Lots of my contacts use WhatsApp here in Morocco because SMS texting is ludicrously expensive. MMS simply out of the question. My crappy telephone operator (Méditel) has deigned to upgrade the amount of free SMS messages on a five hour telephone plan from 20 to the staggering 100. Using WhatsApp is convenient, rarely consumes much of my data plan (given that more often than not I'm connected via WiFi). It's popular across all ages, socioeconomic classes, especially in a country where mobile telephones are far more popular than landlines. I am a heavy email user, but I rarely use email for quick and dirty messages especially when I want a quick response. Whilst many users here have Viber, WhatsApp and the like installed on their telephones, many (especially the under 25s) rarely have an email application installed. Personally I'm quite happy to give out my mobile number to casual contacts whom I would never in a million years accept as a Facebook friend. On a final note, I much prefer Viber. Interestingly though, whilst most of the contacts I have on WhatsApp also have Viber accounts, 99% of the time they send a message via WhatsApp.

I'd certainly pay to watch on demand, or even a fixed rate for unlimited BBC viewing. But as dwater says, NOT PayPal please folks. I can only get BBC World on satellite here in Morocco, and that is appalling, truly, appalling. The BBC should be ashamed of putting their name to the drivel they broadcast most of the time-though I will admit that some slots are bearable-and as for the number of breaks! They spend more time self-promoting their programmes than actually showing them, and I really don't need a timecheck in all of the timezones every fifteen minutes (yes I know, it's so they can show their sponsor's name). Don't get me going on the weather - has the BBC forgotten that Africa and Europe exist as continents? Is it really necessary to focus so much on the Middle East and India?