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Egyptian Father Names His Daughter "Facebook"

Posted by samzenpus on from the what's-in-a-name? dept.

An anonymous reader writes "An Egyptian man has decided to show his appreciation towards Facebook for its role during the revolution in his country by naming his firstborn daughter Facebook. From the article: 'Egyptian dictator Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak was in power from 1981 until February 11, 2011, when he resigned after 18 days of protests. Facebook has been credited for helping organize regime-ending protests in the country. Although the Egyptian revolution saw some planning done via Twitter, direct text messages, and other forms of electronic communication, Facebook has come to symbolize all the forms of social media that people used to organize the revolutions in the Middle East.'"

31 of 162 comments (clear)

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

    In Egyptian, Facebook means Precious Little Poop Machine.

    1. Re:but...... by Dunbal · · Score: 5, Funny

      Funny, that's what it means in English, too.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    2. Re:but...... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually no, they speak "Egyptian Arabic", or "Egyptian" for short, a dialect that is very different from "Literary Arabic"

    3. Re:but...... by GooberToo · · Score: 2

      I find it hilarious how us hackers imagine anti-regime rebels equipped with Freenet, GPG, trusted rings and other crypto tools when the reality is that people use facebook over plaintext http and public twitter.

      Tell that to the people of Iran who are still in jail.

    4. Re:but...... by MachDelta · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yeah, well the movies imagine that James Bond drives a gadget laden supercar and basejumps off skyscrapers while having a gunfights with akimbo pistols. Yet the most excitement reality sees is writing Stuxnet...

    5. Re:but...... by Nidi62 · · Score: 2

      Actually no, they speak "Egyptian Arabic", or "Egyptian" for short, a dialect that is very different from "Literary Arabic"

      So, do you also differentiate between English, American English, and Australian English? How about South African English, or Indian English? They are very different, but they are still the same language.

      They might speak a dialect that is very different than the Maghreb or Levant or Gulf dialects, but it is still Arabic. The literary Arabic or "Fus'ha" would be easily intelligible to those that understand colloquial Egyptian, as that is the standard form of Arabic most commonly found in writing. With an average literacy rate of over 70% (83% of males)(according to World Factbook) most Egyptians would understand Fus'ha. However, the Egyptian dialect is becoming one of the most widespread and easily understood because of the popularity of Egyptian television and movies in the Arabic speaking world.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    6. Re:but...... by CapOblivious2010 · · Score: 2

      I find it hilarious how us hackers imagine anti-regime rebels equipped with Freenet, GPG, trusted rings and other crypto tools when the reality is that people use facebook over plaintext http and public twitter.

      Tell that to the people of Iran who are still in jail.

      But doesn't that prove the GP's point? People used facebook & twitter, and now they're in jail!

      I don't think the GP was saying people SHOULD use plaintext communications - clearly they shouldn't - but the objective fact is that they DO use them, despite the fact that there are semi-comprehensible alternatives readily available.

    7. Re:but...... by Kvasio · · Score: 2

      anyway, some guy in future may claim that he spent all evening "on Facebook"

  2. I guess the newly perceived freedoms by Manfre · · Score: 2

    I guess high on the newly perceived freedoms the father wanted to make sure his daughter will be able to experience some of the hardships he faced throughout his life.

    1. Re:I guess the newly perceived freedoms by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 4, Informative

      Ah that's nothing, if you want some really dodgy names go to the Philippines. Dildo, Lolita, Thumper, Flipper, Ding Dong and Hitler are a few that spring to mind. I love Filipinos but seriously.

    2. Re:I guess the newly perceived freedoms by alta · · Score: 3, Funny

      How Ironic though, since having a child is generally viewed as the second biggest destroyer of freedom, (after marriage.)

      (Just Kidding honey, don't really mean it!)

      --
      Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for they are subtle, and quick to anger.
    3. Re:I guess the newly perceived freedoms by theguyfromsaturn · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Lolita is not a dodgy name. It's a perfectly acceptable short form of Dolores in Spanish. That English people have decided to turn it into a bad word is your thing. But it's not dodgy.

      --
      I like my dinosaurs feathery, and my pterosaurs hairy (or is it pycnofibery?)
  3. Nice by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    Goatse and Tubgirl changed my life, but I won't be naming offspring after them.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Nice by SilentStaid · · Score: 2

      ... our hearts are extended to the 17 recent victims of internet fraud.

      http://bash.org/?434593

  4. The real question by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 2

    Will she accept my friend request?

  5. Huh? by slart42 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Facebook has been credited for helping organize regime-ending protests in the country.

    How could she have helped organize protests when she has just been born?

