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AudibleNod t1_j33wea3 wrote

Where's the "that's not how this works" lady?

Saudi Arabia is fully capable of making its own online encyclopedia. Why doesn't it just do that?

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MalcolmLinair t1_j33ws66 wrote

Because no one would use it. Much like Russia and China, the Saudis want to extend their influence across the world, and taking over the largest and most widely used free source of information on the web would be a huge step in that direction.

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AudibleNod t1_j33xwwv wrote

China is a really good example. They have Tiktok.

I really think if Saudi Arabia tried they could come up with something that competes with Wikipedia in the same way Tiktok is competing with Facebook. And the best way to spread influence, IMO, is to follow the China model. Just look at how much China makes Hollywood bend to it's will. Objectively, it's really something. Saudi Arabia can do something similar with all that money they have. And they're trying a bit here and there. That LIV golf thing seems to be a non-starter. But it shows they're trying a different tact. The thing is they have to start now. Before the oil runs out, before EVs take over, before temps reach 65°C in Riyadh.

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WhiteHairedWidow t1_j34xlan wrote

China has people and Hollywood will bend to china because china will prevent the movie from being played in their country. That would be a huge loss in profit for the company. Saudi is a backwards country with a super rich elite in a majority poor nation.

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Ser_Dunk_the_tall t1_j35nneq wrote

Yeah Saudi Arabia could payoff everyone to not make films they don't like but they would soon run out of money from paying off grifters pretending to make those films. China actually make real money for filmmakers so losing their market is a real loss of potential revenue in the way SA just isn't

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PEVEI t1_j34d6e3 wrote

Saudi Arabia is now a major stakeholder in Twitter.

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Silver-Hat175 t1_j356bnz wrote

It always was. And Fox News. Which is hilarious.

Saudi had insiders in Twitter doxing journalists a few years ago that was a big story at the time.

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Goldfish1_ t1_j38g6us wrote

> Just look at how much China makes Hollywood bend to it’s will. Objectively, it’s really something. Saudi Arabia can do something similar with all that money they have.

Not a good example really. China bends Hollywood to its will because it has an absolute massive movie market equal to that of the US. Saudi Arabia does not have that advantage.

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AudibleNod t1_j38j7cu wrote

There's only a handful of movie theaters in Saudi Arabia and it's only a tenth the size of America in population I grant you. But instead of people we can talk raw dollar figures and get Saudi Arabia closer to China in terms of capital. Factor that with Saudi Arabia's influence with rest of the region and you get a bit closer to a China comparison.

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MacDerfus t1_j388d6h wrote

They all want to have their cake and eat someone else's, ideally while selling them the ingredients

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d-cent t1_j34f8x0 wrote

Right! If anything, I think this would reduce their control on Wikipedia. I mean, now there are 2 fewer staff members working in Saudi Arabia. I would also assume Wikipedia is going to vet the next Saudi hire very well or not even give them an opportunity at the job.

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USS_Hornet t1_j35rhey wrote

First, why are there any “employees” of a volunteer encyclopedia working in the shithole that is SA?

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godisanelectricolive t1_j362z6j wrote

So these are Wikipedia administrators (admins/sysops) who are top-level volunteer editors. They have the to block or restrict the access of other users. They aren't actually paid by the Wikimedia Foundation who owns Wikipedia. It sounds like those two are Saudi citizens who are unwilling to be puppets of their government.

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hurrdurrmeh t1_j37era0 wrote

no-one would use it. also - you're missing the point: SA doesn't want ANY criticism of it ANYWHERE EVER. PERIOD.

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they want to control the narrative in EVERY space.

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AudibleNod t1_j37fibr wrote

So does the Chinese government.

But the Chinese are eeking their way into Western culture with the knowledge that once they're fully in they can close the trap.

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GhostlyRuse OP t1_j33w2ce wrote

Wikipedia is donor driven, in case anyone wants to show their support.

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jonathanrdt t1_j33z4vs wrote

Every year. Most valuable knowledge resource in history. Fighting it makes governments look stupid.

