So, as the dust has finally settled in Egypt, and the revolution has ended. I don't think it's a particularly controversial stance to say that I support what has happened there, and that the regime change is a good not only for the people of Egypt, but the people of the world. However, I think that the revolution proved some startling points about the nature of internet censorship.
    To begin with, it's worth appreciating what a large shift the revolution in egypt was. Egypt, despite being in Africa, has a relatively high level of education and developed infrastructure. While not exactly "first world," I would definitely categorize it as a prime example of what we might define the "second world" as. Mubarak's dictatorship had been in place for around twenty years, and nasser for years before that. For a country with egypt's level of progress to have a fairly dramatic revolution, complete with violence and a total government overthrow, is pretty earthshattering, all things considered.
    I believe that the reason the revolution succeeded was largely due to the web proliferation through the populace. At the beginning, the message spread through facebook, twitter, and other social networks, informing and organizing the populace. The true defining moment of the revolution, however, was cutting off the internet to the general populace in an effort to quell the dissention. It is my opinion that this roused the people moreso than any other nonviolent act Mubarak could have done. At this point in time, internet access is seen as a basic right by most citizens in developed nations, and removing it seriously impacts their quality of living. I thought one of the best quotes of the revolution came from Conan O'Brien, of all places, who quipped: "Wait, they want the people to stay at home and be compliant? And they turned off the internet?"