Glasnost For Bloggers, Or ICyou For Kremlin?

Not quite sure what to make of this, especially given Russia's recent election troubles. LiveJournal claims 14 million users, 28% of them in Russia. SUP co-founder, Mamut, is a Kremlin insider. Personally, I wouldn't want to be an anti-government blogger in Russia using LiveJournal. Would you?

One-year-old Russian online media company SUP on Monday announced that it has acquired LiveJournal -- a hosted blogging service that counts millions of users in the U.S. and around the world.

SUP bought the service from Six Apart, a San Francisco-based startup that began offering LiveJournal in 2005 after acquiring its developer, Danga Interactive.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

SUP was founded in 2006 by American investor Andrew Paulson and Aleksandr Mamut, widely seen as one of Russia's so-called "new oligarchs" and a Kremlin insider.

Full, silly disclosure, as a typepad blog, RWV is hosted by Six Apart.

Comments

[MoscowGirl]

There are billions of websites all over Russa, each with its own chat-room, forum, blog, etc…… It’s been a reality since the day “internet hit Russia” and companies, private and government, acquired “more than 1 desk top” for the VIP’s office……. :=), not to mention that more and more people have home computers all over the country.

It is nearly impossible to track the “actual user/poster”, because of several reasons.

- In offices people still use computers and log-in with the same password, and use one “generic” email address…… administrator@babka.ru... A FSB officers is not going into an office with 50 people (using 2-3 desk tops) and asking them “which one of you posted Down With Putin” comment on “Prava.Ru” Blog……. :=).

- Internet Cafes and similar paid access services DO NOT ask for one’s ID. All you need to do is pay cash and use the computer.

- Etc…….

While locations can be found out, individuals can not be identified with ease……

So…. Yaba-daba-doooo…….. We have quite a freedom of speech!
We don’t get monitored not only for “politics” but there is not “PC squad” shutting up people “who think that fat women are ugly” and that "an adult must work to eat, and not collect welfare" …… :=).