook in particular.

Regards...

The shock and disgust at this arbitrary and ineffective censorship. Imagine if a progressive country like Australia did things like that. Oh wait, they do.

Flame

I don't know your ethnic origins, but if you are an expat living in Saudi, then no doubt you will already be used to coping with a different moral code than we "enjoy" in the West.

I can't see facebook censorship any different to things like no alcohol, modest dress code in public places, men-only drivers or public be-heading etc etc.

If you are a native Saudi, well, my commiserations. I can't see you changing morals in Saudi anytime soon. You have my sympathy.

Cheers

Don

There isn't any Facebook in China, nor Twitter. I'm sure there are other countries too.

Facebook is back. I can become a happy man once again!

As for Don's comments, I'm not an original saudi nor am I an expat. I am something in between. Maybe I'm just an international citizen.

Regards...

Maher,

I just think that SA is saving face..

..Saving face, even though half of them are covered up?

Personally I'm of the view that closing down Facebook is not really the end of civilisation as we know it. Sure it can be a convenient way to stage in touch globally but that isn't the majority use and this is the 22st century. There are so many other ways.

quote:

Personally I'm of the view that closing down Facebook is not really the end of civilisation as we know it.

But pretty close to it. Unless they are trying to encourage users to jump to MySpace.

Did they close it because they didn't have many friends?

Does seem a bit strange as they could control FaceBook access in the same way as a Government uses access by proxy to control any web site access.

quote:

Originally posted by nap-ster:
There isn't any Facebook in China, nor Twitter. I'm sure there are other countries too.

Just makes you want to say Onion Rings

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Hughes:
Personally I'm of the view that closing down Facebook is not really the end of civilisation as we know it.

That is true. But facebook has become an integral tool for social communication. Plus, only last month have I started a promotional page for my plastic surgery practice on facebook.

Regards...

quote:

I started a promotional page for my plastic surgery practice on facebook.

....and you wondered why they wanted to close down facebook?
Cheers

Don

quote:

Originally posted by Don Atkinson:

quote:

I started a promotional page for my plastic surgery practice on facebook.

....and you wondered why they wanted to close down facebook?
Cheers

Don

Looooooooooooooooool
All is very discrete and conservative on that page!

Can you make me look like Paul Stephenson? I have a plan

quote:

Originally posted by nap-ster:
There isn't any Facebook in China, nor Twitter. I'm sure there are other countries too.

So it's not all bad then.

steve

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Hughes:
Can you make me look like Paul Stephenson? I have a plan

I will need my share of 555 kit in return

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Hughes:
Can you make me look like Paul Stephenson? I have a plan

Would that be a "cunning" plan?