How representative are the views expressed on Somalia On-Line?

[Humming bird]

Dear forum dwellers,

 

It would be interesting to hear your personal views about the question - How representative are views expressed in SOL of the wider opinion and views of Somalis everywhere considering that this forum has operated as a closed/ restricted forum for a long while and probably still does to some extent?

[Mr. Somalia]

Very different, in my opinion. The diaspora communities are often more divided politically and socially than are the average Somalis back home. So methinks SOL would not yield a representative sample, owing to the fact that the majority of users of this website are based outside, and in particular, in Europe and north America.

[BOB]

Contrary to popular belief Somalis don't think alike...we think differently as normal people/society would and it's naive to think few hundred people can represent an entire nation in its millions.

 

my views and opinions are only mine and they represent nobody but me just like your opinions and views solely represent you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace, Love & Unity.

[Jacaylbaro]

I represent everybody on the earth ,,, cid kele ma hadli karto ,,,

[Alpha Blondy]

SOL is full of full of rabble-rousers who have lost touch with reality. Forum members are disillusioned and without a platform to express their concerns. Its a closed world, with its own rules and mannerism. Not representative of the average common somali man and woman.

[Polanyi]

SOL is where you boast about how many skinny camels your grandfather looted from the other side in phd terminology.

[Jacaylbaro]

Alpha Blondy;683450 wrote:

SOL is full of full of rabble-rousers who have lost touch with reality. Forum members are disillusioned and without a platform to express their concerns. Its a closed world, with its own rules and mannerism. Not representative of the average common somali man and woman.

 

Why do i have the feeling that you're part of it ???

[NGONGE]

Humming bird;683313 wrote:

Dear forum dwellers,

 

It would be interesting to hear your personal views about the question - How representative are views expressed in SOL of the wider opinion and views of Somalis everywhere considering that this forum has operated as a closed/ restricted forum for a long while and probably still does to some extent?

Ignore all of the above. I believe that every word you see in this website is representative of those found in Somalia. In fact, I would go even further and suggest that "we" sometimes set the agenda for future views on Somalia. I say this with the clear knowledge (and understanding) that many of the members also moonlight as political analyists on many other Somali news portals.

 

Of course, I am talking about "popular" views here and not government policy. But even on that front, I'm reliably informed that members of the various Somali governments are either active SOLERS or regular lurkers of this site. I would not be overly surprised if Imam Farole gives a press conference one of these days to counter some over the top charges made by our A&T.

[AbdiHilaac]

nevermind - sorry can't delete this thread.

[Humming bird]

Thanks all for your reply.

 

I agree with you both Mr somalia and BOB.

Jacaylbaro - yes boss.

Alpha - I got that impression just from the few days I've been here.

Polanyi- Succinctly put! couldnt agree with you more.

Ngonge- I guess you must be the chief SOL publicist.

 

To come back to my point and clarify:

 

Of course it's obvious that views expressed here are in fact nothing more than just member views but given that SOL doesn't serve as an open platform for even the English speaking diaspora then which sub category of people ( by any definition) is it serving? how do we define the members who express their views here? I'm sure we can categorise on a higher level than the “individual”.

 

We Somalis know that SOL views have little to do with what Somalis are thinking (because most in the English speaking diaspora don't find this as typical outlet medium for their opinions) but any outsider would be misinformed if they were led to believe that SOL is where the diverse opinions of Somali related issues are expressed. Perhaps they are diverse to some extent but not proportional or representative.

 

I asked just for the benefit of any non Somalis trying to glean from here what the spectrum of “Somali” opinion is.

 

I hope this isn't taken negatively by any loyal SOL members or administrators.