Blogs have become the new battleground between reformers and Islamic conservatives. The Internet has become a widespread form of communication, and thousands of blogs have appeared. The bloggers soon learned to do writing anonymously, because several of those reform minded bloggers who could be identified, were picked up by the police and tortured. Some were forced to get on their blogs and retract earlier statements. Several of these people then got out of the country, where they could reveal the Iranian governments reaction to hostile blogs.