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Are Geeks in Saudi Arabia Just Like Us?

Robin 'Roblimo' Miller (of NewsForge and sometimes Slashdot) spent five days in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, meeting with local Linux advocates and users, and wrote five articles while he was there. The article titles are Saudi Arabia: Linux advocates in white robes, Saudi Space Institute techies love their new Linux computer, Meet Saudi Arabia's most famous computer expert, Saudi open source conference opens minds, and Linux and open source opportunities in the Mideast. This is the first in-depth look ever at open source (and programming in general) in a conservative Islamic country. Roblimo concludes that under the robes, Saudi geeks are much like geeks everywhere, but from comments on the stories it looks like a lot of people don't agree.

8 of 837 comments (clear)

  1. Too thorough comparision by Gyan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Roblimo concludes that under the robes, Saudi geeks are much like geeks everywhere

    What's that exactly supposed to mean?

    1. Re:Too thorough comparision by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      It means overweight, underhung, and covered with several varities of spicy mustard.

    2. Re:Too thorough comparision by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      It means that Saudi geeks have small penises, just like us!

      Right? Guys?

      Oh damn...

  2. Yep. by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny


    > Roblimo concludes that under the robes, Saudi geeks are much like geeks everywhere

    Even the most rudimentary biological knowledge should have tipped you off that what's under the robes is just like what's under the jeans, kilt, or lederhosen.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  3. They don't have girlfriends, either. by The+I+Shing · · Score: 5, Funny

    They're just like the geeks in the USA, except that their non-existant girlfriends have fewer rights.

    --
    You are in error. No-one is screaming. Thank you for your cooperation.
  4. no.... by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 5, Funny

    in saudi arabia, geeks have the advantage of women being forced to marry them.....

    --



    I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
  5. Ten differences... by pieterh · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ten differences between a Saudi geek and a Stateside geek:

    1. The Saudi geeks don't have cellars.

    2. They browse from right to left.

    3. Stateside geeks have longer hacking sessions, not being required to stop for prayers every few hours.

    4. Saudi geeks have better weather.

    5. Saudi geeks drink tea, while stateside geeks drink coffee.

    6. Saudi geeks get more work done, not reading Slashdot as often.

    7. Stateside geeks wear sandals, Saudi geeks wear Gucci.

    8. Stateside geeks rarely dress in white.

    9. Saudi geeks speak at least two languages - Arab and English. Stateside geeks hardly speak at all.

    10. Saudi geeks go camel-riding in the weekends. Stateside geeks don't have weekends.

  6. Re:Essentially the same, but... by dema · · Score: 5, Funny

    While an MS zealot will run into a company using Linux and attempt to blow himself up, only to discover his explosion mechanism has given him the blue screen of no death.