Google opens its heart a little in the Islamic Republic

During research for my book The Blogging Revolution, a great deal of time was spent examining just what companies such as Google actually do in Iran. The company has posted the latest information: During the protests that erupted in Iran following the disputed Presidential election in June 2009, the central government in Tehran deported all…

Google, Twitter et al on path to helping US imperialism

The introductory section of this recent essay in the London Review of Books paints a disturbing nexus between the US government and major web companies. They seem worryingly comfortable assisting US foreign policy goals. Putting a nice, sexy face to occupation. Beware: On a balmy evening in April 2009 Barham Salih, then deputy prime minister…

Are we addicted or too pleased to notice?

Some startling facts: – There are now more than 500 million active Facebook users, with 50% logging on to the site on any given day. Worldwide, users collectively spend 700 billion minutes a month on Facebook. – Google’s email service Gmail ended July with 186 million worldwide users, a 22% increase from the same time…

Jon Stewart on using fooking humour to make his point

Wonderful New York profile of Jon Stewart and the Daily Show, a program that becomes even more essential as America’s two-party system crumbles before our very eyes (but don’t tell them; they don’t need to realise): After September 11, Stewart began to employ his newfound anger, becoming a voice of comic sanity in the whirlwind…

Not telling us how the web content arrives

Looks like we’ll have to fight for a truly free internet: So Google and Verizon went public today with their “policy framework” — better known as the pact to end the Internet as we know it. News of this deal broke this week, sparking a public outcry that’s seen hundreds of thousands of Internet users…

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