Maha, every time that you write about Egypt, about living in Egypt, being Egyptian, I realize that it is a reminder. A necessary reminder. Because as you say most of your connections having conversations about digital citizenship are residents of North America or another Western country. When we’re in conversation, especially online, sharing a common language and recognizable sets of assumptions, we can forget. We forget quite literally, *where* people are coming from. We forget to acknowledge that some or many or perhaps none of our assumptions about what citizenship means may apply to or for our conversation partners. So thank you for bringing this aspect of your perspective to the fore.

One thought that struck me here: “We have much more mobility with our digital presence than our physical presence, don’t we?” And I think mobility, yes but I wonder about presence. In fact I wonder if our digital presence over time becomes more ephemeral instead of less. Our presence can be fleeting and so transitory considering how easily so much could disappear if a few corporate behemoths decide to close up shop and take our data with them. But this unceasing mobility – to rise, fall, spread, reach – perhaps this is what we will keep, what will hold our fascination and keep us in the game, even as our actual presence (and potential permanence) dissipates before we really notice.
That’s just what came up for me right now. No guarantee that this will all make sense to me when I read it again tomorrow or in two weeks. Perhaps it will offer you something anyway.
Sherri