Resumen
This article focuses on the Internet growth over the past 20 years across the world, especially in nations of Persian Gulf and the their participation, which was comparatively too slow. In January 1994, the Persian Gulf had no computer network protocol, TCP/IP hosts when the rest of the world had over 2.2 million. By January 1995, Kuwait had modest, and Iran fairly minimal, connectivity. Now all but Iraq are connected, some with impressive growth percentages. All nine countries in this zone are characterized by strong forms of state control, including rule over the content and distribution of information. The concerns about what information and communication via the Internet may do to national, cultural, and religious values surface more readily than those relating to national security. The constituencies for these negative perceptions of the Internet often include the military and internal security services, Islamic religious ministries and clergy, and powerful families concerned with everything from the moral corruption of the nation's youth to threats against their privileged positions, although these players are not always uniformly critical. With the growing worldwide spread and increasing commercialization of the Internet, other more favorable constituencies have sought its acceptance. |