cafebabel.com

Kony 2012 facebook campaign: no, he’s not running against Obama

('l.hogan',) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:16:50 -0000

You probably went to sleep on Monday night with only the vaguest notion, if any, of who Joseph Kony is or where Uganda can be found on a map. You might have then awoken the next morning to find a video entitled Kony 2012 clogging up your facebook homepage. The video has been viewed over a phenomenal 21 million times in less than a week

Rosen Plevneliev: Bulgaria’s 'Bob the Builder' is new president

('bistra andreeva',) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:59:37 -0000

Aged just 47, the former construction minister has managed to stay the nice kid on the block. The most popular minister in cabinet (up until now) does not belong to any political party, but was backed by the ruling party. Yet not everyone is happy with the German-educated politician being in the presidential position for the next five years

Elections 2012: glimpses of social network Putin-bashing

('Alexandra',) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:15:13 -0000

On 7 October, the 59th birthday of Vladimir Putin, one pro-kremlin activist composed a couplet with a nod to a soviet-era poem, ending with the words ‘thanks for this Putin’. The rhyme provoked a deluge of tweeted criticism levelled at the Russian prime minister. Could this be the beginning of a protest wave?

From Breivik to Khaled Said: a digital revolution

('cbinns',) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:53:17 -0000

The year 2011 showed us the force of new media in political debates, whether in the European protests, the Arab revolutions or the terrifying attack committed in Norway in July. Political engagement is now affordable for everyone, everywhere. Is this immediacy which now defines political engagement compatible with our democracies?

Germans ban ‘I Like’ facebook button, Spanish want to ‘Dislike’

('Annie Rutherford',) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:04:43 -0000

The north German state Schleswig Holstein has announced that it is banning facebook’s famous ‘I like’ button, with websites which haven’t removed it before the end of September facing fines of up to 50, 000 euros (44,000 pounds). Whilst Germany and the UK have raised more general concerns, the Spanish were there first

'Indignant ones': left-wing populism or politics of the underdog?

('ZoeBBee',) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:00:00 -0000

An increasingly common view of the 'indignant' protest movement coming out of Spain is: 'and then what?' Philippe Thureau-Dangin, publishing director of the Courrier International newspaper, calls it 'left-wing populism'. Others are perturbed at the idea that the 'European summer' has anything in common with the 'Arab spring'. Four young Europeans give us their views on the 'M-15' (15 May) movement, its aspirations and limitations

'Real democracy NOW!': #spanishrevolution becomes #europeanrevolution

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 23 May 2011 14:15:00 -0000

Spain’s so-called 15-M has become 29-M, referring to the dates of the sit-in protests of a Spain in May which saw local elections swinging to the favour of the opposition conservatives. The rage is sweeping Italy, Belgium and France

Art or porn? Youtube censor for Juan Francisco Casas

('ckb',) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:30:00 -0000

'The truth is that it is a little outrageous that a suggestive image of a breast could be shocking in 2011,' complains the Andalusian artist Juan Francisco Casas. In March, youtube censored a video which contained images of his works, which are photos and art taken always with a close entourage

Social networking in Sarajevo: analyse this (over Bosnian coffee)

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:48:15 -0000

Bosnia's capital wears its war wounds from the 1992-1995 war with Serbia honestly, the signs on its bomb-shelled buildings and pavements. What about its mental scars fifteen years on? Amidst a blaze of foreign healing initiatives, few private psychologists and one 'social networking internet cafe', this is a society which is resolved to solve its problems - globalised as they are - over coffee

Erasmus, 9/11, social networks mark unnamed eighties generation

('Gemma Turner',) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:00:00 -0000

We're more used to typing on a computer keyboard than to putting pen to paper. It's hard to define our generation - generation google, generation Y, the lost generation... Young people between 20 and 35 have always been connected to a whole world which has little in common to that of their parents. Analysts and victims of this incertitude present the key facts needed to understand this unknown generation

Snitch, grass or rat?

('Nicola Potter',) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:30:00 -0000

In France, three employees having a field day ranting about their bosses on their social network pages are fired. Between these two events is a connection, the ‘rat’ who was their ‘friend’ on facebook. Between the internet and the DDR via some classic film thrillers, a glance at how to say 'snitch' in Europe

Love social networks

('James Friscia',) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:45:00 -0000

Rafa Rubio, a doctor of law and professor at the Complutense university in Madrid who specialises in lobbies, social networks and media, highlights the advantages of the strategy

Vilnius: 'Jerusalem of Lithuania'

('Daiva Repe\xc4\x8dkait\xc4\x97',) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:47:26 -0000

Tired after a busy day and prepared for a casual chat, I meet a summer school student, with whom I've arranged to do Hebrew language tandem. 'Do you mind keeping me company to go to the synagogue?' Apparently, the person is a second year convert-in-progress to Judaism. 'Umm, my skirt is kind of short for that...' Anecdote from cafebabel.com blog ‘Wonderland'

Nick Clegg for European British prime minister?

