Internet use is extremely limited in Cuba as it is illegal for Cubans to access the internet from their homes. Most Cubans who have access to the net do so through their jobs. There are actually two types of Internet access on the island. There's the intranet which allows users to send e-mail within the island and access government run sites. Then there's the internet a.k.a. the world wide web is only available to tourists inside of hotel business centers. These strict laws have not prevented everyone on the island from having the chance to blog to world. One Cuban blogger by the name of Yoani Sanchez has received much media attention from around the world for her blogging on every day life in Cuba. She dresses in disguise as a tourist in order to gain access to a hotel from which she can then add posts to her blog. In order for this blog to continue it's existance it is run on a server based outside of Cuba. I find her blog especially interesting because of the photographs that accompany her commentary. I think her blog is a great way to learn about life on the island. By visiting this blog I gain a better sense of the challenges and solutions that the Cuban people are faced with in order to survive.
Yoani Sanchez's blog can be found here: http://desdecuba.com/generationy/
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This blog covers stories about the relationship between politics and the web in the 21st century.
8 comments:
This is a great example of the ability of a citizen journalist to get out a story that may not be getting the coverage it merits. Thank you for the tip. I’ll definitely tell my uncle, an expat, about this one.
There is censorship by many countries in regards to news and the Internet, such as China. It makes one think more in depth about the First Amendment rights here in the United States. Although there is an ongoing argument that “freedom of the press” is not free at all, we are the one country that is grants greater freedom. ~Erma
Chris
This blog reminds us that we should not take our freedom of speech lightly. Yoani Sánchez' blog is very moving but very upsetting to read how she is waiting on line with old ladies hoping to get food rations. We can only hope that she does not get caught for blogging so her story can continue to inspire all of us.
Randi
Super cool site. Wow! This is great for some projects that I'm working on. Here in Miami, life in Cuba and the study of Cuban status here in the U.S. comes up.... A LOT! This will be very interesting for me to follow. If you have me in culture focused class, you will notice that many of my posts are usually about Cuban migrants as that is what I plan to write my disertation on next semester. Thanks a million!
Chris, A really valuable source of info everyone should see. Yoani Sanchez's blog provoked such a visceral reaction in me, making the simple very powerful. Thanks to the internet, we have finally been able to "see" into Cuba in a way we could not for decades. I never before considered a flash key a revolutionary tool.
Thanks.
Your topic is very appealing. But I think you should be careful when you give this type of information because you never know who can see it. You know as well as I know what can happen to that person if someone find out about it. Don’t get me wrong but this is my opinion. Give the information but never give names. I know that this can be very interesting for others but we should think about the consequences that this could bring to that person.
Hi Christopher,
The black background and black and white illustration & text definitely set the tone for the importance of your blog post. I like the stark contrast! I am so glad that you touched on this topic, and I feel motivated by your post to further appreciate the freedoms I often take for granted.
Thank you!
Very interesting article you got there Chris. Here in the United States we sometimes forget how fortunate we all really are and how we take things like computers and internet for granted. If it wasn’t for the internet I wouldn’t be able to pursue finishing my Bachelors degree online.
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