When The National was founded 15 years ago, social media was in its infancy. Today, it’s an established aspect of life.
For the opinion writer, it’s both a friend and enemy, a useful tool but also a dangerous opponent. If you want to know where someone stands on a particular issue, see what they’re posting on Twitter or Facebook. Likewise, if you want to know what people think of something you’ve written, see what’s being said about you on Twitter or Facebook.
But keep it in perspective. The most active folk on social media, the ones who post the most and have the biggest followings, are not representative. They’re often the noisiest, shouting to attract attention.
This is the problem, that nobody is especially interested if you’re reasonable. Social media feeds extremes, both in the lengths of the comments (it’s hard to be reasoned and thought-through in a few words) and the fact that readers will give you only seconds of their time. Then there are the active users themselves – people who by and large like a good argument, who seemingly enjoy being rude to others.
Most, the silent majority, view and post nothing. Social media wants them for the advertising, but to keep the beast alive, it requires the minority to tweet and post away.
Many is the time I’ve gone on to Twitter to see the reaction to a piece I’ve written, only to find something abusive. Fine, if it’s considered and justified, but usually, they’ve not read the article at all, they’ve not gone beyond the headline or they’ve chosen to quote something entirely out of context.
Think of social media like the shouty man standing at a bar. He’s there, mouthing off, airing his beliefs and you’re sitting quietly at a table, listening and shaking your head at the rubbish that he’s spouting.
Just because he’s got an audience gathered around him does not make him right. Similarly, those with the largest followings are not necessarily people you respect and trust.
Once, people did not have a platform. Now they’ve got one – and so conspiracy theories that previously would not gain currency spread like wildfire. Worse, they’re believed.
It’s a brave person who dares to contradict them. People don’t like being told they’re wrong or speaking nonsense. Instead of listening they shoot you down, sometimes in the vilest terms.
But as opinion writers we must do that. It’s our duty to shoot down the preposterous theories about the pandemic and the efficacy of the vaccine. We’re beholden to explain that 9/11 was not caused by the CIA bombing its own. We need to describe how man really did land on the Moon and the whole spectacle was not shot in a warehouse in Florida. Otherwise, all we’re left with is the conspiracy theorists who love to populate the vacuum.
That’s not to say it’s not also a hugely useful resource. When he was president, I grew quite fond of turning on my phone in the morning as I still lay in bed and reading what Donald Trump had tweeted overnight.
He was stating it, without editing or embellishment. In doing so, by choosing Twitter, he was stealing a march on the world’s press by declaring his agenda and therefore setting their agenda, to an extent my agenda, for the day ahead, before they’d had their morning editorial meetings and we’d discussed priorities.
With his tendency to indulge in screaming block capitals and only write pithy comments, ones he did not have to justify, Trump was in his element. He was the ultimate loud bloke, letting rip.
It was clever and smart, and he was influencing public opinion in a way no president, no politician anywhere, had ever done before.
Other figures do the same, airing anything and everything via the social networks, cutting out the mainstream media to get their thoughts across. Our job is to agree and disagree, to aggregate and filter for you, our readers, to help you make sense of the world.
Thanks to social media, the landscape has changed much in the last 15 years; doubtless it will evolve again in the next 15. You can rest assured, The National will be there, acting as a friend and expert guide.
Chris Blackhurst is a former editor of The Independent and a columnist for The National
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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Director: Spike Lee
Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver
Five stars
Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
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Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
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'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The years Ramadan fell in May
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
ON%20TRACK
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LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20will%20host%20Scotland%20for%20a%20three-match%20T20I%20series%20at%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Stadium%20next%20month.%3Cbr%3EThe%20two%20sides%20will%20start%20their%20Cricket%20World%20Cup%20League%202%20campaigns%20with%20a%20tri-series%20also%20involving%20Canada%2C%20starting%20on%20January%2029.%3Cbr%3EThat%20series%20will%20be%20followed%20by%20a%20bilateral%20T20%20series%20on%20March%2011%2C%2013%20and%2014.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