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kstinfo t1_j35e6xd wrote

I don't subscribe to any newspaper (NYT, WAPO, etc.) I don't contribute to any politician or political campaign. I do send wikipedia money.

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HereOnASphere t1_j36ggkq wrote

I don't use Facebook. I subscribe to a local newspaper. There wouldn't be any local news without it. I also send money to Wikipedia and Mozilla.

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kstinfo t1_j35gfon wrote

Worth adding to my wiki support comment is that if I was going to subscribe to a news source it would be The Guardian.

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Ganacsi t1_j343lfj wrote

I would be worried using any public forums when living in those countries, they are heavily invested in most social media platforms and I am certain they can get data on any users when they request it, it’s regulatory requirement in most countries to comply, just make up some reason and you get your data, I am sure Elon doesn’t want to upset his Saudi backers

The spyware tools available to these despots from immoral companies are plenty, it’s a lucrative industry that’s growing, here are some that got exposed but I suspect many more are incognito.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacking_Team

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(spyware)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru_(spyware_company)

That is all before you get into the investment they’ve made into developing local industries to do this, M-B-S is certainly tech savvy and uses it to maintain his grip on power, it was said that Jamal was meticulously tracked by Pegasus, along with other activists, too many people don’t understand the dangers of the tech they willingly carry in their pockets.

Cyber is the new battleground and it’s too easy to fall victim.

Saddened that the biggest players lock down access for users to even check if they have been compromised in the name of money, at least on PCs you could take some precautions, how do trust your iPhone or Android when the actual criminals have a marketplace to bypass all that “security” when they want.

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d-cent t1_j34fo3u wrote

Which country was it that basically hired NSA contractors to set up their hacking network? It was one of those countries

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Ganacsi t1_j34g6bk wrote

I believe it was U-A-E, dubs is the capital of this kinda of thing in that region.

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d-cent t1_j34isnu wrote

Yup that's the one I was thinking of. There was a great podcast where they interviewed one of the contractors.

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USS_Hornet t1_j35rrbz wrote

The beginning of the end for BlackBerry was after they gave into Saudi demands for a back door into their mail server. It was clear then how much RIM valued its users.

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VyrPlan t1_j348bgd wrote

it's always something nice whenever the house of saud is in the headlines /s

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No_Formal9930 t1_j361cro wrote

Saudi leadership = scumfucks.

Bone saw scumfucks.

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Friendofthegarden t1_j35768j wrote

Well, apparently the Saudis don't understand how it works. They have to break all of their computers with Wikipedia on them, obviously. I should know, I'm George Santos, inventor of the internet and other such wizardry.

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wastelandho t1_j3621fz wrote

Well this is going to be on their Wiki now, so...

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RobinsShaman t1_j34moyf wrote

Two staff members, used to be one? I know they like chopping up journalists over there.

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red2play t1_j35pl8a wrote

They have videos out about how its so cheap to move to the middle east but they never "feature" content like this nor do they show the torture and murders by the gov't. SAD.

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dasherchan t1_j34tis5 wrote

I sincerely hope that Prince Mohammed bin Salman won't order to chop them into pieces.

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Bending_toast t1_j35p1ms wrote

Reminds me of when British Authorities smashed computers at The Guardian when they were printing the NSA leaks from Snowden

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DangeloBarks t1_j366qth wrote

The Guardian smashed their own hard drive, rather than hand it over to GCHQ: source

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Bending_toast t1_j3670vg wrote

I didn’t know that and would likely not have believed it had it not come from the Guardian themselves. Thank you for providing the link

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timmmarkIII t1_j394qmd wrote

NOW would be a good time to make a donation to Wikipedia! F' Saudi Arabia fascism.

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WorriedJob2809 t1_j36mq86 wrote

Huh, refreshingly honest and direct in their motivation atleast. Lol.

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El1Zilla t1_j34xtpw wrote

Saudis know that if you control information you can control people. At least the princes do, I can see them buy something similar to Wikipedia and push it. But right now they are in a weird spot

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nifealmudxh04 t1_j35dexm wrote

Just when I thought I was going to donate to em

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