I have written before about the brilliant Pink Chaddi Campaign and highlighted the important role played by Facebook in helping the campaign go viral.

Briefly, journalist Nisha Susan set up The Consortium of Pubgoing, Loose, and Forward Women on Facebook and urged women to gift pink panties to Pramod Mutalik, the head of the ultra-conservative Hindu group Shri Ram Sena, in order to shame him into backing down from his threats to disrupt Valentine’s Day celebrations.

The campaign has become one of the best Indian examples of how a grassroots community can come together, collaborate and take collective action using social media tools.

The Pink Chaddi Facebook Group has been getting hacked throughout last month, and, instead of dealing with the hackers, Facebook suspended both the group and Nisha’s account last week.

Before the group was suspended, the hackers changed the name of the group to ‘A Good Bong is a Dead Bong’ and posted vulgar and violent messages on the group. Over the month, the hackers had used names like ‘Nathuram Godse Appreciation Society’, ‘Dara Singh Appreciation Group’ and other vulgar names.

In an open letter to Facebook posted on Kafila, Nisha wondered if the first rule of Facebook activism is to not use Facebook.

In an update on the Pink Chaddi blog, Nisha warned her supporters against joining a fake Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women group created by the hackers.

In fact, several groups supporting and impersonating the Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women have sprung up on Facebook.

While Facebook activism has become an important part of any activist’s technology toolkit, it comes with its own perils.

To begin with, Facebook allows you very little flexibility in changing the design of your cause, group, page or event. Each of these options come with in-built limitations and once you have chosen one, you are wedded to it.

Facebook also gives you very little control over the content created by you or your supporters. For instance, you can’t highlight wall messages as important or sticky and you can’t export them.

Most importantly, you can’t export the names or contact details of your supporters, so the support base you build within Facebook stays within Facebook.

Then, there is the question of the involvement of your Facebook supporters. Ethan Zuckerman has wondered if Facebook protests are glorified petitions that attract serial activists. Beth Kanter has written about the difficulty of moving casual Facebook activists to higher levels of engagement.

We have also seen in the case of Egypt’s April 6 Youth Movement that Facebook activism groups come together for a specific protest, but lose the momentum thereafter.

Finally, there are serious security concerns associated with Facebook protests which have become all too clear in the case of the Pink Chaddi campaign.

Facebook groups can be hacked into, in spite of reasonable security measures, and the Facebook team is often not responsive to pleas of redressal. The FACThai Blog had written about the possibility of such attacks on the Pink Chaddi group last month and now, the attacks have really gone out of control.

Beyond the threat of hacking, detractors or even well meaning supporters can create duplicate groups, pages, causes, or events with similar sounding names, leading to confusion and a dilution of message.

So, if you are an activist, do leverage the virality of Facebook, but use it with an eye on its many limitations.

By all means, use Facebook as part of your campaign but don’t build your campaign around it. Use all the social media tools at your disposal and interlink them to increase their virality. In the US, it would mean using Facebook with MySpace, YouTube and Twitter. In India it would mean using at least Orkut, apart from Facebook.

Whichever tool you use, have a plan to transition your supporters to a traditional mailing list, so that you have more control over how you communicate with them. If you have been able to build a large and vibrant community, it might even make sense to move to a proprietary social network built on Drupal or Ning. I’m not implying that such a transition will be easy, or even successful, but it’s definitely worth a try.

Finally, do take basic security precautions like using strong passwords and changing them often, logging out of public computers after using them, and having more than one admin so that the group is not orphaned if your account gets hacked.

If your Facebook account, and your group, does get hacked, I guess the first step will be to try the Forgot Your Password? link, which will send the new password to your email ID, unless the hacker has already changed it.

If that doesn’t work, your next resort should be the Login Problems Help Page,which will lead you to one of two forms based on whether you have or don’t have access to your login email.

If you are lucky, the Facebook support team will respond quickly, otherwise you would do well to quickly move on to step three, and start an online campaign to put pressure on Facebook to restore your access.

Coming back to the Pink Chaddi Campaign, Nisha Susan has taken all these three steps and still doesn’t have access to her Facebook group.

If you know a way to help Nisha regain control of the Facebook group and avoid such hacking attacks in the future, do leave a comment below.

