Yemen Portal: A gateway to online content on Yemen

Walid AL-SAQAF

Arab Techies WorkshopCairo – 24 Dec 2008

Yemen Portal: A gateway to online content on Yemen

Walid AL-SAQAF

Arab Techies WorkshopCairo – 24 Dec 2008

YemenPortal.netYemenPortal.netAggregating news, opinion, blog, forum, and video content covering Yemen. Currently standing at over 800,000 items retrieved since June 2007.

Aggregating news, opinion, blog, forum, and video content covering Yemen. Currently standing at over 800,000 items retrieved since June 2007.

How Yemen Portal worksHow Yemen Portal works

Since its launch, YemenPortal.net experienced steady growth, greater popularity and exposure

Since its launch, YemenPortal.net experienced steady growth, greater popularity and exposure

-Feedback was generally positive as the portal did not filter content based on content or affiliation of sources.

- whether a website was banned in Yemen or not was not taken into consideration when included on YemenPortal.net. All websites with their various affiliations were indexed and included.

-Feedback was generally positive as the portal did not filter content based on content or affiliation of sources.

- whether a website was banned in Yemen or not was not taken into consideration when included on YemenPortal.net. All websites with their various affiliations were indexed and included.

Analysis of the database content of YemenPortal.net

Things were going well,Things were going well,

until...

YemenPortal.net was blocked in Yemen

On January 19th, 2008A spike!

What happened on January 13, 2008?What happened on January 13, 2008?

What happened on January 13, 2008?

Most coverage on the demonstration was on the web

& very little was reported in mainstream media

Following the ban, there were only three choices:Following the ban, there were only three choices:

1) Surrender to government pressure and close down the website,

2) Filter out sources the government does not improve,

OR

3) Resistance!

Resistance starts...Resistance starts...- Solidarity meetings

- Renewing domain promptly

- Constantly updating members and online media with new domain

- Putting up advertisements on websites pointing to new domain

- Starting a public campaign locally, regionally and internationally

- Solidarity meetings

- Renewing domain promptly

- Constantly updating members and online media with new domain

- Putting up advertisements on websites pointing to new domain

- Starting a public campaign locally, regionally and internationally

And started a blog to campaign for freeing YemenPortal.net(freeyemenportal.org)

Resistance goes full-scaleResistance goes full-scale

- A portal that includes the content of all banned Yemeni

websites in one place

- Includes a web-based proxy allowing users access to any

Yemeni banned website

- Members were kept updated about the new domain and

means to reach the banned content

- Stories that appeared on YemenPortal.net were accessible

in their original website even if the later was banned

(through the internal web-based proxy)

- A portal that includes the content of all banned Yemeni

websites in one place

- Includes a web-based proxy allowing users access to any

Yemeni banned website

- Members were kept updated about the new domain and

means to reach the banned content

- Stories that appeared on YemenPortal.net were accessible

in their original website even if the later was banned

(through the internal web-based proxy)

and it was named...and it was named...

Government meets expectations... Government meets expectations...

and the second domain was also banned...

And it just went on...And it just went on...

There must be another way!

Access YemenPortal! (Firefox plug-in)Access YemenPortal! (Firefox plug-in)

-Accessible by email, on multiple open websites

-Applies multiple encryption methods

-Promoted through a network of Yemeni websites

Result...Result...

but less than 24 hours after that...but less than 24 hours after that...

Work in Progress… Road aheadWork in Progress… Road ahead

- Expanding YemenPortal.net’s outreach and services

- Replicating its example for the Arab world by launching ArabiaPortal.net

- Working on circumvention technologies with global players and other ‘techies’

- Promoting legal efforts to promote access to information in Yemen and the region

Contact information:

Walid Al-Saqaf

Founder, Administrator

YemenPortal.net

admin@yemenportal.net

Tel: +46 076233 9737