Saturday 19 January 2013

Ban el Web


This article is written as part of the DZBlogDay, the topic was set by the organisers and this is my contribution and opinion on the “The Algerian Web”.


-----------------------------------
Ban el Web



The Algerian loves the internet; he loves it to destruction, to infinity, to freedom, but not in the same way the Nigerian does.

Only the web gives the Algerian the freedom he so craves in his life, own land and country, he can be John, he can be, and a lot of the time is Maurice, he can be a doctor, he can be a rich business man, in love and ready to tie the knot, he can also be a troll and he makes the best of them.

Farid’s life consists of staying up until dawn, sleeping until noon, mingling with his homies and sharing a cup a coffee at the local café. Farid doesn’t have a job, he didn’t finish school and he has no prospects.
The first internet café opened in town, it’s dark, it smells of stale tobacco and a pungent faint body odour, the air is heavy with illegitimacy and shifty looks, all PCs are in use, young men hunched over their keyboards chatting to their Scandinavian blondes promising them eternal love and undying loyalty.
Upon connection, Farid transforms into a successful business man, he runs a prêt-a-porter shop for women in town. He is tall and handsome and believes it, as long as he’s connected. He lives his DZ avatar life to the full.

There are others, who aren’t attempting the love-to-escape route, who find comfort in hacking facebook and hotmail accounts and playing pranks on other web-loved-up candidates, 5 out of 24 hours can be spent tormenting a poor hopeful from Setif, impersonating a girl from Annaba who is cute, shy but interested, the other 19 hours are spent on the dismal not so virtual life.

Others, on a nobler quest are planning the Spring that never came, the big guys up in the watch towers have shut it down, facebook is blocked, a few YouTube revolutionaries arrested and the lovers miss their web-wives, the DZ web seemed pretty bleak until the smiling hacker Hamza Bendelladj  came along, some viewed it as a step-up, as feelings of pride and not so-discreet smirks appeared and defended it “there’s not such thing as bad publicity”.

But it wasn’t average Farid, Farid can’t hack worth a Dinar, he’s a sappy romantic who spends his living hours daydreaming about a life away from here or waiting to speak to his love interest, but sadly she’s 7 hours ahead and asleep.

Dz Web life is frustratingly and unfairly virtual.

In a world where, love is denied you, jobs are as scarce as teeth on a chicken, freedom is written not given, where rights are uttered not granted, where liberties are infringed, where visas are refused and the ships are guarded, there is no where to run and nothing to do but to become a Dz Avatar and dream of greener pastures and a better life and a blonde wife, with a freedom of movement beyond el houma and money in the pocket and peace in the heart, of a greener country and cleaner street, of a place where you don’t have to bribe your way into a public toilet and buy people to do their already paid jobs.

But the Web giveth and the Government taketh away.


Dz-Chick….Web-based, born and bred.

23 comments:

  1. hi DZ-Chick-en , I'm nut Dzairi , ana libi , I got to ur plog some how by a chance , ( i made da wrong turn in da net hahaheee ) . 2 da point _ Freedom is some thing that you/me have 2 work on it every second 2 earn it .It has 2 do with ur soul & mind .

    ReplyDelete
  2. l think that you are Journalisthhhhhhhhhhhhh may be you have got a good experience about writing something or drawing our life in general as l understood your summary about algerian Youths .
    thanks so much
    l wait to hear from you soon new thing

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dz Chick I've browsed through all the DzBlogDay competition entries in French & English. You tackled the Web & Algeria from a totally different perspective, the Web as escapism and potential way out. Your choice of Farid as the average Algerian Web user gave a great insight into the despair of the Algerian young population. This post amused me and saddened me simultaneously.

    Your reference to the Algerians' web use diverging from their Nigerian counterparts is slightly out of touch. I have met many Dz men in London that gave their Nigerian competitors a run for their money (or rather their victims's money).

    You remain true to yourself & delivered in wit & humour. As always such a delight to read you, you should consider charging at some point ;-)

    Of course no bloggers has dared mentioning cyber sex, no surprise there, too x-rated for our pure Algerian minds.

    I love your illustration, très beau coup de crayon, et de plus il reflète parfaitement ton article.

    YOU are incontestably the best blogger around. ★★★★★

    ReplyDelete
  4. ماشاء الله
    نقاط على الحروف
    نظرة إيجابية
    وفقك الله لكل خير يراه

    ReplyDelete
  5. Libi Yeah that’s the gist of it, freedom of the mind and soul

    Mina Thanks :)

    Anonymous I am not a journalist, but I guess I did capture what the true image of the DZ Internet is like.

    Miss Polemique You summarised it in a paragraph. Well done you.
    Internet fraud is more Nigerian to me than Algerian; Algerians are romantic first, then crooks.
    Thank you for the 5 stars though, you are too kind.
     
    Amdkan Thank you and thank you for the prayer and Inchallah. شكرًا

    ReplyDelete
  6. moWris got shot down by el padré and came back to ukréyne bredouille

    ReplyDelete
  7. You depict in general very well wrong things about algerian males and this post about algerian males and the web is a accurate and talented.

    But why never ever a single word about wrong things with algerian females... and especially algerian females and the web?

    ReplyDelete
  8. MowRiss that's outrageous! Oh well you know what you have to do now!! If not ...shot gun Wedding!

    Chatnoir I hear frustration!
    I can't bring myself to say anything about women! Even though I did a long time ago about the poles! it's not women who play games and break my heart!

    ReplyDelete
  9. what have i got to do?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Humm.. so it's a kind of revenge... I see...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well I can't wait for karmic retribution so I take it upon myself to ... Well expose!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you DZ for reminding us of the algerian reality, the world of fantasy and misfortune. Very sad indeed, again thank you wholeheartedly for keeping this blog alive and kicking.

    Amine from DUnder

    ReplyDelete
  13. Amine thank you for continuing to follow my blog from down under :)
    It is a sad reality yes, but people would ratet it wasn't brought to their attention or that of their poor victims!

    ReplyDelete
  14. "I am not a journalist, but I guess I did capture what the true image of the DZ Internet is like" bababa wachbiq yamra hbalti wella :)careful not to become a zitota , a favourite activista d'aljazeera :)
    malekolondon Still Peeping

    ReplyDelete
  15. Peeping Maleko! No danger of that man! The only place I am active is here you know outside of this blog I am as dull as January ;)

    ReplyDelete
  16. dull as opposed to the exciting infamous inbred baker with tash and the intellect of a peanut :)
    malekolondon

    ReplyDelete
  17. Well when you go and put it like that!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. If some people think that Hamza Bendelladj is a hero, well they are mistaken. He is just thief from toes to head, and he is not even a hacker. He used tools,such as spyeye developed by an underground real hackers from russia, against innocent people, draining their accounts and having a luxurious life. I have been in information security now for nearly 20 years of my life and i certainly know what i am talking about.

    Have a nice day

    Down Under

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ohhhh it's almost the 5th of february Dz-Chick....are you nervous?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Amine Down under all hackers are criminals, regardless of the value of their embezzlement.
    He’s no hero of mine for sure, but I must say it was a nice change for once, from terrorist this, AQMI that.
     
    Anonymous it’s tomorrow yes, the results will be announced here: http://www.dzblogday.org/
     

    ReplyDelete
  21. Euu I didn't win lol

    Meilleure contribution en Anglais :
    Hana BERKOUNE - (Dz-Kids and Teens online : early dependence on the Internet) à consulter ici :
    http://hana-mania-writer.over-blog.com/article-dz-kids-and-teens-online-the-double-edged-sword-114484402.html

    ReplyDelete

Most popular ramblings!