POLITICAL ACTIVITY ON THE INTERNET differs from one country to another and from one region to another, where the form and intensity of that activity are tied to the technological culture of its society, the extent of the action and interaction of the political forces in it, and the degree of government control over the Internet.
Political activity appears on the Internet through various web applications which exhibit a unique communicative nature making them tools that can be employed politically. Some people use e-mail to send messages with political content to an infinite number of people without cost, while others use chat rooms for the purpose of engaging in discussion about political events with others and trying to influence them. Many individuals and organizations create personal websites to distribute information serving their political interests. Many also create blogs, which is a recent and widely spreading phenomenon that allows individuals to write and post articles online about anything of their choosing, including political entries.
What interests us here is the appearance of a significant amount of political activity on the Internet in the Arab Gulf states, where that activity varies according to the goals, organizational structure, and the extent of influence on the political arena by contributors – not to mention different mechanisms, means and applications through which political activity is carried out. Online discussion forums are considered one of the most important web applications – especially in the Gulf – that can be employed politically, because they exhibit several distinctive features that help moderators and users achieve political goals. Discussion forums provide the opportunity for dialogue about political issues and events. Read more>>>
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