The UAE Journalists' Association has told the mighty Gulf News (800g) today that it will provide legal support to bloggers facing legal action in the UAE 'provided they abide by the ethical and professional rules of the profession'. The piece comes as part of a spread on press freedom and the state of media in the United Arab Emirates.
"The new policy helps in improving the quality of blogging in the Emirates and enhances the transparency and the credibility of news reporting on cyber sites. The only condition on the bloggers to avail themselves of the services of the association is to identify themselves clearly and follow 9 ethical rules in reporting or casting their views, including offering a level playing field for different parties related to the issue of reporting.'
And what, you may as, rules are they? Thanks to GN, we find out that they are:
"Bloggers should refrain from using inflammatory language or tarnish the credibility of an establishment or individual without substantial evidences. Those who continue casting their views under vague identities will not be able to seek the association's help."
So no more anonyblogging, folks. Not if you want the help of the UAE Journalist's Association, anyway. 'Vague identities' are out. I wonder just what a 'vague identity' is...
Or 'tarnishing the credibility of an establishment'. That's a nono, too. Damn. So no criticising any companies, then. Hands off HSBC and Al Habtoor, Alexander. Let alone the RTAs and EIDAs that make our lives so very wonderful and joyous.
There's no mention of what precisely the '9 golden rules' are but I did post here about the UAE Journalists' Association Code of Ethics, which is a list of 17 rules. Strangely, it's not available on the UAE Journalists' Association website which is, incidentally, only available in Arabic. So I guess you might as well just pick the 9 you like best from that list and abide by them, folks.
Interestingly, there's also quite a grumpy editorial from GN's editor-in-chief, linked here, which is worth a read, flagging up major concerns with the much-awaited new UAE media law. I do recommend a read of this piece most heartily:
"Furthermore, the long-awaited new press law, currently under consideration to be issued soon in its final version, has failed considerably in addressing the needs of the journalistic body and the changes that have taken place so far in the country."
Hot stuff indeed from Abdul Hamid Ahmad about the new draft law that, among other things, replaces a prison term for journalists (and bloggers, then?) with a million Dirham fine.
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Monday, 19 January 2009
Bye George
I'd just like to say goodbye to George Bush.
Goodbye, George Bush.
Just before he goes, here's a chance to reprise one of my favourite things written about him. I'm sorry it's written by me, but a chap's gotta give himself the occasional pat on the back, no? It's here: I do hope you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I'm sorry about the insanely heavy weight of expectation on Barack Obama's shoulders. I hardly dare to think that anyone can live up to all that. But if he comes through and is a decent, straightforward man with a gift for oratory and backed by a strong advisory team that he has the guts to go with, then he'll be a million times better than the bumbling hick cretin that has done so much damage to our world in so many ways.
The invasion of Gaza now stands as the last shameful act in a shameful and venial Presidency. It is a fitting testament to the man who chose to be the puppet with the fat fingers of right wing America up his arse.
Goodbye, George Bush.
Just before he goes, here's a chance to reprise one of my favourite things written about him. I'm sorry it's written by me, but a chap's gotta give himself the occasional pat on the back, no? It's here: I do hope you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I'm sorry about the insanely heavy weight of expectation on Barack Obama's shoulders. I hardly dare to think that anyone can live up to all that. But if he comes through and is a decent, straightforward man with a gift for oratory and backed by a strong advisory team that he has the guts to go with, then he'll be a million times better than the bumbling hick cretin that has done so much damage to our world in so many ways.
The invasion of Gaza now stands as the last shameful act in a shameful and venial Presidency. It is a fitting testament to the man who chose to be the puppet with the fat fingers of right wing America up his arse.
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WOMAD
ADACH 2 WOMAD!
Yayyyyy!
According to today's thunderous Gulf News (650g), WOMAD is coming to the Emirates! A three day world music festival will take place in Abu Dhabi in April, put together by the organisation to promote 'world' music set up by the rather talented Mr. Peter Gabriel. WOMAD (World of Music and Dance) has been breaking new artists from around the world, and particularly its more far-flung locales, for something like 26 years now. Everyone always goes on about how it discovered Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou D'Nour, but I've always been more of an Afro Celt Sound Machine fan, myself.
The National adds that the festival will start with a gig at Al Ain's Al Jahili Fort but, like GN, gives no dates for the 3-day festival.
