FB = FaceBook, or FB = ForBidden?

I'm pretty sure that if you can read my blog, that means you're accessible to the virtual world. Most of you also have facebook accounts, i'm most certain. For those roaming on the internet and have yet to find out what in the world facebook is, you probably live in grenland, the artics, or China :D click here to find out..

Now for those of you in the majority, especially as i'm reaching out to those living in Indonesia, how do you take the news that some entities in this country are trying to ban facebook and its usage? To those living outside Indonesia, you now know how compromisable the idea of internet freedom is here.. But let me get one thing straight first, I wont be scrutinizing the government just yet, as this is only so far in the form of "statements" made by some institutions.

Today is my resting day after 2 straight days of sleep deprivation. So after cooking lunch with me house mates, i sat in front of our little and cuddly TV to see the noon news, and lo! I saw headlines saying that there were outcries to make FaceBook "forbidden/anthema" (the Indonesian word would be "diharamkan") I was eager to find out why, sure you are to, read on..

Apparently some institutions i Indonesia have been monitoring this lovable social networking site of ours, and they saw that the basic functions of FaceBook was fine, for social interaction, but they also identified that it has its misuses; trade cons, cheatings, soul-mate searching, date searching, and tainting people's reputation. These institutions even claim that FaceBook allows people to cross the religious steps in leading to marriage; as they do it over the net instead of having all these ritual formalities.

Okay, in this light i'm quite indifferent. I guess i'm a guy that both respects values of religion, cultural practices and such. But I'm also a believer that other people's bussiness is, well, other's bussiness.. When i heard about the guy in Japan who made an online petition to marry an anime character because he didnt feel like human interaction was for him, i didnt really support his intentions, but i never condemned him for trying either.

I'm not saying and telling you guys which is right and wrong, I think there's always, at minimum, two sides of a coin, so you may feel differently from me. Thats fine. Questions of practicality however will arise in the future when it comes to FaceBook banning, which i won't bore you with as i'm sure you get the idea. Law has had quite a hard time enforcing legalities of law precedures thru the net, because its well, virtual. The whole dimension of subject, object, nature of crime becomes so vague and jumbled, while most of our municipal law was designed to regulate tangible occassions. This happens almost everywhere. Remember how China had trouble with Wikileaks.org? Proves that there's so much a state can do.

But that's practicalities. What about the foundamental analysis? Look I may be indifferent, but my opinion is of a fragile alliance, I won't be indifferent no more if they decided later on to ban universal use of FaceBook, i mean all i'm doing with my account is to connect with friends, how wrong can that be, in like ANY religion?

Have you Indonesians heard of this news as of late? What about you living outside the country, what are your opinions on this? Is it ethical? It's a free blog to discuss, I wont impart any indoctrinations, dont worry =)