Archive for
September 5th, 2005


Stories

Nigerian Blogging Scene 

a small portrait of this author Edward Popoola · 10:26

The Nigerian blogging scene

As the world is getting along well with blogging,the face of blogging in Nigeria is changing surely but slowly. At the time of writing this piece there are not many (home based) Nigerians blogging especially when looked at in relationship to the number of people using the Internet in the country.

A few Notable ones are, Timbaland , Trae Days, Chipplas Blog, Naija Jams Kazey's Journal. Kayode Muyibi is the creator of the Nigerian Bloggers Aggregator. As well as his personal blog, Timbaland created and manages the Nigerian Weblog Ring (NWR). However, most of the Nigerians on the blog ring are Nigerians based abroad.

A number of factors could be said to be responsible for why Nigerians resident in the country don't blog. The main factors are those relating to issues of availability and cost of access. However as internet use is quite widespread I believe the lack of blogs has more to do with poor awareness about what blogs are compared to the popular use of the email and chat amongst users. Also it takes maybe 5 - 15 minutes to check email or have a brief chat with friends whilst blogging requires far more time and research online which is very costly in relation to the average earnings particularly amongst students and young graduates who the majority of internet users.

Because of the above constraints, active Nigerian bloggers are either very technical or web savvy individuals who can still afford to stay more on the internet. Hence, its should not be surprising if you see a Nigerian blog talking about technology. The same reason goes for why some Nigerians put their blogs on their personal domain names. The other category of Nigerian bloggers are those living abroad ( Timbuktu Chronicles, Dusky Thoughts who incidentally has just returned to Nigeria for one years National Youth Service, Black Looks and Soul on Ice) and who do not have to contend with issues such as unstable electricity and phone lines like home based Nigerian bloggers have to.

2 comments · »»

Katrina Help Lines from the KatrinaHelp.info team 

a small portrait of this author Neha Viswanathan · 09:08

Several founders and members of the SEA EAT (South East Asian Earthquake And Tsunami) blog & wiki, which gained worldwide attention in the Tsunami of Dec 2004, have remobilized volunteers to do their bit for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The KatrinaHelp Wiki Network was initially conceived in many different people's minds at approximately the same time worldwide. It represents a clear and direct effort at helping coordination, communication, and cooperation for rescue, recovery, and relief efforts.

This is the button for people needing help to call in to the KatrinaHelp.info team from a Skype account. Please spread the word so people needing help can call in. They have volunteers and associates from shelters, ER and other Emergency services on the ground with resources to help.
A picture named katrinahelpskypemebutton.JPG
Details on how to use the helplines are here. Or call them at +15042081564 with your request for help, and offers to help. (Please ensure you add the +1 to the number, even if you are in the USA. This is because the number is routed via Skype). If the line is busy, you wil be forwarded to voicemail. Please clearly state your name and contact details so they can get back to you.

0 comments · »»

Images from Chile: Letter to the Government This is a Photos post

a small portrait of this author David Sasaki · 04:17

chile bloggers

“Primera Carta al Gobierno sobre ‘Mi Primer PC'” by Leo Prieto

As we have previously written about, a group of Chilean bloggers is challenging their government to improve a program which hopes to make both computers and Internet access more affordable for the general population. The caption reads:

On a cold Monday morning (which are always colder than any other morning), a dozen of us met up to support Luis Riveros, Director of the Center of Diffusion of Free Software, in the delivery of a letter to President Lagos with critiques and proposals of the project, “My First PC,” sponsored by the government.

0 comments · »»

From the South Asian Blogworld 

This author has no photo Uma MD · 03:26

In South Asia, bloggers are up to whatever they usually do: which is, looking around them at the world, at everything great and small. On his flight back to Lahore, Karrvakarela wonders at how much small kindnesses can enrich our lives. He also writes about rediscovering his sohna shehr Karachi: the crows crowding the sky at dusk, the bookshops at Boat Basin, Dilpasand Chaat, and date milkshake at the Sialkot Milk House. At Metroblogging Lahore, for Shab-i-Miraj, Darwaish asks readers to pray for those they love, those they don't love and even those they hate.

In Delhi, Samit Basu, writer, columnist and favourite blogger of the Indian blogworld, writes about IWE (Indian Writing in English) spats and how they tend to come up for discussion every now and then. And how, when the dust has settled, it might be better to get back to writing some good books. Meanwhile, at Sepia Mutiny, Manish prepares us for a different match - the Sania Mirza -Maria Sharapova face-off. For spunky Mirza, it was one of the biggest matches of her career. As Manish points out, she lost 6-2, 6-1, in 59 minutes, but we love Sania for trying, and getting so far - and we know she's going places!

Blogging from the road, Dilip D'Souza remembers New Orleans, Mardi Gras, and Preservation Hall and that mood, all its own. Zigzackly writes on being really poor. Locana points to all the blog anniversaries that Indian bloggers are marking this month. These include two years of Deeshaa and one year of Jabberwock. Amit Varma remarks that children are naturally more likely to be nervous about exams, which they see every few months, than about natural disasters. Speaking of children, Nancy Gandhi remembers sweet cigarettes and brings back a whole wave of nostalgia for me. Pets are part of family, too, and at Animal Rights India, Hurree blogs about animals and other family.

In Dhaka, Rezwan reflects on Katrina and Bangladesh. In Sri Lanka, Morquendi of Nittewa muses on the journey from Buddhaputra to Bhoomiputra, and critiques what he calls Sri Lankan Buddhism. In Nepal, Samudaya introduces Creative Dissent Nepal, towards supporting democratic ideals through non-violent activism. And finally, MsWorld, Diva Chinita, is on her way to someplace near us. Look at the places she has travelled to in one month: Osaka, Japan; Hong Kong; Bangkok, Thailand; Ventiane, Laos; Luang Prabang, Laos; Chiang Khong, Thailand; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Poipet, Cambodia; Phnon Penh, Cambodia. By plane and bus and slow boat. Where will the headliner on the Black Girls Rule World Tour hit next? Well, I've invited her to Mumbai, and she's promised to come here!

2 comments · »»
Funders
Sponsors
Korea content
supported by		 OutBlaze Japan content
supported by		 SanrioTown