Being a blogger is more than just typing random words into a blank WordPress page. In some cases, it can make you famous. In others, it can get you fined by the NBA. And in some countries, it just might get you killed. The Community to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has compiled a list of the top ten worst countries to blog in, and as expected, the results are not pretty. “Governments are quickly learning how to turn technology against bloggers,” writes CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. When all else fails, the authorities simply jail a few bloggers to intimidate the rest of the online community into silence or self-censorship.” Topping the charts this time around is Burma, which is known to jail those who disagree with the party line and routinely blocks so-called “subversive” sites.  One of the more surprising entries on the list is Turkministan, which comes in at number nine. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, who once promised a “free and open Internet” for all, has put in place measures that monitor bloggers, search engine results, and email accounts. Bloggers are expressly forbidden to speak out against the government, and risk having their sites blocked and their “Internet privileges” revoked. Other “high-tech hellholes” include Iran for executing those with dissenting opinions, China for The Great Firewall of China, and Tunisia, whose leaders claim that blogging is “an activity that is unbecoming of our society and is not an expression of freedom or democracy.”

Elsewhere: Despite it’s label as an emerging nation and tech-based powerhouse, India isn’t exactly the most connected country in the world. Roughly 40 million people subscribe to modern broadband Internet access — an impressive number, until one realizes that India’s current population is 1.14 billion people. Still, just because citizens don’t have the latest computers or connections doesn’t mean they have to miss out on web 2.0’s latest trends. Enter SMSGupShup. SMSGupShup is a fairly new microblogging service that is aimed towards those who are unable to appreciate sites like Twitter and Plurk. Instead of relying on traditional websites and the like, this little start up is based upon the fine art of text messaging. There are a variety of things that users can do on the service, from playing games, setting up specialized chat rooms, and even doing a little shopping. Since it is completely text (SMS) based, users don’t have to worry about clogging up a phone line or hanging out in a crowded Internet cafe. As of this writing, there are nearly twenty million people on the service and counting. Interesting and highly inventive, SMSGupShup proves that necessity, much like the late, great Frank Zappa, is truly the mother of invention.

And finally: The Great Linux Experiment continues on without a hitch. Aside from an ever-growing hatred of the KMail email program, Angela’s experiences with everyone’s favorite “Scandinavian penguin” have been largely positive. Her “latest project,” as she calls it, will be trying to get Photoshop CS2 running in the WINE Windows emulator. Expect a report on this fun little trip into madness in a few days time. Until then, we bid you all a fond adieu from the land of penguins and GNUs.