Dr M - Blogs virtually expose the truth

The Internet, particularly blogs, could be useful for making the truth known, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

He said knowledge that could be accessed through the Internet was limitless, but like all things, its acquisition could be for good or evil.

“The blogs for example can be used to demonise people, scare them and create panic. The SMS (Short Message Service) can be used for similar purposes.

“But we know how useful they can be for making the truth known and for individuals to air their views and feelings freely,” he said in his speech at the launch of OSDC.MY and Open Source Industry Global Linkage here yesterday.

Dr Mahathir also expressed amazement at how whimsical and creative technology inventors could come up with names like Foxie, Ubuntu, GNU, Perl, Ruby, Phyton and Fedora.

“It’s amazing how they are able to relate to the mundane and the ordinary,” he said.

Citing the development of the telephone, Dr Mahathir said that the speed of progress in the information age was “mind-boggling”.

“I was told by some people a long time ago that when we use the Internet, whatever you do or write would be recorded in some far away places. There is no secrecy.

“Since the Government is using a lot of the Internet, it is frightening to think that some foreign persons would know all our so-called confidential records and correspondence,” he said.

- THE STAR