    1. Re:Huh? by beadfulthings · · Score: 4, Informative

      You must not be a parent. Babies are born knowing how to protest, and they do it very well. Their protests usually center around food, overloaded diapers, and sleep. It's only a short step from there to political demonstrations.

      --
      "Here's what's happening. You're starting to drive like your Dad..." - Red Green
    2. Re:Huh? by imadork · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I've heard it said many times before that politicians and diapers should be changed frequently, and often for the same reasons.

  6. Re:I smell... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Being sued by Facebook is referred to as "Getting Zuckerpunched"...

  7. Account Creation Request DENIED by jpapon · · Score: 4, Funny
    Ironically, little Facebook was never able to sign up for an account due to the website's automatic filters.

    This had the unfortunate effect of further handicapping her already struggling social life

    --
    -- Let us endeavor so to live that when we pass even the undertaker shall be sorry. -- M. Twain
    1. Re:Account Creation Request DENIED by Pvt_Ryan · · Score: 2

      Does creating an account called Facebook not cause facebook to crash?

  8. Strange names aren't always bad by dkleinsc · · Score: 2

    Just ask Dweezil or Moon Unit Zappa.

    --
    I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  9. Zuckerberg et al by Apple+Acolyte · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I wonder if this father and other Egyptians who used Facebook in their revolt know that Zuckerberg and many of the other founders of the service are Jews. Or that the Intel processors they use to access the site are designed by Jews in the Jewish state of Israel.

    For those of you who don't know, when female reporter Lara Logan was attacked and sexually molested by an Egyptian mob, the attackers were shouting at "Jew, Jew, Jew!" at her. She isn't even Jewish, but there's a pathological hatred for Jews in much of the Middle East.

    --
    Part of the hardcore faithful who believed in Apple long before it was cool again to do so
    1. Re:Zuckerberg et al by eln · · Score: 2

      It wasn't just because they wouldn't let their slaves go, it was because they wouldn't give up all their gods and worship the God of Israel. Throughout that section of Exodus, God "hardens the heart" of Pharaoh repeatedly specifically so Pharaoh wouldn't give up so easily and God could therefore plague them some more. The idea, apparently, was to try to convince the Egyptians of his (God's) power so they would worship him. Since they still didn't end up worshiping him after all that, God told his people to steal as much gold, silver, and jewelry as they could from their masters and get out of town. If the Bible is to be believed, they ended up stealing so much that much of Egypt ended up impoverished as a result.

      So, if you take the Bible as the literal truth, it was less about freeing the Hebrews and more about trying to get the Egyptians to worship God, and then trying to break their backs when they didn't cooperate.

    2. Re:Zuckerberg et al by CannonballHead · · Score: 2

      I believe it states that Pharaoh first hardens his own heart. After about the 5th plague, it talks about God hardening his heart.

  10. From another perspective by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 2

    The name Facebook probably sounds a bit exotic and interesting to a foreign tongue. We English speakers do the same thing with foreign words as names; especially using foreign cities. Now, imagine meeting a German kid named Chicago or Macho. Probably the same to a European meeting an American girl named Paris or Allegra.

    --
    I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
  11. Not that bad by should_be_linear · · Score: 2

    Thank god they didn't use Yahoo! to organize themselves.

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    839*929
  12. When he realizes his error... by x0 · · Score: 2

    When he realizes his error, will he name is newborn son 'Facepalm'?

    m

    --
    In the immortal words of Socrates, who said; 'I drank what?'
  13. Ehm by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Egypt is a popular holiday destination for Israeli's. Remember that haters will always exist but most normal people are normal people. If Germans can visit Israel, Japanese can visit Korea/China, Americans can visit pretty much anywhere, Canadians can visit the US, Belgians can visit Holland etc etc then Jews can visit Egypt.

    The real feelings in the middle east are far more complex then fits in a Fox news flash. In fact it is YOU that cares what religion a founder of a website is or even what the religion might be of a guy who worked on a cpu. YOU noticed this, not some random Egyptian whose own believes ain't even known.

    Those protests you might have seen burning American/Israeli flags? Well, we know now what they really were. Staged protests not supported by the masses. We SAW what happened when the masses think something and gosh, no signs of hatred for the Zionists or the great Satan but for their own corrupt MUSLIM leaders.

    Al Queda failed. They tried to install hatred and accomplished nothing. Peaceful protests without hate for other races/religions changed the region in a matter of weeks.

    Do you judge the US by the KKK?

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

    1. Re:Ehm by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Do you judge the US by the KKK?

      I'm pretty sure 98% of Americans don't agree with the ideals of the KKK. If Pew is to be believed, Egyptians do tend to take a rather harsher view.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  14. Incoming lawsuit by space_jake · · Score: 2

    Facebook is still suing anything with "book" in its name right?