links for 2008-02-19

How did an anonymous online community manage to mobilize 6000 people in 70+ different cities around the world to protest the Church of Scientology, Useful insights on the nature of digital and physical communities

a collection of links to media reports in the Anonymous vs. Scientology “battle”

Sure, President Bush is popular in Africa, where he’s helped increase aid and healthcare spending. But he’s no Barack Obama… A view of the US elections from Tanzania

Podcasts and skype are changing the way people learn languages, making it far easier to have regular contact with a native speaker of another language

Excellent overview of gay and lesbian blogs in Africa and the Arab world, and the risks of online and offline harrasment

John Palfrey takes a close look at the questions Turkey faces regarding censorship of the internet – he sees Turkey as being at the cusp between parts of the world that filter extensively, and parts that have largely resisted filtering

Broaden your cultural horizons with Stuff White People Like! As a white person, I can tell you I like several of the subjects covered here… which means the rest must be true.