Syrian Protesters Roll Out New iPhone Apps

An anonymous reader writes "Protesters in Syria, dealing with a strict media blackout, have rolled out new iPhone and iPad apps to share news, stories, and even jokes. Amid a brutal crackdown, rebels are fighting back on their iPhones. The Arab Spring's newest weapon keeps the opposition informed—and the regime in check."

Comments

Wait for the media

[future assassin]

praises of brave souls trying to bring democracy into their lives in 3,2,1 while at the same time making fun of the occupy protests in "free" countries.

Re:Wait for the media

[Anonymous Coward]

Do people have to die before you listen to them?

Re:Wait for the media

[pclminion]

Oh yeah. Because a crackdown that killed 3,500 people (according to TFA) is clearly the same as throwing away a few tents.

The manner in which a government responds to a protest has no bearing on the importance of what is being protested. Whether protestors die or not is a function of the government, not the protestors.

Suppose somebody does die in OWS at some point. Will the two movements suddenly be equivalent in your mind? Are you going to perform an arithmetic comparison of the number of deaths? What's a blown-off limb worth, vs. as human life?

And despite Americans' peculiar insistence on the infinite value of human life, there are things worse than death. We may not yet be at the point, which is all the more reason to try to change the situation now instead of waiting.

Re:App Store Policy

[wierd_w]

Depending on how you want to define the term [WMD], the free and unfiltered exchange of ideas and information could well be described in such a fashion.

I mention this, because of some of the verbage in the appstore agreement.

When the pen is mightier than the sword, for those wishing to uphold the status quo, both must be controlled. The former moreso than the latter.

Given apple's philosophy about openness, (or lack thereof), I wouldn't doubt that they would remove the app from the appstore for "inciting violence" or some other absurd infraction.

Why IPhone

[horza]

So the dissident first has to jailbreak out of his cell, only to have to jailbreak his cell? Why would they want to rely on an app that can be remote wiped by Apple at a moments notice? Not only are the Android phones more free, the faster processors will speed up encryption/decryption. Poor choice of phone.

Phillip.

Re:Why IPhone

[ackthpt]

So the dissident first has to jailbreak out of his cell, only to have to jailbreak his cell? Why would they want to rely on an app that can be remote wiped by Apple at a moments notice? Not only are the Android phones more free, the faster processors will speed up encryption/decryption. Poor choice of phone.

Phillip.

Wait. You think Apple would do that? You don't work at Apple. If they did Apple would be seen as a tool of bloodthirsty tyrants. I expect if the Syrian government even suggested Apple drop these apps you'd find an epidemic of "deaf ears" in Cupertino.

Apple is all about saluting the Rebel in you, after all.

Re:Steve Jobs was part Syrian

[Nerdfest]

It would also be quite ironic given the nature of the platform.

Re:cool

[ackthpt]

Be sure to run such arguments through the Abraham Lincoln test. Quite a few Americans were killed in defense of his "regime."

Not in the same ballpark, not in the same league, not even in the same sport.

Syrian "Arab Spring" revolt isn't about secession and landholders right to keep slaves, it's about people tired of a leader who, though elected, they have no real say in his election. His father was leader for 29 years. Don' t think that fits Abe or the conferacy even tangentially.