Youtube and the National Telecommunication Cooperation in Sudan

"Ooops! I should have blogged about the unblocking of Youtube in Sudan!!
Youtube is also back, except of those videos that thrown away by the National Telecommunication Cooperation in Sudan.
The National Telecommunication Cooperation works on blocking and filtering of pornographic, anti-Islamic websites, in addition to those that contain political, cultural and religious content that “the company “ sees and decides upon their inappropriateness. The blocking of YouTube was criticized in Sudan and all over the world. A large number of Sudanese youth all over the globe have even created a group at Facebook as an online platform for a protest campaign. I wonder if we can change the behavior of our youth by blocking websites, which, professionally, they teach you how to mirror and easily access them!
My relationship with the National Telecommunication Cooperation dates back to January 2007, when I reported back to them about blocking my blog and my Bubbleshare account.
In August, 2008 I wrote the company asking to unblock Box.net, a website for web hosting where I keep most of my files, documents, my PhD theses and all my previous work with my students.The company was very cooperative and sent me a prompt reply that they will unblock the website as soon as possible.For the second time, I admired their cooperation and helpfulness.
Earlier on an e-list, I posted about Bubbleshare being blocked and the great help I found by the NTC. I will copy the post below:
“The day before yesterday ,to my surprise, I found that Blogger com is also blocked! I turned into a mad woman ( men know how that would be of. I called the telecommunication company, as they put their "how to reach them " button in a big and clear font)After a furious talk, and to my big surprise, the man was very cooperative, listened attentively , took the URL's and among my speech, I said something about having blocked a website before and I didn't complained. The man was very keen to listen about types of these websites and promised to call back. Guess what? Yesterday, ALL were back with a telephone call of apology.I began to think whether Sudan is *really *developing!!!
More on Youtube being banned in Sudan:
The Initiative for an Open Arab Internet
Sudan Tribune
NetwrorldWork
Zoulcolm X A blog by a Sudanese youth

Sudaneseonline is back today!

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Sudanese Online سودانيز اون لاين دوت كم via kwout

"I felt so sad when receiving an error message stating that Sudansesonline was blocked by the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), the message that appeared on my screen when checking out if it back or not. The action of destruction generated thousands of angry emails and posts everywhere online protesting the action. I am not a member of Sudanseseonline, but I won’t skip a day without lurking and reading the up-to-date news on the website, which groups thousands of Sudanese professional around the globe.The website was destroyed by professional hacker, amongst other 300 Sudanese websites destroyed by hackers during the last few months, according to a report by Hassan Elbihari at Al-Ray-Alaam newspaper.
The rest of the websites were governmental, ministries, newspapers; Alayam, Alwatan, online forums; Sudan.net , Sudanyat and Al-Hilal football league.Even the website of the National Telecommunication Cooperation didn’t survive in front of the hackers'keyboard, as a protest reaction to blocking Youtube in Sudan in July 22, 2008.
Welcome back, Sudaneseonline!

What should I blog about?

My posts seem to lessen monthly! The truth is that I do miss blogging. I don't want to be another Sudanese who complains about life in Sudan and how things are getting complicated every single moment. As if we are a herd driven by the current situation to the "nowhere", where there will be no step back.Anyway, concerning myself, my friends, my family and my neighbors ( about 1000 person!), we are all being driven to the unknown!!
Let's keep on dreaming that one day...just one day, we will wake up and find our beloved country a better one!

Rest in Peace ”Habeebo”

انتقل الي الخالق الاخ محمد احمد على رضوان "حبيبو"رحمه الله
والذي استشهد غرقا"ىوم الاربعا 8\10\2008
When I read the news on the Tagananet e-list, sent by Mohamed Osman, my eyes froze on the screen. A recorded film strip began to move in front of my eyes. Mohamd Rudwan, or just Rudwan, as I loved to call him, was one of the students that I used to miss in class. Do you know what this means? When a teacher misses a student when he is absent means that he/she adds to the class. Adds what? Student presence. Everything. Even if he doesn’t say a word, his being there watching you, listening attentively to the lcture, helping his colleagues with exercises and spreading his love to the class. This WAS Ruwdan for me.
I have always felt that his friends, Hisham Salih, Ahmed Osman, Alsareef, and others, miss him in class, as I do.
I happened to get to know Rudwan close when he joined the Internet Group back in 2007. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tagananet/ I remember his childish big, black, rounded eyes when asking me about something he didn’t know, or when he submitted his homework. . He had a funny type of teenager’s “Istihbal” that you couldn’t but laugh at when he gives you his back. He was so confidant of himself. He used to tell me that “Ok teacher, everything will be done soon, no problem”. Nothing will be done now. No Rwdaon anymore. He drowned on Wednesday,October 8,2008, when he went to swim in the Nile River with one of his friends,going deep into a dangerous area in the Nile, fear of nothing even if he doesn’t know how to swim well, that’s typical Rudwan , the guy full of confidence. He thought he could do it. This last time ..he couldn’t.
Hisham called me three days later, telling me they found his body at Aljabal, after four days. I told him I will come to offer my condolences to his mother. I just couldn’t! It’s my first time ever to lose a STUDETN. I told my kids about him. Maybe my words were so true that my elder daughter kept telling me for three days that Rudwan picture was always in front of her eyes, asking to show her his picture. I refused.
Today, I miss Rudwan, my student, the one who was so young, so full of life, full of hope, ambition, energy, enthusiasm and much more that I don’t know about. Loved by all his friends, they called him “Habibo”. Anick name means “His lover”. Allah yarhamak wa ya3awid shababk al Jennah.We will always miss you! I will keep you in my Duaa, forever!

Enjoying lurking

The picture tells it all! After Eid, I started crawling to my laptop. I still can't blog, work, prepare or participate actively in both the cyberspace and the kyberspace!I am enjying being a lurker!