This is a real coup for the chaps and chapesses over at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) and should be a truly fantastic event. We await dates and acts - but this is potentially a great platform for the region's more 'traditional' musicians, as well as artistes like Toufiq Faroukh and even possibly bands from the region such as Arab/rock fusion outfit Blend...
PS: Anyone interested in WOMAD and the gigs can log into www.womad.org and get on the mailing list or wander around in the forums and bibble about music and stuff.
Yayyyyy!
According to today's thunderous Gulf News (650g), WOMAD is coming to the Emirates! A three day world music festival will take place in Abu Dhabi in April, put together by the organisation to promote 'world' music set up by the rather talented Mr. Peter Gabriel. WOMAD (World of Music and Dance) has been breaking new artists from around the world, and particularly its more far-flung locales, for something like 26 years now. Everyone always goes on about how it discovered Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou D'Nour, but I've always been more of an Afro Celt Sound Machine fan, myself.
The National adds that the festival will start with a gig at Al Ain's Al Jahili Fort but, like GN, gives no dates for the 3-day festival.
This is a real coup for the chaps and chapesses over at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) and should be a truly fantastic event. We await dates and acts - but this is potentially a great platform for the region's more 'traditional' musicians, as well as artistes like Toufiq Faroukh and even possibly bands from the region such as Arab/rock fusion outfit Blend...
PS: Anyone interested in WOMAD and the gigs can log into www.womad.org and get on the mailing list or wander around in the forums and bibble about music and stuff.
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Sunday, 18 January 2009
Yes we can!
Does anyone know who's trying to block the desert stretch between Dubai and Sharjah? It's really most odd that anyone would go to these extremes just to stop a few people in 4WDs taking a short-cut.
As I've mentioned before, there are extensive earthworks out there right now that look more like trench warfare than a few hundred yards of sandy snicket - ditches and high piles of sand interspersed with a huge number of concrete barriers that stretch for kilometres along the Sharjah side of the border. Every day someone finds a new way through, every day the JCB moves in and either piles huge heaps of sand or dumps a few more concrete barrier blocks on it.
But we're still getting through. For now. It's become a source of perverse satisfaction to beat 'em, to tell you the truth...
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Thursday, 15 January 2009
Not what it says on the box
Some may remember the mad, frenetic dash to get my first book, Space, to the top of the pile over at Harper Collins' authonomy peer-review writers' website.
The rationale behind authonomy seemed simple enough. Using language like 'Publishing contract, anyone?' (that language has since changed, incidentally, to 'Get Read. Get Noticed. Get Published'), authonomy allowed writers to post up some, or all, of their books and then solicit votes from other users of the site. The more votes you get, the nearer to the top of the pile you get. And if you are a 'top five' book at the end of the month, your book is forwarded for review to a Harper Collins editor.
Now Harper Collins is a huge publisher that doesn't even look at unsolicited, unagented manuscripts. And most unpublished writers would chop off their left legs to get their work in front of an editor (it's a date!) at a publishing house as powerful as HC. The expectation is that if your book's any good at all, you'd get asked for a 'full read' (heavy petting) or even get through to negotiating a contract (you're smoking a fag together by now).
But it turns out that HC was just teasing. I got to the top of the pile thanks to the support of a huge number of people, many of whom were genuinely impressed and amused by, and liked, my book. I enjoyed myself immensely doing it, by the way.
Like other people who've made it to 'the editor's desk', I put a huge amount of effort into it. And don't get me wrong - I've learnt a huge amount from the experience and made some really cool contacts and pals as a result. So for that, I can only thank HC for the site.
But the HC review of my book (next to the gold star on the book page) was slapdash and odd. And many other writers who'd got to the top of the 'greasy pole', as some called it, got the same feeling. Now, over 25 chart-topping reviews, five months, into the exercise, HC has not asked for ONE full read from a writer whose book reached the top, let alone taken anything further to any degree.
Yesterday, HC sent me a note offering me the chance to put my books up as POD (Print on Demand or Publish on Demand) books on authonomy. Soon, according to the email, all books on authonomy will be available as POD books but for now only 'a few early adopters' have been offered the opportunity - and a 'gift' of the first 10 books free.
Working with blurb.com, authonomy will add a button to each book's page, which currently allows you to read the book, watchlist the book or back the book. They'll add 'buy the book'.
Which potentially means that the whole exercise was purely about populating a new POD site with a community of unpublished authors who can now upload their books to sell them, at an unusually expensive cost to the author per book (limiting the profitability for the writer), to people who come clicking to the site.
