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when the blogging restrictions and gagging by the government is imposed?

Hi Smoggie,

I thought you meant when Red Chief and viking-warrior leave? How would we cope....

It's a fair question, but as others have pointed out it's generally moderated fairly strictly, and its content is usually balanced by opinions on both sides. I would hope that it would be left alone. It's most certainly not an anti-Muslim or anti-UAE site.

And after all quite a few sites (e.g. some blogs) are already blocked, but DF is not.

What do you think?

The two active Mods on this forum do a fairly good job at monitoring. There are times that some things slip through the crack and remain public for longer than they should, but you can't blame the Mods. They can't be here 24/7 since there are only two (that I have seen) and they do have lives outside of DF. Maybe they can get a few more Mods to come on board and then quicker action can be taken moving/deleting threads/posts that should not be for public viewing.

What I find interesting is that sites for Muslim dating/marriage are not blocked!

Bora Bora wrote:
What I find interesting is that sites for Muslim dating/marriage are not blocked!

same here -- i never really understood how that worked though; a muslim dating sight...i giggled inside when i saw it

I think a lot depends on how the law is interpreted and acted upon.

It would be disastrous for this place if peoples points of view are stifled.
It would be no better than North Korea or Saudi.

I believe that this forum is well moderated generally. There are a few posters who are a bit mischievous, but no more than that. Certainly I haven't seen anything here that i would consider criminal.

I agree with you. The UAE knows it is held in esteem by the west for its comparative openness AND progressiveness, and it needs and values its relationship with UK, USA, etc. I really don't think it has any intention of 'clamping down' on anyone or anything more, except maybe a little muscle flexing to keep the more hardline Muslim Emiratis happy.When you have Saudi making (small) noises about women being allowed to drive, Kuwait allowing women into parliament, Iranian students again getting noisy, why would the UAE go the other way?

What do our national friends have to say. UAEkid? What's the news from higher up?

Speedhump wrote:I agree with you. The UAE knows it is held in esteem by the west for its comparative openness AND progressiveness, and it needs and values its relationship with UK, USA, etc. I really don't think it has any intention of 'clamping down' on anyone or anything more, except maybe a little muscle flexing to keep the more hardline Muslim Emiratis happy.When you have Saudi making (small) noises about women being allowed to drive, Kuwait allowing women into parliament, Iranian students again getting noisy, why would the UAE go the other way?

What do our national friends have to say. UAEkid? What's the news from higher up?

The way I see it, UAE is trying pleas everyone and be in between, you see what you think is moderating is against someone religion culture or interest !! I would say for the UAE Decision makers is hard a bit cuz as you see it is a multi everything. The way I see it is that they seem to be easy on other cultures than the local one for the fact that western or Asian are the majority here and the country is in need for all.

In regard of blocking sites speed humps I still believe that there are sites that needs moderation from either the GOV or moderators bcz it is a crazy world out there and the net can be harmful to politics , economy and cultures since there are lies, propagandas going around all the time along with true facts ( hidden)

But for the UAE or any country in this matter you simply can not hide anything since the internet is available to everyone instead they should fight the cause of blocking a cretin site and simply show the other side of the story ( if they have any )

The UAE does not hide info concerning the public bcz they are doing secret experiments LOL it's just to keep things on a low profile. And I did ask before in this forum what is it that the UAE had hidden from the public and it was harmful or concerning the public and I'm still waiting for an answer.


I guess UAE is doing fairly enough conceding many issues.

Hi kid. I agree, the UAE is doing a good job of walking a very difficult line between the ideas of the west and the concerns of the other GCC states.

You're right, it's not possible to hide information for long, so I think net censorship should only be for children, not for all. Everyone has to be able to look at disinformation as well as information on any subject, and be able to decide which is the truth. Without that experience no-one can make informed decisions, and if people (nationals in particular) are to take a part in the development (even the running) of their country they should have all the information. I don't think it's harmful to expose them to lies as well as truth. They have to be able to see for themselves and learn to expose the lies for themselves. I guess it really is a new concept here.

The UAE is kicking against age-old customs of privacy and silence, the hiding of the dirty laundry. They are doing a great job in modernising and opening up, I believe, and people who say it's going too slowly have no understanding at all of the background of true Arab thinking and how difficult it is to overcome the normal reaction of just ignoring the bad things (as well as just expecting the government to handle everything correctly and never to question them).

I do think that it would be wholly appropriate for the UAE to take stronger action when faced with some of the behaviour shown by westerners here. I also understand the real fear that some Emiratis do feel strangers in their own land, but that's the price being paid at the moment for the need for massive foreign labour to sustain the pace of development. Unless you believe that the country could have developed as it has while having a Saudi-style mentality towards expats (I think we all would agree that's a non-starter) .

Speedhump wrote:Hi Smoggie,

I thought you meant when Red Chief and viking-warrior leave? How would we cope....

Why don't you keep your shiit inside? I didn't touch you personally but only replied on appropriate topic. What was the big sence in mentioning my name here?

Come on, have a sense of humour. I'm only digging about your regular comments that the forums are sooooo boring, with only a retired colonel (oh, I WONDER who that is....LOL), students, etc, etc...

If you can't take it, commissar, don't dish it

Come on do like the Aussies say, 'harden the f*ck up' buddy

A sense of humour is a great advantage in life

Red Chief wrote:

Speedhump wrote:Hi Smoggie,

I thought you meant when Red Chief and viking-warrior leave? How would we cope....

Why don't you keep your shiit inside? I didn't touch you personally but only replied on appropriate topic. What was the big sence in mentioning my name here?

Cut the crap Chief. No teams here.

Defend yourself Preferably with a bit of humor and sarcasm

It isn't your business, Rob-bot.
Here you can chose someting:

http://lleo.aha.ru/na/nl/

Red Chief wrote:It isn't your business, Rob-bot.
Here you can chose someting:

http://lleo.aha.ru/na/nl/

I like it. You do have humor!!!

Wonderful. Applaud for yourself Chief.

smoggie wrote:when the blogging restrictions and gagging by the government is imposed?

Why blogging restrictions? I don't see anything wrong with this forum.

Bora Bora wrote:The two active Mods on this forum do a fairly good job at monitoring. There are times that some things slip through the crack and remain public for longer than they should, but you can't blame the Mods. They can't be here 24/7 since there are only two (that I have seen) and they do have lives outside of DF. Maybe they can get a few more Mods to come on board and then quicker action can be taken moving/deleting threads/posts that should not be for public viewing.

What I find interesting is that sites for Muslim dating/marriage are not blocked!

Thanks, much appreciated, I have been off for a while though, problems logging in.

bushra21 wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:
What I find interesting is that sites for Muslim dating/marriage are not blocked!

same here -- i never really understood how that worked though; a muslim dating sight...i giggled inside when i saw it

Hey B, long time no see, how have you been?

sage & onion wrote:

bushra21 wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:
What I find interesting is that sites for Muslim dating/marriage are not blocked!

same here -- i never really understood how that worked though; a muslim dating sight...i giggled inside when i saw it

Hey B, long time no see, how have you been?

Been good Sage. Nice to see you back.

Bora Bora wrote:

sage & onion wrote:

bushra21 wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:
What I find interesting is that sites for Muslim dating/marriage are not blocked!

same here -- i never really understood how that worked though; a muslim dating sight...i giggled inside when i saw it

Hey B, long time no see, how have you been?

Been good Sage. Nice to see you back.

I was actually referring to Bushra, you are known as BB.