Well, according to recent news , Saudi Arabia is banning Blacberry services  and UAE (United Arab Emirates) is planning to shut down the email, messaging and Web browsing on Blackberry starting October. India is also joining the fray apparently. I was watching the interviews on CNN with some Saudi Arabian users, big men on the verge of tears declaring their love for the Blackberry and how they will surely miss it with this new regulation by their governmment. Like millions of others, including President Obama, who insists on using his Blackberry despite the CIAs and Senate’s concern for the same security reason and fast losing the fight with only 10 people in the Senate supporting him; I am reminded of my new love and what it would mean if this ban happens to me here.

The reason for this rather drastic action bu Saudi and UAE government. They have  security concerns and want  to push for greater access to encrypted information sent through the device. So, to answer the question, is the Blackberry safe? It is apparently very safe. Unlike the iPhone and  other smartphones, which is easily hackable, the Blackberry is on the other hand very secure. The only way to get any information is when RIM , the Canadian owner and maker of Blackberry. releases the information. 

 And, even the President of USA , needs a court order in order to obtain any information from their users’ Blackberry . Because as their spokespeople have said whilst they respect and recognised the respective government’s  regulatory bodies in terms of security, their main concern is the customers’ need for privacy. 

 So, I now know my information is properly secure. What is the greater implication of this?Are governments and their regulatory bodies  doing the Big Brother thing or is it really for security measures. With this apparent security on the Blackberry side, it also means a possible misuse of the device for illicit and more grave deviant actions by some miscreant Blackberry user. Although I trust in such situations , RIM , will also take necessary cooperative  actions with the government. What is the implication with all this information being held by one entity, RIM? But at least I know one thing, they won’t be selling my handphone number and millions of other users to some SMS messaging service companies to spam with me with a million and one FREE offers or discounts, because they will have “bigger” fish to fry. 

Coming back to the Blackberry , as a new and not so tech savvy  user, I love my Blackberry. It is  a workhorse. The best thing about it is the email, messaging and Web browsing facility. Someone once told me that you either love the Blackberry or you hate it. You either love the iPhone or the Blackberry, you won’t love both. Well, I can’t vouch for the latter comparison, but I can certainly vouch for the Blackberry’s functionality. I am so much more efficient these days because I can work on the go. I can attend to urgent messages email or SMS when I choose to.

 Yes, the initial fear of unrest and disruption of getting emails as someone told me “..even in the toilet..” has  dissipated to be handled with ease and decisiveness. I work when I choose, when I absolutely have to and only when I want to. Choices about time management has never been better. It does however, if  you are like me sometimes afflicted with mild workaholism- means working almost non-stop. The amazing thing is, I can switch off and not even look at my messages. I do not react to the constant stream of emails out of guilt. I can read it, mull  and choose my appropriate response . Maybe it’s because the fonts are so much smaller therefore the message seems less loud, giving time to ponder. 

Oh as for social media application…one word …BREEZE!

 I am not sure, but I think the banning of Blackberry even for security reasons just seems to be missing the beat and inconveniencing the masses productivity, seems a  bit like looking at the bush and missing the woods …

What is your opinion on this ban?

 

pictures: yahoo! news and www.blackberrybold 2.

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