I’m convinced that someone should write a blog post titled “three steps to get your hacked Facebook activism group back”. Perhaps, we can write that post together here.

Cross-posted at Gauravonomics, my blog on social media and social change.

3 weeks ago when Linkedin blocked all Syrian IPs users, but they were able to access the site by using IP changing programs (such as Tor), but in the last days, Linkedin blocked all Syrian users even if they changed their IPs,  and when the users try to access the website this message appears to them:

Access to this account has been suspended. Please contact Customer Service to resolve this problem

He also said that once you email Linkedin customer service, they will tell you, your account was blocked because you are Syrian.

For those who do not know Linkedin: it is a professional social networking, like facebook but for the business users.

A source in Syria confirmed to ArabCrunch that linkedin is behind the block, the source back this because according to them, when trying to access linkedin.com the source got” TCP error” with this message:

A communication error occurred: “”

The Web Server may be down, too busy, or experiencing other problems preventing it from responding to requests. You may wish to try again at a later time.

For assistance, contact your network support team.

The source noted that when trying to access the websites that are blocked by Syrian government like facebook, the source only gets a blank page.

The source accessed the website via a proxy program and it worked but could not go any farther.

According to sources in Syria, many US companies blocks their websites to Syrian users, Like Google and Sun Microsystems, who both blocks all types of download from their websites, also Google blocks code.google.com a setback for Syrian developers.

“The Syrian user fears the day when he cannot access Gmail or Google search engine.”  Anas said in the post, and I also fear this because I love Gmail so much.

Anas also offer all these blocked programs for free to download at this

The young blogger was charged with handing out literature promoting the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood and for calling for strikes. Besides, he is recognised as a Muslim brotherhood blogger, which means he is member of an outlawed group. A friend of Fares wrote in his blog that he was released last night, but nobody knows his whereabouts.

Recently, Fares told the readers of his blog, that he was summoned to the State Security headquarters:

I don’t know whether the both incident are related! I was summoned to State Security office and ordered to be their on 1st April. Right after that, I had a chat with someone I don’t know on Facebook, he commented on my satus, then chatted with me, describing me and the supporters of 6th April strike as rioters. And he told me ‘don’t regret when you are punished!

Fares posted a screen shot of this conversation:

The missing blogger used to write about activists who have been arrested. He is now one of them.

After we contacted her for more information, we gathered that her “someone” was trying to block her blog for almost two weeks.

Someone is blocking my blog, reads the headline of her post about it:

Someone is blocking my blog and I am posting this article merely to show that person that I can
go around the blocking and still be able to access my blog and actually post whatever I want on it.
I have no idea why my blog is being blocked and whatever the reason is it has made me even more determined to post more controversial or provocative articles. I refuse to be censored or cowered
into silence by anyone because I know my human right of freedom of expression and am determined to
exercise it to the full.

She promised to be back with more controversial artices:

WILL BE BACK ON MY BLOG WITH A CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLE ONCE I FINISH WRITING MY ASSIGNMENTS.

In 2007 Zimbabwean government created a blacklist of 41 websites, which included Global Voices. In the same year the Interception of Communication Bill was passed into law. The act gives the government the power and right to monitor postal, telephone and internet traffic in Zimbabwe.
—
** Bloggers experiencing censorship related problems may benefit from Global Voices Advocacy, a project of Global Voices Online, which seeks to build a global anti-censorship network of bloggers and online activists throughout the developing world that is dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and free access to information online.

Razily’s arrest- courtesy of radotiana.blaogy.com

The HAT is now de facto leading Madagascar, since the former President Marc Ravalomanana opted not to resign but has instead transferred power to a military Directorate. Under duress , (the details can be witnessed on a youtube.com video and the American ambassador bears witness to the events, as he was also threatened with weapons pointed at him ), the Directorate then transferred power to the HAT. The HAT has since been duly recognized as a legal authority by Madagascar’s Haute Cour Constitutionnelle de Justice which is responsible of making sure that the laws of land and the constitution are being respected in Madagascar.
No countries have so far recognized the HAT and its new President, Andry Rajoelina, the youngest African president ever, who under the Malagasy constitution, is still six years too young to even be on a Presidential election ballot ! And the former Malagasy President, Marc Ravalomanana, barely escaped from his Palace and is now seeking refuge in South Africa and Swaziland.

