Demographics and Usage of Arabic On-Line Forums & Groups

Middle East Internet expert Helmi Noman has a fascinating new study on the content, and usage, of Arabic forums and groups on-line. He finds that the religion of Islam, and sex, are the two dominant subjects for discourse. Moreover, filtering by states in the region hampers, but does not eliminate, access to and discussion of sensitive subjects. Interestingly, he finds that sex discussions are often targeted by viruses and religious warnings, and that attempts are made to convert participants in Islamic discussions to other religions, including Christianity. Noman is well-known for his work on Yemen as a United Nations Development Program case study, among other things.