This was arguably never about publishing contracts or talent spotting. It was never about 'Beating the Slushpile', as authonomy claims in its graphics and claimed in its original 'blurb'. It was about creating a POD site so that Harper Collins could hedge its bets against the 'new revolution' of Internet based publishing and digital publishing.
Worse, the exercise exposes some interesting values from HC and its approach to social websites. At no stage did it share its roadmap with the writers populating the site. At no stage did it seek our input, advice or approval. It just rolled out what it was giving us and we were expected to be pathetically grateful to receive it. All the way to the offer to become a POD book and sign away our rights in return for being part of a huge publisher's experiment.
Many of the writers I know on authonomy are disappointed, upset and angry at the move. It's not why we went there (there are established and, from a profit sharing point of view, better POD sites out there) in the first place. And people feel that while it's maybe not been directly dishonest, HC has hardly been transparent about its intentions for the site and the writers (some 3,500 and more) who have put their work on it.
And HC certainly hasn't been inclusive at any level - in fact, it communicates with the people on the site either through a sysadmin's alias ('Rik') or the alias 'authonomy'. We've never seen people - even the editors who review the books are anonymous. I'm sure HC thinks its being terribly funky and Web 2.0, but it's not. It's missed the first rule of these types of engagements with a community. Foster a community, be part of a community, engage with the community.
HC hasn't, because it doesn't respect that community enough. Lets face it, we're just wannabe's on the slushpile anyway. But I rather feel that it might just find that community pushing back a little now. Many people have had enough of being treated like the carvers in front of Gormenghast - even more so when it's become clear that the Groans don't want any of our carvings.
Someone on the site asked recently, 'Is authonomy a con?'. I'm afraid my answer is 'yes', I feel it rather has been.
PS: HC asked that I keep their offer to myself for the moment. I don't feel able to respect that request.
PPS: Authonomy-topping author Dan Holloway's manifesto for changing publishing is here. It's got some good thinks in it...
The rationale behind authonomy seemed simple enough. Using language like 'Publishing contract, anyone?' (that language has since changed, incidentally, to 'Get Read. Get Noticed. Get Published'), authonomy allowed writers to post up some, or all, of their books and then solicit votes from other users of the site. The more votes you get, the nearer to the top of the pile you get. And if you are a 'top five' book at the end of the month, your book is forwarded for review to a Harper Collins editor.
Now Harper Collins is a huge publisher that doesn't even look at unsolicited, unagented manuscripts. And most unpublished writers would chop off their left legs to get their work in front of an editor (it's a date!) at a publishing house as powerful as HC. The expectation is that if your book's any good at all, you'd get asked for a 'full read' (heavy petting) or even get through to negotiating a contract (you're smoking a fag together by now).
But it turns out that HC was just teasing. I got to the top of the pile thanks to the support of a huge number of people, many of whom were genuinely impressed and amused by, and liked, my book. I enjoyed myself immensely doing it, by the way.
Like other people who've made it to 'the editor's desk', I put a huge amount of effort into it. And don't get me wrong - I've learnt a huge amount from the experience and made some really cool contacts and pals as a result. So for that, I can only thank HC for the site.
But the HC review of my book (next to the gold star on the book page) was slapdash and odd. And many other writers who'd got to the top of the 'greasy pole', as some called it, got the same feeling. Now, over 25 chart-topping reviews, five months, into the exercise, HC has not asked for ONE full read from a writer whose book reached the top, let alone taken anything further to any degree.
Yesterday, HC sent me a note offering me the chance to put my books up as POD (Print on Demand or Publish on Demand) books on authonomy. Soon, according to the email, all books on authonomy will be available as POD books but for now only 'a few early adopters' have been offered the opportunity - and a 'gift' of the first 10 books free.
Working with blurb.com, authonomy will add a button to each book's page, which currently allows you to read the book, watchlist the book or back the book. They'll add 'buy the book'.
Which potentially means that the whole exercise was purely about populating a new POD site with a community of unpublished authors who can now upload their books to sell them, at an unusually expensive cost to the author per book (limiting the profitability for the writer), to people who come clicking to the site.
This was arguably never about publishing contracts or talent spotting. It was never about 'Beating the Slushpile', as authonomy claims in its graphics and claimed in its original 'blurb'. It was about creating a POD site so that Harper Collins could hedge its bets against the 'new revolution' of Internet based publishing and digital publishing.
