The importance of education in Oman's development is a matter of which the nation is aware at all levels. As an educator and researcher who has been based here for several years, I am acutely aware of the value access to quality information has for Omani students. Due to the dearth of academic books and libraries in the country, the tertiary education sector is largely dependent on the Internet in this respect. While search engines such as Google offer general information, academic research is enabled far more effectively by the research-specific Google Scholar website (http://scholar.google.com/schp).
To my great shock I have discovered that this website - perhaps one of the most vital to research development in this emerging nation - has been blocked by Omantel for the past week (http://www.omantel.net.om/new5.html?category=Pornography). Although I have emailed the company for a reversal of the decision, there has been no response as yet, and five calls to the company's internet helpline have delivered no satisfactory explanation.
The implications of disabling one of the most powerful research tools available - and one of the few available in Oman - send shivers down the spine of any academic community this nation may aspire to. While the World Wide Web teems with morally dubious potential, this is not usually the concern of dessicated academics such as ourselves.
Information, of course, is a dangerous thing. However, we have to weigh that up against the greater danger of the lack of information. Yet the greatest peril of all is the lack of wisdom to select and use information wisely. That is the peril that actions such as these - justifiably - inspire.
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2 comments:
Thankfully the block has been lifted after a week of darkness...
Hi Marie,
I am studying lexis instruction from teachers cognition point of view, would you like to have a chat about it? please let me know your email? thanks
sukru
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