Perils of Running a Blog for Persians

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MShahbodaghi
by MShahbodaghi
28-Sep-2007
 

I started the first Iranian online service back in 1995. soroush.com went online on March 21, 1995. It was a gathering place with live chat, backgammon and discussion forums.

While I was hoping the discussion forums would flourish and lead to something big, it was the chat rooms that were abuzz most times. It was exciting at the time to talk live with Iranians from all over the world including Iran (Sharif University had a dial-up 9,600 bps line for the whole campus and students would use it to get into soroush). Here’s a review from March of 1996.

//iranian.com/Mar96/Web/SoroushReview.htm...

Needless to say, the site never did become financially self-sufficient, and, despite much good feelings, nothing politically or socially noteworthy resulted from free-form contact among Iranians. Eventually, soroush.com closed up in 2001.

When I saw the new Iranian.com format with blogs, it reminded me of the discussion forums in soroush. I began to think about where we were then and where we are now; not just on the internet, but overall. I wondered if there were anything I had learned from my experience that could help the format now? I’m glad I did because it turns out I do remember a lot and it is a good time for a review.

Before I offer my suggestion about how to make the Iranian.com blogs succeed, I’d like to share what I came away with from my experience with soroush. I learned two lessons.

First one was about people. I learned that despite the lightning speeds and freedoms of anonymity in internet communications, people are still the same people. Before that, I had imagined all along that if only the good people of Iran, who obviously all wanted to resurrect their cultural honor and advance the cause of democracy in Iran, could, and were allowed to communicate directly with each other, something would click, leaders would emerge and actions would snowball. Not so.

Not so fast, anyway. If there are benefits to communicating freely and spontaneously, it will still take time; maybe not as long as it would have without the internet, but it is not instantaneous. The learning curve for community as a whole will be shorter and the trial & error iterations will come in quicker succession, but, the trajectory of progress will be the same.

Second thing I learned was the enormous breakthrough of this technology. It is not only that communication is immediate, it is not only that it is bi-directional, it is that anyone, anywhere, at any time can say what he or she wishes to say. The magnitude of the breakthrough dawned on me one day in 1995- November 4th, to be exact.

As I was casually chatting with username Mojgan from Tel Aviv, she left the conversation abruptly, then returned a minute or so later to say Yitzhak Rabin had just been shot outside her house! Here I was: a disaffected Iranian in New York, sitting at my desk in my house, and I knew about this world event before Reuters, before BBC, and perhaps even before the Israeli cabinet. This is something without parallel in history of mankind. The transformations that societies will go though in the next few generations will make any other period look like time was near stand still before. This is a time of opportunity.

As for Iranian.com blogs, I was disappointed at first when I saw the threads. Nearly every participant is anonymous. There is so much insult and profanity, and so little curiosity or scholarship. Mostly, it is opinions- personal, emotional, improvised opinions. Seems like everyone wants to lead or teach, and nobody wants to follow or learn. Worst of all, it is an embarrassing showcase of our sometimes angry, biased, divided society. How could it be of any use?

I wanted to suggest there should be moderators. But, the more I think about it, the more I think it should be left alone- insults, profanity and all. For one thing, it is an honest reflection of our community. If nothing else has worked, taking an honest look at our collective wisdom can’t be that bad. For another, the best advertisement against immaturity and ignorance is to shine a light on it.

It is possible that bickering will turn a majority off and knowledge will attract notice in discussions. Those posting anonymously or those who attack others will be ignored in time. People who show respect and argue in earnest will enjoy greater esteem. In short, you must have faith that freedom of speech will work, and that eventually the good will outweigh the bad that can come from it.

This too I learned from my experience with soroush.com. I thought I was committed to free speech then, but I wasn’t. I excluded “hatred, obscenity and violence” from discussions. That was a mistake akin to putting lipstick on a pig. Iranian.com was different from the beginning. Mr. Javid has artfully avoided imposing his sensitivities on expression all along. That’s why you seldom feel his presence. That’s why Iranian.com is more like town square than ministry of information. That’s why Iranian.com is so rich and diverse. That’s why it continues to grow and serve.

Now that the blog has opened the floodgates to a new set of (potential) headaches, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Javid continues to let the chips fall where they may. Regardless, he will have my support, as well as my continued admiration.

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MShahbodaghi

@ CuriousJoe

by MShahbodaghi on Sat Sep 29, 2007 06:03 AM PDT

I think you hit the nail on the head about "zerangi".  

It's a sickness that reflects alienation.  It's OK for a child to ring a bell and run away.  But, when an adult does it, it's pathetic.

 

Now, is there a possibility that by giving them a platform; letting them vent, letting them live out their (perverted) idea of "zerangi", instead of daydreaming about it in private, that they'll get it out of their system?  That they will become normal participants?

We shall see.  

 


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Thank you JJ for creating a mirror

by Curious Joe (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:15 PM PDT

As a participant in Iranian.com, I try to put my money where my mouth is. I contribute donation to Iranian.com by sending them a check. I wonder how many "Annonymous" posters here with nothing to add but cursing others, actually bother to pick up their checkbooks and make a contribution to this very forum they like to read and post. These drive-by sicko Anonymous posters must be the Iranians who think they are very clever (kheili zerang). That sick sense of one-upsmanship and cleverness (zerangi) is the cornerstone of lack-of-unity among Iranians. They hit and run -- without knowing exactly why they are doing it. I suppose it gives them a “high”, and somehow boosts their ego.

