Blogging in Syria
Syria makes number three on the list of worst places on earth to blog. Authorities have detained bloggers for posting content in violation of their ordinances. Any posts that are recognized as false or detrimental to national unity are blocked or removed from view by public eyes. Self censorship seems to be common practice in Syria. An order from the Ministry of Communication demanded all Internet café owners recover customer details, including names and times of all computer usage. Regularly, these details must be submitted to authorites so they can keep a record of events and people. If deemed necessary, authorities harass and detain bloggers who are seen as antigovernment or slanderous individuals.
To show an example of how extremely sensitive government regulations are in regards to blog posting, here is an example. Waed al-Mhana is an advocate for endangered archaeological sites who made a post criticizing the demolition of a market shop in Old Damascus. The man is now on trial for violating the country's press code on the premise of abasement. So it would be a smart idea for anybody within Syria to check the rules and regulations related to blogging. Better safe than sorry, use a VPN and conceal you real IP when posting! 
But it's not all bad, blogging helps young Syrians get actively involved in politics in a positive way. Praising their country's prowess and allowing them a productive method of self expression is looked upon as a good thing in Syria. Blogging is also helping many ordinary Syrians reawaken their interest in politics after many years of authoritarian Ba'ath party rulership. Blogging allows people to savor the true virtue of anonymity. Never having to reveal a name or identity to carry on a conversation can be beneficial to both sides of a subject oriented conversation. With no formalities involved, discussions can get broken down to core elements, solving problems in less time. Syrian authorities recognize this fact and have far from given up hope on blogging as a legitimate means of problem solving and communication.
The future of blogging in Syria looks to be a two-sided coin. On one hand the punishments given to slanderous and antigovernment troublemakers are going to get worse, and more frequent. On the flip side, you have the bloggers who are beneficial to the country with their blogging posts. Work related posts, school teachings, and posts of a productive nature will shine brighter in the eyes of Syrian governmental authorities, and allow the expansion of current and future businesses and schools. Productivity is the true nature of blogs, as well as the internet in general. The quicker some truly noteable blog related benefits are experienced by Syria, the quicker things will start to move in a much more positive direction.
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