The Southern African Development Community and the African Union , while harboring themselves some countries that are no slouches in the antidemocratic and human rights violations department, have taken the stand that they will not tolerate putsches amongst their members and have not only banned Madagascar from their midst but are also considering sanctions.

Many western countries such as Norway and the United States have stopped aid to Madagascar and concerns have been risen on how the poverty stricken country which relies on aid for 80% of its budget will manage to hold its head above water, although the HAT has now declared its intentions on selling Ravalomanana’s $60 million private jet to replenish its coffers, at least in the short term. France which was accused by some as having, if not engineered the coup, then at the very least of supporting it, has been doing some amendments of its own, saying now that it still considered Ravalomanana as Madagascar’s President according to the constitution.

Such is the mind boggling and categorization defying political crisis that bloggers and twitterers are striving to report on. Online content about the crisis have been plentiful and have attracted international attention. Our colleague, Lova Rakotomalala, has been the subject of a Wall Street Journal article and a CNN interview for his dedication to relaying and translating Madagascar based twitterers’ contributions. Another blogger, Solofo Rafeno, has been invited to a debate hosted by France24 News.

There are however some alarming developments that could hinder Malagasy twitterers and bloggers’ reporting in the future. One website, Topmada.com, reports on March 30 that :

“20:00 - La police et les militaires ont arrêté certains journalistes et photographes pour les forcer à effacer leurs photos”

This information is confirmed by twitterers. Twitterer Thierry_ratsiz was held and forced to delete his pictures by the security forces.

thierry_ratsiz: #madagascar Ils m’ont juste prie de ne pas prendre photos (d’eux!!) et effacer photos, peur de photos diffuses sur internet!!
thierry_ratsiz: hola, interpele par les gendarmes pour avoir ete surpris en prenant des photos… :/ #madagascar

R1lita and Pakysse experienced the same thing as reported:

TRT @r1lita: @pakysse, other twitterer in #Madagascar, was also ordered to delete the photos he took in Antaninarina by police earlier.

But the most scary incident was reported by Avylavitra, one of the bloggers who has the most prolifically covered the crisis. He writes :

“Nahazendana ny maro ny zavatra nitranga teto satria tsy nanmpoizina velively: nisy iray tamin’ireo miaramila avy tao amin’ny RM1 izay nivoaka teo amin’ny arabe no tonga dia nanondro basy AHY no sady niteny hoe:
Miala any ny mpanaogazety, Tsy mila mpanao gazety eto. Miala sao tifiriko eo an.

Tsy nahita izay hatao aho no sady nanangana fotsiny ny karatra niantona tety ambozoko. Eo ambony Scooter aho amin’io raha mandeha an-tongotra kosa ny maro tamin’ireo mpanao gazety sy mpaka sary maro namana teny an-kianja mafana teny. Rehefa hitany fa tsy nihetsika aho no sady mbola nanangana ny karatra tety an-tanako, dia vao mainka niakatra ny feon’ilay ranamana. Tsy haiko na mpifehy ao amin’io toby io ilay zalahy iny, na iza. Fa ny fihetsika nataony aloha no niarahana nahita.

Nisy tamin’ireo mpanao gazety sasany no nihiaka niteny azy nanontany hoe :

Fa hatramin’ny oviana ny mpanao gazety no tsy mahazo maka sary sy manao ny asany. Sa efa niova indray koa ny lalàna?

Namaly ranamana no sady efa nikendry ny lohako. Ny elanelan’ny trotoir roa no manasaraka anay amin’io fotoana io. Hoy indrindra izy:

Rehefa hoe tsy mila mpanao gazety eto dia tsy mila, miala hoy aho sao tifiriko eo. Tifiriko ialahy an!’

Fahatsiarovana sady tsara no ratsy ho ahy iny ry zalahy namana. Kanefa tsy mba voatahiriko an-tsary, fa dia ny nanodina ny Scooter sy ny nidina ambanimbany namonjy ireo mpanao gazety sy mpaka sary sasany no nataoko sisa.

Koa miangavy anareo izay nahazo sary an’iny ’scène’ iny aho, tena miangavy. Mba omeo sary hotehiriziko, na farafaharatsiny, mba omeo rohy hahafahako mijery azy.

