Helmi Noman is researching the demographics and usage patterns of Arab Internet users, Arabic Web content, Internet Law, and the perception of Web Credibility among Arab Internet users. On the Development Gateway email update today was this highlighted resource from his web site, and I thought at least some on the Digital Divide Network would find this interesting and/or helpful:
http://www.helmionline.com/internet/2005/10/web_content.html Online forums have rapidly spread as stand-alone web sites in the Arab world or as part of larger sites. This study, conducted by Helmi Noman between July and September 2005, examined 338 active Arabic forums for content quality, quantity, and the technology used to host and produce it. According to Noman, the rapid spread of Arabic forums can be attributed to the following common characteristics: Easy and inexpensive technology, almost all of it powered by vBulletin; empowerment, in these unmoderated fora; collaborative forums whose subjects are selected by the forum owner; providing a place to "hang out"; and encouragement of false identities. Some 27% of forums have Islam as a subject; politics and current affairs forums (5%); stock market forums (11%); education forums (1%); science forums (1%); and computer forums (17%). Forums in this last category constitute a large virtual information technology academy where professional computers experts get sophisticated assistance from their peers and where amateur programmers learn how to develop their skills. This article, posted on Noman's website, contains graphs and charts measuring Arab Internet fora. -- <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Ms. Jayne Cravens MSc Bonn, Germany Services for Nonprofits/NGOs/Civil Society www.coyotecommunications.com International & Development Studies & Work www.coyotecommunications.com/development Contact me www.coyotecommunications.com/contact.html www.ivisit.com id: jcravens.4947 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
