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Rapid Internet Growth In Iran

Posted by timothy on from the cia-factbook-time dept.

securitas writes "The BBC's Abbas Azimi reports on the rapid growth of the Internet and Internet cafes in Iran, apparently with the tacit approval of the government. Seven million Iranians have Internet access, or 10% of the population - double the rate two years ago. Access costs 60 cents/hour. The article describes how the Internet is used for everything from VoIP phone calls to chat and Web logs. Even Iran's vice-president has a daily blog on a popular site with 'musings about politics and life.' All of this despite the ban on many sites, which is easily circumvented by Iran's webmasters and geeks. An interesting point is that most of the PCs used in Iran are assembled from smuggled parts and run pirated versions of all the latest software (due to foreign embargo?). It sounds like a great opportunity for open source software."

5 of 315 comments (clear)

  1. Wooo... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    PCs used in Iran are assembled from smuggled parts and run pirated versions of all the latest software

    Glad to see I'm not the only one.

  2. Linux in Iran and SCO by vinit79 · · Score: 5, Funny

    If every one in Iran started using linux, SCO could stage a come back by suing all Iranians in the Islamic court in Iran

  3. Rapid growth? by dtio · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you google for "internet iran" you'll get pretty much the opposite impresion.

  4. Glad I'm not living there... by Deraj+DeZine · · Score: 5, Funny
    Even Iran's vice-president has a daily blog on a popular site with 'musings about politics and life.'

    Here's a little bit I copied from his site:

    22-02-2004: meetings is teh sux0rs
    HEY, sup all??? jus got back from a informasional meating on how were totally kicking the liberals's @$$ in teh polls this year!!!!1 those losers are such morons! to bad the voter turnout was bad! Dude u guys need 2 go out and vote so i can be your leader next year wouldnt that be gr8???
    All so, there was this totally hot reporter there who kept talking 2 me asking questions and $h!t. She was totaly n 2 me and i was gonna get her # but those loser body guards said i had to go to another meeting. gawd, what pr!cks!!!
    anyway, i gotta go sighn sum papers, ttyl.

    (Glad he's not one of the leaders of my country)

    --
    True story.
  5. online dating by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    Another popular site is an online dating agency set up by a young ayatollah.

    Unforunately all the ads read like this:

    swf. black head scarf. inexperienced at dating. enjoys long walks in the desert. i do not sing. please no public stoning.