Huffington Post: ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/... )
Reports are emerging that Internet has gone down in Cairo and perhaps throughout Egypt, only hours before the largest planned protests yet.
Also,
CNN's Ben Wederman via twitter ( http://twitter.com/... ):
"Trying to check into Cairo hotel but can't because reception internet doesn't work. #Jan25 #Egypt"
AND
"Communications cut, protests supressed, crashing stockmarket, fleeing tourists, arrests, journalists attacked. #Egypt 'stable?'"
Looks like revolution. OMFG, I empathize. It's scary. A blackout of internet is a loss of a sense now. It's almost a kind or blindness or deafness. Scary government action. We can see very clearly what's wrong with Mubarak.
Update 1: I might have more timely updates if anyone in Egypt could get word out. Here is an early technical detail from a systems administrator who has been helping Egyptians evade internet censorship over the past several days:
"It looks like TE Data isn't just down - it looks like SEABONE was pulled on the Egypt side. #jan25 #egypt"
http://twitter.com/...
Update 2: I just heard the former governor of New York confirm this live on CNN. He says both main Internet servers down, SMS (text messaging) also blocked.
We need to put ourselves in their shoes. How frightening if you can't even text to find out if your family and friends are ok??
Update 3: Ben Wederman is confirming live on CNN TV that internet is reported down all over Egypt and SMS (text messaging) is also blocked.
Update 4: (21:20 EST, 02:20 GMT/UT, 04:20 CAIRO) -- Woo hoo I love data. This guy, @ioerror , must been drinking a lot of coffee. He has worked tirelessly over the past several days to keep the Egyptians ONLINE.
He tweets: "Here's the current best BGP writeup of the state of the internet in Egypt: http://bgpmon.net/... #egypt #jan25 "
Shows almost total outage.
NOTE: UNLESS I am very familiar with the source, I am NOT considering any tweet worthy of rumor. Since Egypt is shut down ATM, info from there is spotty, but there are journalists on the ground who can update us still. We can expect more information soon, but things have mostly settled for the night in anticipation of the day tomorrow.
My best wishes of safety and well-being to all Egyptians. All should know. ** We are watching ** .
Update #5: (22:33 EST, 03:33 GMT/UT, 05:22 CAIRO)
CNN : "Egypt on the Brink" (broadcast). They then play Barack Obama saying "violence is not the answer." Amen. I stand with that tonight. Thanks to CNN for coverage. Ben Wederman (who's sleeping atm) has been a great correspondent on the ground. CNN confirming ... ElBaradei, Nobel Peace Prize-winner and former head of IAEA is on the ground in Egypt. I am in awe of his courage. Bless all women and men to safety and freedom.
Update #6: (22:38 EST, 03:38 GMT/UT, 05:28 CAIRO):
Very solid data. Egypt is cutting internet. http://twitter.com/... says:
"Another important BGP report about Egypt: http://www.renesys.com/... #jan25 #egypt"
http://www.renesys.com/...
that report adds:
What happens when you disconnect a modern economy and 80,000,000 people from the Internet? What will happen tomorrow, on the streets and in the credit markets? This has never happened before, and the unknowns are piling up. We will continue to dig into the event, and will update this story as we learn more. As Friday dawns in Cairo under this unprecedented communications blackout, keep the Egyptian people in your thoughts.
That sounds true. I wish everyone the best. Revolutions are dangerous. Be safe.
Update #7: (23:11 EST, 04:11 GMT/UT, 06:11 CAIRO):
Al Jazeera web headline"
"Egypt prepares for fresh protests -
Internet and SMS services reportedly disrupted and Muslim Brotherhood members arrested ahead of planned demonstrations. "
http://english.aljazeera.net/...
The sun will be rising in Cairo soon. I hope it rises on good things.
Update #8: Interested parties have taken * down * the website of the Central Bank of Egypt. http://www.cbe.org.eg/
http://www.google.com/...
Mubarak doesn't win. Sorry, no consolation prize.