Way before JJ changed the format of Iranian.com to the current uncensored message board, he was publishing the clumsiest curser of all -- Hagi Agha's sick "cartoons". While Haji Agha is obviously a sad case of a psychopath with no talent except displaying his brain content of kir, kos and koon -- he nevertheless is a mirror in front of lots of Iranian guys, the cursers in this forum, whose brains do not contain anything more than kir, koon, khar-kosseh, maadar-gendeh, and other wonderful vocabulary of typical Iranian thugs (a bunch of "laat" and "jaahel" as they are called in Farsi).

Thank you JJ for your dedication to upholding your slogan – “nothing is sacred”.


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MShahbodaghi

bold comments can now be challenged

by MShahbodaghi on Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:56 PM PDT

Well, JJ must have much to express himself, as I believe you mentioned yourself.

This blog makes it easier for others to make bold comments as well, and for JJ to be challened by anyone directly. 


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JJ makes bold comments on headlines without any direct challenge

by My View (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:50 PM PDT

As long as Iranian.com stays as a medium with a liberal democracy platform, it will thrive on its own natural pace and will be able to reform and refine without doubt.

Iranian.com will modernize itself, contributors, viewers, community, and Iranians at large much faster by much less control from J. Javid.

He makes bold comments on headlines without any direct challenge. He should permit challenging views to his in this area for avoiding him to become trapped in a backward or stagnant mindset.

J. Javid is on this journey as others.


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MShahbodaghi

chat room in AOL came ye

by MShahbodaghi on Fri Sep 28, 2007 04:55 PM PDT

chat room in AOL came years after soroush but I get your point.


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MShahbodaghi

May be things will quiet

by MShahbodaghi on Fri Sep 28, 2007 04:54 PM PDT

May be things will quiet down rapidly because most of the people who attack or curse will get it out of their system?  People have a lot of frustration bottled up over the years.

 


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We Will Learn

by verirfied but (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 04:00 PM PDT

You see, you have all brought up good points, but here is a deal. If we keep acting as teachers and conrolers we will never get there. There is a small percentage of Iranians that come and curse, we all do when the time is right, you do it too and I bet $5. Who desn't? How do I know your proof is valid?

So, what I am saying is that Iranians learned from the disaster chatroom they created in AOL ten years ago and it was shut down, then other chatrooms like yours gave them more lessons on how to interact. Iranian.com offered something that no one else did, it told everyone say what you have to say, and that shocked the heck out of people! What? Freedom? So, when people saw that they can say what they want too, they started to say what was good a tasteful and here we are today. We have more articles on this website than all others combined.

We need to think positive and thanks for bringing up what you did, but please never advocate or even hint a need for censorship. JJ is a Darvish a good man a fair man, he never intended to be a censorship editor. JJ spent a lot of his valuable life to let us learn how to carry a discussion. It hurts when sometimes you see people criticize him or his establishment.

It's people's right to stay anoymous because otherwise everyone will judge them by their last name, oh he is Turk, he is Shadoost, he is this and he is that....you see freedom comes in many forms.

Thanks


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I disagree. JJ does an

by AnonymousSorush (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 03:25 PM PDT

I disagree. JJ does an excellent job and is a visionary.


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This is a thoughtfully

by AnonymousSoroush (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 03:22 PM PDT

This is a thoughtfully written piece with many insights. I recall logging on to Soroush when I was in school and it was very exciting to chat live with Iranians from many parts of the world! Not to mention that the rigorous academic program kept me from having the kind of social life that I wanted. Chatting on Soroush was great fun and an escape. Although there were many attempts on your part to encourage vibrant political and cultural discussions in the forums, the chat room attracted the most attention. I have to say that many if not most used it as a way to meet potential future spouses - and some as you know were successful! If you notice, even on this site when an attractive woman posts her picture, the nature of responses/comments changes. Who knows what this site would be like if there was a "chat room"!


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Iranian.com is unfortunately

by Anonymous100 (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 03:09 PM PDT

Iranian.com is unfortunately has been co-opted by reformers and the tyrannical left and supporters of dictatorship of porletariat. I predict people who are not political activists unlike some of these prolific bloggers on this site will soon be turned off and won't bother reading the self-congratulatory preaching to the choir.


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I agree!

by Shabnam Ghayour (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 02:23 PM PDT

I agree with you. The first thing i noticed when i first started reading entries was how much unecessary foul language was used towards contributors and even myself, a contributor, i often get completely stupid and somewhat illiterate comments after my writings. Comments that are pathetic and carry no constructive criticism in respect of what is written. The one thing i do know is that some people are just plain ignorant. Stupid, under-educated, narrow-minded and foul-mouthed. Hey, we all curse, but only the saddest of the sad write completely useless profanities underneath peoples entries. But, alas, you cant change the world, or how many idiots exist in it. As long as there is freedom of speech, people will continue to abuse it and take it forgranted. Better they stay anonymous, so they can hide behind their pathetic words.


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