Kamangir (Archer)

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Viva Yellow-Blogging, Or Democracy Takes Off

Kamangir | April 10, 2007 | Category Iran

When Balatarin, the Iranian Digg, was established about nine months ago, many Iranians, including me, thought of it as a good opportunity to boost the Iranian blogosphere. In fact, it did a great job in helping Iranians from around the globe know each other and interact, peacefully for the most part. The outcome of this movement is not exactly as I dreamed it would be.

The important aspect of Balatarin is the fact that it is a democracy. Every user can post links which then would be voted for by every other user. Creating an account in Balatarin is also very simple, for everyone who has an email address and can read the Persian instructions. So, Balatarin knocked the old and grumpy Sobhaneh out and took off. Its take-off however, proved how much wrong many people have been.

As a man I am not supposed to pay any attention to the yellow magazines, all of which are deliberately put close to the cashiers. Frankly, I do watch all the cover pages. I have always thought who takes this stuff seriously. These days, when I open Balatarin, it is for the most part a combination of horrendously ordinary blog posts and nationalistic-emotional material. I remember once I thought looking at Balatarin is like you are standing in a street in Tehran asking the first guy about his idea on the best economical decision for the country. Then, I realized that this is essentially what democracy is; the fact that every person can have a say and the fact that sometimes everything is seriously shallow.

Reader's Comments

zaratzara | April 11th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Well, that’s the internet. Imagine the possibilities of interconnectivity and communication between everyone in the world! We could… Be the same stupid idiots we’ve always been, in a million new ways!

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
fear the seeds. | April 11th, 2007 at 9:38 am
We’re still at the start of this thing… that’s the problem. Something starts, begins, and it moves and people watch the movement and they ask “what the fuck? It’s nothing, look it can barely even stand… what the fuck’s the point?” That’s where the Internet is right now. We’ve moved past the stage where it’s new, and shiney, and just special. Now it’s something we take for granted. The Internet has always been around. We’ve always had this access and this power, so why are we still walking? Where the fuck is my rocket pack? We’ve been able to communicate on this level, on today’s level, for exactly two years. Or less. maybe a year. Maybe eight months. Maybe since the communications companies jammed $2 Trillion in new fibre optic cables and connected the world right to your doorstep… when was that again? 2000? Seven years ago?

During the 1800’s, when today’s version of “Democracy” finally started to spread across Europe and America and Canada there were, literally, thousands of printing presses… but at one point, not too long before that, there was one. In the world there was one printing press. Both situations added up to the same problem: confusion. There are a hundred million blogs out there right now, it will take time to sort through them to find out who’s full of shit, who’s working for the IR Intelligence Service and who’s got the best dish on Br*ngelina.

I Digg you dude, every chance I get.
Kamangir | April 11th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
fear the seeds,
Thanks for the Digging. :)
mahi | April 11th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
“As a man I am not supposed to pay any attention to…”
I am not sure I quite get what you meant with that? as I remembere you were an active feminist before:D
Motori | April 12th, 2007 at 12:27 am
For God sake Arash….Take that banner off your opening page. It has over-lasted its usefulness and I have 2 problems with that display:
1- You’re claiming Some one 4 sure is going to Nuke Iran, which we all know it will never happen.
2- You are claiming they (who ever they are) should not nuke ppl who don’t support Ahmadneedsajob, but it is OK to nuke ppl who support him.
Just remove that mediocre banner. Will ya??
Motori | April 12th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Arash Khan e arjmand,

Thank you very much!! You are very considerate.
Kamangir (Archer) - Ú©Ù…Ø§Ù†Ú¯ÛŒØ± » Blog Archive » Blogging and Copyright, An Easy Flow Diagram | April 23rd, 2007 at 4:04 am
[...] the Iranian Digg, is rushing forward and similar to any other first-time experience, the practice of conversation in the Persian [...]
Kamangir (Archer) - Ú©Ù…Ø§Ù†Ú¯ÛŒØ± » Blog Archive » Back to the Old Habit | April 30th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
[...] not been updated as frequently as it used to be. That is mainly because of my efforts to carry out a rather radical moderation in Balatarin. The fact is, to my deepest sorrow, and joy at the same time, trying to crackdown on [...]