They never let me down

If I want to spread some sort of propaganda what do I do? I use the Internet and the tools that come with it. The propaganda could be about snooty women who refuse to give me time, it could be about a completely watered down browser that refuses to evolve or it could be about a country that refuses to acts against its aggressors and instead attacks its citizens. No seriously, the Internet is by far the best way to engage people in debate or raise hackles. Newspapers are too slow and the television channels are plain comic. The Internet on the other hand, is viral. (No, the Gujjus may please be seated I'm not attacking (or praising) your community). You drop a word out here and the world picks it up. You drop many and the world starts believeing in it. If you think that's not true then how do you explain the huge number of hoaxes that spread after the advent of the 'popular' Internet? (A 'popular' Internet is one where non South Indians, Bengalis and Maharashtrians could also access and understand information).

So our fancy Department of Telecommunications (or was it I&B?) decided that the people needed protection against attacks from these cyber terrorists, never mind the blasts that make our lives so eventful. Or perhaps, they thought we'd change our way of thinking and sympathise with our attackers, or worse, the truth, contrary to its regular behaviour, may be out in the open and people would know the real reason why we have to deal with these off-season crackers. But trust the Government to goof up even a simple ban. I can blog, you can read my blog, if my Blogspot gets blocked, you can use a proxy from Pakistan (shame, shame) and access it. Yes people, we are still talking about the 'popular' Internet.

What do I conclude from this episode? My government is inefficient. It needs the terrorists to tell it what chemicals they used in the bombs they exploded. It cannot bring about any progressive legislation without watering it down and changing its orientation. It has an awful sense of timing and will use the argument that, the country is the butt of all terrorist jokes, to gain a seat in the UN Security Council and haggle for the General Secretary's post. It can't act like an authoritarian
government even if no one is looking. And best of all they don't know how to use the 'popular' Internet.

(Crossblogged at www.raydeo.wordpress.com. That blog gives a daily update on any interesting technology and science news. The previous line was an audacious plug. If you reside in my country and have accessed this blog without reading the instruction on the Wordpress blog, then I'm happy to know you and flattered that you're here. If you're here via the Wordpress blog and read the article twice, I'm flattered again but I'd suggest you'd rather read the posts that preceed this or go here or here).