I've been following the opposition's situation for ages via the brilliant Sokwanele http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/ and it's fair to say, for the first time, that things are definitely hopeful.

There are still enormous problems but the opposition is gradually winning victory after victory - such as getting people released from custody.

Incidentally, the use of the web and particularly mobiles has played an enormous role in grassroots organising against the Mugabe regime.

What is important about Philips blog is that it opens up a debate on how diplomats blog and how social media can enable to diplomats to emerge as something akin to public figures expressing a view and siding with people who are oppressed. As a keen viewer of cinema I see how diplomats are represented in cinema.

Take for example the film of Le Carre's 'Constant Garderner' who in the opening scenes is presented to the audience as the rather stiff and distant diplomat who then investigates corruption and becomes more cynical. As the Jam's live album was titled 'Dig the new breed' does a blogging diplomat in the style of Philip signal the beginning of a new breed what I would term a diplomat activist.