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Twitter is 'banned' in Pakistan for very similar reasons (requiring a local representative, requiring censorship, etc) under the guise of 'national security con

Twitter is 'banned' in Pakistan for very similar reasons (requiring a local representative, requiring censorship, etc) under the guise of 'national security concerns'. We are all still using it via VPN. We get all the govt related info from it, and no one is asking, how come the govt dept themselves are using twitter when it's banned? No one will move to bluesky/threads/mastodon because as I said everyone is on twitter. Afterall, if I want to know about the next road blockage or electricity outage, I know I need to go to twitter to check, where else would I go? these are bullship tactics, but they seem to be working, and the internet is fracturing. It was nice while it lasted, but we will no loner have a 'world-wide' web, just national networks with passport controls on accessing external nets.

therouwboat 2y ago
In my country electricity provider sends text message if there is an outage, but if I need to check something, I go to their website, they have nice map showing what areas are affected etc. Does twitter even work without account anymore?
- lopatamd 2y ago
  [dead]
- ryzvonusef 2y ago
  In my country, they had to tell govt officers to remember to check their email because agreements would be signed, and foreign officials would email relevant officers to start work and get no reply and get confused. Turned out officers run their entire dept on Whatsapp. Everything is adhoc, emails are in the old 2MB email, 50 MB inbox era, websites have not been updated since they were created and only page that gets changed is the organogram, (got to advertise the new minister in charge). So no websites are NOT a reliable source of info. For example, there does infact exist a website to check loadshedding and work shutdown schedules... but my area was split off from a previous feeder and now has a new feeder code, but the website was not updated so I don't updated for my meter. But I can check the twitter account and see tomorrow's shutdowns, and if I am regular, I can be prepped for tomorrow's 5 hr shutdown. same for other things like road closures, due to protests or security corridor or whatever. Maybe other things, twitter is the best source of info. Officers maintain an active twitter profile (despite the ban!) because ministers also are there, and they want their work to be visible. If your boss sees the tweets of your work and people praising you in the comments, that improves your chances of a promotion and better postings.
eertami 2y ago
Most people in real life aren't using twitter actively at all, and they survive just fine? The only people I know who use it are tech workers in the conference scene, in my real world social circles there is nobody. Personally I would check my providers website/status page in such circumstances.
- NeoTar 2y ago
  > Personally I would check my providers website/status page in such circumstances. I hate than many providers now consider updates to Twitter/ Other social media sufficient and do not bother to publish to their own website!
- ryzvonusef 2y ago
  I am in pakistan, and life here works differently. I explained in detail in another reply above, but basically websites are dead. Twitter is where it's at, for better or worse.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
throwadobe 2y ago
What's happening in Pakistan has no bearing on what's happening in Brazil. Just because "twitter is banned" in both countries doesn't mean it was banned for the same reasons or that the ban applies in the same way.
- ryzvonusef 2y ago
  Absolutely, I understand Brazil and Pakistan are two different countries, I just wanted to share my own experiences to provide some interesting insight on how people react to bans. In Brazil, people are apparently moving to BlueSky, but in my country, we didn't move platforms, we just to jump over the fence via VPNs.
- blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - throwadobe 2y ago
    [flagged]
    - blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
      [flagged]

therouwboat 2y ago

In my country electricity provider sends text message if there is an outage, but if I need to check something, I go to their website, they have nice map showing what areas are affected etc. Does twitter even work without account anymore?

lopatamd 2y ago
[dead]
ryzvonusef 2y ago
In my country, they had to tell govt officers to remember to check their email because agreements would be signed, and foreign officials would email relevant officers to start work and get no reply and get confused. Turned out officers run their entire dept on Whatsapp. Everything is adhoc, emails are in the old 2MB email, 50 MB inbox era, websites have not been updated since they were created and only page that gets changed is the organogram, (got to advertise the new minister in charge). So no websites are NOT a reliable source of info. For example, there does infact exist a website to check loadshedding and work shutdown schedules... but my area was split off from a previous feeder and now has a new feeder code, but the website was not updated so I don't updated for my meter. But I can check the twitter account and see tomorrow's shutdowns, and if I am regular, I can be prepped for tomorrow's 5 hr shutdown. same for other things like road closures, due to protests or security corridor or whatever. Maybe other things, twitter is the best source of info. Officers maintain an active twitter profile (despite the ban!) because ministers also are there, and they want their work to be visible. If your boss sees the tweets of your work and people praising you in the comments, that improves your chances of a promotion and better postings.

eertami 2y ago

Most people in real life aren't using twitter actively at all, and they survive just fine? The only people I know who use it are tech workers in the conference scene, in my real world social circles there is nobody. Personally I would check my providers website/status page in such circumstances.

NeoTar 2y ago
> Personally I would check my providers website/status page in such circumstances. I hate than many providers now consider updates to Twitter/ Other social media sufficient and do not bother to publish to their own website!
ryzvonusef 2y ago
I am in pakistan, and life here works differently. I explained in detail in another reply above, but basically websites are dead. Twitter is where it's at, for better or worse.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

throwadobe 2y ago

What's happening in Pakistan has no bearing on what's happening in Brazil. Just because "twitter is banned" in both countries doesn't mean it was banned for the same reasons or that the ban applies in the same way.

ryzvonusef 2y ago
Absolutely, I understand Brazil and Pakistan are two different countries, I just wanted to share my own experiences to provide some interesting insight on how people react to bans. In Brazil, people are apparently moving to BlueSky, but in my country, we didn't move platforms, we just to jump over the fence via VPNs.
blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
[flagged]
- throwadobe 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
    [flagged]