Worse, the exercise exposes some interesting values from HC and its approach to social websites. At no stage did it share its roadmap with the writers populating the site. At no stage did it seek our input, advice or approval. It just rolled out what it was giving us and we were expected to be pathetically grateful to receive it. All the way to the offer to become a POD book and sign away our rights in return for being part of a huge publisher's experiment.
Many of the writers I know on authonomy are disappointed, upset and angry at the move. It's not why we went there (there are established and, from a profit sharing point of view, better POD sites out there) in the first place. And people feel that while it's maybe not been directly dishonest, HC has hardly been transparent about its intentions for the site and the writers (some 3,500 and more) who have put their work on it.
And HC certainly hasn't been inclusive at any level - in fact, it communicates with the people on the site either through a sysadmin's alias ('Rik') or the alias 'authonomy'. We've never seen people - even the editors who review the books are anonymous. I'm sure HC thinks its being terribly funky and Web 2.0, but it's not. It's missed the first rule of these types of engagements with a community. Foster a community, be part of a community, engage with the community.
HC hasn't, because it doesn't respect that community enough. Lets face it, we're just wannabe's on the slushpile anyway. But I rather feel that it might just find that community pushing back a little now. Many people have had enough of being treated like the carvers in front of Gormenghast - even more so when it's become clear that the Groans don't want any of our carvings.
Someone on the site asked recently, 'Is authonomy a con?'. I'm afraid my answer is 'yes', I feel it rather has been.
PS: HC asked that I keep their offer to myself for the moment. I don't feel able to respect that request.
PPS: Authonomy-topping author Dan Holloway's manifesto for changing publishing is here. It's got some good thinks in it...
Send to Kindle
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Webcam
You can go here and get a tiny little idea of what it must to be like to sit in your building and look out over a city that is slowly being blown back to the dark ages.
A normal looking city. Pretty Jordanian, really, no?
Full of ordinary people. Families. Decent people. Good people. Bad people. Smart people. Dumb people.
You know, people.
They've been living in blockade for 18 months. A blockade, effectively sanctions, that has been more tightly applied than those of Iran or, back in the day, Iraq. A blockade that has been so absolute, it has even included banning media and cutting off supplies of fuel to the only power station. Food is scarce and fuel to cook it on even scarcer. Now the water shortage is starting to bite deep.
So they can only sit by (because there is no work) and watch the black plumes of smoke rising over the buildings, watch the occasional streak of silver in the sky, the rumble and the little puff before the sound wave of the explosion hits. And then watch as the puff turns into black, roiling clouds of smoke that will rise up into the dirty air and smear across the skyline.
Now you can join them. Leave the camera on in a tab so that you can listen to the traffic noise, the honks of lorries and then the crump of high explosive and the sirens that follow it.
Now you, too, can be in Gaza.
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Green
I found this NIB in today's soaraway Gulf News (800g):
SYMBOLISM
In recognition of the World Future Energy Summit, January 19-21, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) will turn its website green to symbolise Abu Dhabi's world leadership in energy production and the importance of the evolving global future energy market.
I was still wiping the tears from my eyes when I remembered something from my session last night over at EMDI, where 20-odd hapless PR and communications students were subjected to an extraordinary two-hour performance of insane gibbering and kazoo playing by your humble correspondent.
You see, I like to go through AME Info and pull random press releases from the site to critique in writing-focused training sessions. And so I thought, well if GN ran this as a NIB, somewhere out there in the great sea of wonder that is the Internet, there must be a press release with more of this marvellous material in it. And so, indeed, there is.
Here, to round off the enjoyment of the many connoisseurs of fine things wot visits this blog, is the quote from that release:
"We are always looking for innovative and exciting ways of supporting the events which are held at Adnec, particularly our most important shows such as WFES. Thousands of people visit our website every week and by turning the site green for the duration of the show we are demonstrating our support to the event."
Turning a website green is innovative and exciting. Oh, good grief. My sides actually hurt.
SYMBOLISM
In recognition of the World Future Energy Summit, January 19-21, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) will turn its website green to symbolise Abu Dhabi's world leadership in energy production and the importance of the evolving global future energy market.
I was still wiping the tears from my eyes when I remembered something from my session last night over at EMDI, where 20-odd hapless PR and communications students were subjected to an extraordinary two-hour performance of insane gibbering and kazoo playing by your humble correspondent.
You see, I like to go through AME Info and pull random press releases from the site to critique in writing-focused training sessions. And so I thought, well if GN ran this as a NIB, somewhere out there in the great sea of wonder that is the Internet, there must be a press release with more of this marvellous material in it. And so, indeed, there is.