("naomi o'leary",) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:13:10 -0000

Since 1918 the prime minister of Britain has been either labour or conservative. Red or blue. The 6 May elections were set to be no different. The two-party system seemed safe. Murdoch's papers screamed blue. Until Mr. Nick Clegg, leader of the liberal democrats, entered. The final televised leaders' debate in the UK takes place on 29 April

Europe's 'beautiful laundrette' culture: socialising chores

('Annie Rutherford',) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0000

Social networks have allowed a whole generation to abandon any sense of shame and showcase its private life. The fashion for exposure doesn't limit itself to the screen; Europe's urban landscapes offer more and more spaces which mix the private and the public. Washing your dirty laundry in public in Germany, France and Denmark

Women's day: Femibook, testosterone and internet

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:30:00 -0000

100 years after the first international women's day was organised on 8 March in Copenhagen, a musing on where the woman's place rightfully is

Europe's 'unword' of 2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:45:55 -0000

Holocaust Polish boy speaks from the dead on Facebook

('Darren Thompson',) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:49:14 -0000

'Winter’s here. Every Jew must write their name on the Star of David that is sewn on their clothes...' In the same way that Anne Frank documented her experience day after day in her journal, a young victim of the Holocaust is being virtually revived through Facebook, where he has 2, 279 'friends'

I quit Facebook - even Bill Gates did

('Astrid vW',) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:14:15 -0000

More than 250 million people have registered themselves on Facebook. This spectacular number will soon be surpassed; the social network is growing at a rate of 5 million users a week. Nonetheless, the giant is not unstoppable. Its critics are also multiplying, and some are choosing to log off the network for the final time

Iran's colourful presidentials: Facebook, fights and first wives

('Metsa Rahimi',) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:00:37 -0000

A week earlier, the EU campaigned to mobilise voters for the European parliamentary elections. Opposition candidates know that a similar effort may be their only chance of beating the incumbent in the Iranian presidentials. Iran's campaign officially rounds up as former PM, military chief and mullah go up against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on 12 June. Overview

Facebook 'foodie' groups versus the credit crunch

('Mary Maistrello',) — Fri, 22 May 2009 02:30:00 -0000

The world’s most famous social networking site has answers to the crisis which are making a hole in youngsters’ pockets. Plus a recipe for pangasius with peppers in this edition of the biweekly gastronomy column

European election politicians want Facebook friends

('Aatish Pattni',) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:51:52 -0000

Personal pages, groups and events in connection with the European elections in June are multiplying on Facebook. Should the social networking platform - boasting 41.7 millions users in Europe alone – become a new site for political debate around Europe?

Bloggers and facebookers want president Barroso out

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 10:10:32 -0000

'We don't care who, but the commission needs a new president in 2009'. Members of the 'Anyone But Barroso' campaign are none too keen on the current chief of the EU commission. Can it influence the European elections in June? Latest titbit of news from Brussels

Facebook privacy - what’s yours is mine

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Finding the nice French guy from the bar, showing your American high school mates new photos, keeping in touch with your Spanish friend - the social network renders this possible and profits from the personal details of its 175 million users worldwide. Facebook backtracked on changing its 'terms of use' in February

Second Life and cinema: awaiting Hollywood

('Helen Swain',) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:31:02 -0000

At a time when the 3D virtual world is losing its appeal, artistic experiments are continuing: Berardo Carboni, the director of Shooting Silvio, is directing the first full length feature film to be made in LindenLab's world. The film will be shown on the web and the big screen

FREEZE! by the Eiffel Tower in Paris

('Sophie Paterson',) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0000

On 8 March 2008, 3, 000 people suddenly stopped dead in their tracks and froze like statues at the Trocadero Square 'because we usually spend all day long running around like lunatics'

Web 2.0: welcome to the global village

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0000

With its blogs, podcasts, wikis and other so called 'social networks', version 2.0 of the web has propelled the surfer to the crest of the wave. Could this be a virtuous version of globalisation?

Facebook: UK, Norway and Sweden most active

('Andrew Burgess',) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0000

10 million Europeans have their own profiles on booming social exchange websites such as Facebook. The most active European web users have not wasted any time create groups of their own