Enga anie ka ho anatra ho an’ireo miaramila rehetra ny namoahako ity lahatsoratro ity, fa aleo hivoaka ny marina sy ny nisy. Izay rahateo no ezahako ijoroana hatrany amin’ity GazetyAdaladala ity. “

mydago.com has a humorous take on this turn of events :

“Mais que peut internet contre des armes à feux ? Contre des lacrymogènes ? Contre des militaires en pick up et brodequins ? Et fusils ? Rien ! Mais absolument rien ! Alors quel est le problème ? Et puis Madagascar est une île. Laissez donc tranquille cette île. C’est bien une île. Il y a la mer autour. Et la prochaine terre est loin. Cà permet de tout cacher. Les violence, les excès, et tout. La dictature même. Les dictatures.

Mais aujourd’hui, plus rien ne va. Quand on fait un coup d’état, les militaires ne peuvent plus faire leur travail normalement comme avant. Les jeunes d’aujourd’hui sont intenables. Ils sont extrêmement ennuyeux !!! Ils prennent des photos et des vidéos. Ensuite ils les transmettent par internet à des sites. Qui ensuite les publient dans le monde entier. Ah, ils sont vraiment ennuyeux ces jeunes d’aujourd’hui. Il n’y a plus de valeurs. Ils ne respectent plus la force ! La force militaire !”

On March 30, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) issued an administrative notice, “Concerning the tightening of management on Internet audio-visual content”, to provincial and muncipal level administrative bodies. In the notice, it states that, according to the Regulation on the management of Internet audio-visual service, the following content should be banned from the Internet:

1. against constitutional principle;
2. damaging to national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity;
3. disclosure of state secret, harmful to state security, national honor and interest;
4. inciting ethic hatre, ethic discrimination, undermining ethic unity, culture and custom;
5. promoting cults and superstition;
6. disrupting social order and social stability;
7. inducing underage youth to commit crime; rendering violence, pornography, gambling and terrorist activities;
8. humiliating and slandering contents that violate citizen’s privacy and rights;
9. harmful to social morale and national culture and tradition;
10. other contents that prohibited by other laws and regulations.

Under the regulation, Internet audio-visual content providers have to edit and delete the following content:

1. maliciously distorting Chinese culture, history and historical fact; maliciously distorting other countries’ history and disrespectful to human civilization and other countries’ civilization and customs;
2. deliberately ridiculing revolution leaders, heroic figures, significant historical figures, prominent figures inside and outside China;
3. maliciously ridiculing people’s army, armed police, police, and judicial bodies; contents that show physical abuse and torturing of prisoners and criminals;
4. showing the arrogant and heroic side of criminal acts, details of crimes and investigation, image and voice of witnesses and whistle blowers;
5. advocating religious extremism, creating conflicts among different religions, sects, believers and non-believers that hurt people’s feeling;
6. promoting fortune telling, fung-shui, exorcism treatment and other superstitious acts;
7. depicting nature disasters, accidents, terrorist acts, wars and disasters in a spoofing manner;
8. explicitly presenting promiscuity, rape, incest, necrophilia, prostitution, sexual perversion, masturbation and other similar acts;
9. showing or implicitly presenting sexual behavior and bodily intimacy;
10. deliberately exhibiting private parts of human bodies that covered up by body parts or small objects;
11. inducing sexual fantasy;
12. advocating unhealthy acts of extra marital sex, polygamy, one night stand, SM, exchanging partners, and etc.
13. titled and tagged with seductive words or pictures that associated with adult films, pornographic movies, AV, hidden video, nipple slip, and etc
14. agitating content related with homicide, extreme violence, abduction, drug, gambling, and supernatural phenomena;
15. excessive horrible image, subtitle, background music and sound effects;
16. demonstrating slaughtering of animals, and human consumption (eating) of protected animal species;
17. violating individual privacy;
18. positive presentation or presentation that encourage fight, humiliation and vulgar languages;
19. advocating negative and decadent life style, world view and value; exaggerating national backwardness and dark side of the society;
20. video clips that have been banned by SARFT;
21. violating the principle of relevant laws and regulations.

The regulation also demands all Internet audio-visual content providers to hire content management staffs for handling complaints and improve self-regulation system. Moreover, they have to apply for a number of permits from administration and abide to copyrights regulation.