Here, to round off the enjoyment of the many connoisseurs of fine things wot visits this blog, is the quote from that release:
"We are always looking for innovative and exciting ways of supporting the events which are held at Adnec, particularly our most important shows such as WFES. Thousands of people visit our website every week and by turning the site green for the duration of the show we are demonstrating our support to the event."
Turning a website green is innovative and exciting. Oh, good grief. My sides actually hurt.
NB: This blog post has been turned green to symbolise breathless excitement.
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Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Complacent
In a breathtaking display of brass neck, The Emirates Identity Authority has yet again announced that it's our fault we haven't elected to stick needles in our eyeballs in order to register for ID cards.
In fact, an EIDA 'senior official' apparently told Gulf News (650g) that complaceny was visible after GN's report that no fines would be imposed - and that such complacency would 'create problems'.
The website fails, the application application is a joke, the whole fulfilment process consists of asking people to queue for hours waiting for a limited number of appointments to actually make an application to be doled out and then they accuse people of complacency when they decide not to play the game?
The deadline that would absolutely not be extended oh no over my dead body no way José that is so not happening buddy has, of course been extended until February 28th. Emiratis, who started first and who make up a smaller proportion of the population, get more time for some reason - their deadline is the 31st March. And while 80% of expatriate professionals haven't registered, almost 80% of Emiratis, apparently, have. So 80% of us now have six weeks until the next 'we're serious this time' deadline.
Having created a situation where nobody in their right mind wants to go through the pain and frustration of applying, what is EIDA doing? Speeding the process up? Streamlining it? Actually FIXING the broken website so that people can MAKE appointments online as was originally intended?
Nope. It's sitting back and being, oh what's the word? Yes! That's it!
Complacent.
In fact, an EIDA 'senior official' apparently told Gulf News (650g) that complaceny was visible after GN's report that no fines would be imposed - and that such complacency would 'create problems'.
The website fails, the application application is a joke, the whole fulfilment process consists of asking people to queue for hours waiting for a limited number of appointments to actually make an application to be doled out and then they accuse people of complacency when they decide not to play the game?
The deadline that would absolutely not be extended oh no over my dead body no way José that is so not happening buddy has, of course been extended until February 28th. Emiratis, who started first and who make up a smaller proportion of the population, get more time for some reason - their deadline is the 31st March. And while 80% of expatriate professionals haven't registered, almost 80% of Emiratis, apparently, have. So 80% of us now have six weeks until the next 'we're serious this time' deadline.
Having created a situation where nobody in their right mind wants to go through the pain and frustration of applying, what is EIDA doing? Speeding the process up? Streamlining it? Actually FIXING the broken website so that people can MAKE appointments online as was originally intended?
Nope. It's sitting back and being, oh what's the word? Yes! That's it!
Complacent.
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Disconnected
The result of any search performed through Etisalat's seach function this morning: 'Cannot get connection'.
I know the feeling...
BTW: This comes courtesy of pal Derek. I wouldn't dream of trying to use Etisalat's search function myself...
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Monday, 12 January 2009
Crock
Every morning I connect my laptop to the wireline network in the office. For some reason I can't get wireless to work at work. Every evening I go home and connect to my wireless network. My not at work network works. With one tiny little 'issuette' every time I use it.
For some reason I have always equated Windows Vista to the voice of Barney the Dinosaur. You know that, 'Heyyy, li'l buddy! Let's have some fuuun!' voice.
So every evening, I'm delighted to be told, 'Heeeyyy! Li'l buddy! I don't see no network! You want I look at the proooblem for you? Huh? Huh?'
I have no option but to press 'yes'. Although I know all too well what the problem is.
'Heeeyyy! Li'l buddy! Lookin' for your problem. Hang on tight! Here we gooo!'
Sigh. I know what comes next. Wait as reassuring colours swoosh on the screen.
Ping!
Heeeey! Guess what? I found your prooobleeeem! Your wireless is switched off! Wow! You want I switch it on for you?'
You switched it off without asking me, you fatuous purple bastard. Yes.
'Cool! I switched it on for you and, guess what, I solved your prooobleeem!'
I hate you and want to see you eviscerated slowly using a blunt, rusty fork.
So the cartoon above really cheered me up no end. I do commend to you following the XKCD site, wot is where I got this cartoon from, daily as it consistently rewards. Thanks to Eliot for the tip!
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