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Ros has just been met with a rapturous reception form the audience in Boston. And we've heard that we'll be talking about Marriage and Bloggers. It's marriage first though, and we've got Neerja in India, Esra in Turkey, Axel in Germany and Andre in Trinidad all waiting to talk about this.

Marriage really seems to have got the audience going. There's been some great exchanges from across the floor with one conference member making the point that divorse was invented in the UK by Henry VIII.

Andre says that it's becoming acceptable in Trinidad for women to have children out of wedlock

Paul in the audience says it's the children who are the most important in a marriage.

Christanne says she's a single mother and much happier out of an unhappy marriage.

Ben thinks marriage licences should only be given to people over 30 because he got married too early and wishes he hadn't.

Vincent in our Nairobi studio I happy as a bachelor.

Here's some of the comments sent in...

Anonymous:

The decline in active marriages is a sign of the times. We are in the end animals. when marriage was invented it suited a primitive need. It was a way for a female to guarantee security and basic needs for her and her offspring. For the male it was a way to stake claim to a breeding partner and ensuring his genes were passed on.

Kim from Portland, Oregon:

I think marriage rates are down because it's no longer a necessity. People are able to take their time to find a suitable partner.

John in Cleveland:

What's ruining marriage is the court system having archaic preference over women. Why should a man be liable for a woman through alimony when they get a divorce? What's worse if children are involved. Women get far too much in a divorce settlement and use children as the basis for needing excessive money from men when divorcing.

Leeland, Bloomington:

Yes, Marraige is dying. I think that it is a shame to a certain extent, although I have never had much respect for paperwork. There are many reasons.

Kalypso from Austria:

Marriage is a commitment for life. If marriage is dying and the number of singles increases, it would means, that the family is dying, and family is the basis for society

Immanuel from Nigeria.

Marriage is a institution that last forever.

FWELEFWELE-MZUZU MALAWI.

Man's incomplete without woman the same is with woman.

JOHN

When it comes to family matters, the west should look to Africa & Asia.

ANON

My ex wife divorced me in 1977 If I'd been Henry VIII I would have cut her head off.HappyDivorcee

Anon

I am an american living in Morocco and i am constantly getting harrarsed from people about being in my twenties and not being married. In the village where i work girls get married as soon as they turn 18. It is also shameful for me to ask a man if he is married but everyone from taxi driver to people I just meet on the street can ask me. Yesterday on the train a man yelled at me for the duration of the trip for not being married.

Victor -NIGERIA

U can't eat your cake & have it. Divorcees & single parents take note. Marriage have more benefits.

Esra in Turkey, thinks marriage should not die because it's the only thing that preserves the structure of society

Axel thinks that marriage is a dying institution in Germany but he's keen on it and is about to get married for the second time.

Divina doesn't agree and things that you can have a successful relationship without being married

Najeeb,pakistan

Marriage is joy of life,marriage is satisfiction of life,marriage makes you responsible, marriage is a track to new family,remember,if stop getting marriage, then we will set our agenda on B.B.C,Is family as institution dying.

From Jamil maibe

I dont think marriage is significant in the U.S because pre marital sex and out of wedlock pregnancies are allowed unlike my country nigeria.

Justus Chintu, Malawi

Why do pple want 2 get fruits of marriage (kids) without commitment. Thats bad. Marriage wil live on.

I AM GILBERT IN TANZANIA. MARIAGE IS JUST BUT GAMBLING.IT'S ABOUT FINANCE AND NOT A COMITMENT.CONSIDER THE AMERICAN CELBRITYS IN HOLLYWOOD

You cant tell the truth , fidelity is beyond you ; marriage is the proof of your wilful deceit .

Lewellyn

I support the listner that said marriage is a divine institution, and should be taken very seriously. Please take it seriously and not a game.

The context of marriage is complex; it is religeous, social, economic, cultural etc. A full appreciation of the context is key to its understanding and success.

Mckeith in uganda

Marriage is not only about children. These days marriage is taken as a game. Wake up world.

Tunji in Nigeria

Marriage is part of our culture in Nigeria, its simply what you have to do especially the women, if you dont u are seen as been irresponsible.

gilbert mpigi uganda.

Marriage checks promiscurity and harmonises religious norms and with family structures.

DAVID MATIMO INDIA

Marriage Is an Institution, That should be honoured, Respected, and well catered for... Each should be committed to make it pure and long lasting.. Infact all responsible mature People should get married, share their love and be happy .

Leland writes:

People are becoming more rigid and less willing to change their personal ways for others. This is bad.

Tommy from Ohio:

Commitment is not what is most important about the institution of marriage nor is it why people should feel as though they should be married. Marriage is necessary because without it we will see a world with illegitimate children who have no perception of the importance of family and morals and are raised with split parents who obviously created the child hedonistically. It's as simple as that. I don't believe people have any real perception of commitment until they have been married.

Jaques from Boston:

It is better to be married than to be alone. Women are trying to ruin it for me, but i will try and try it again.

Neerja in India, who's been very patient on the phone definitely agrees with marriage and is happy in hers.

Marriage is the cement that holds society together and critical to nation building. The end of marriage will spell doom to the world.

Brendan from Radio Open Source has started us off on the blog conversation. And he thinks that blogs are great tools for changing opinion, and whenever they make a government react the way the Egyptian government has they clearly have worth.

And in our Cairo studio we've got the blogger Sand Monkey. He was in court when his fellow blogger was sent to prison. He says that due to other similar cases in the country it wasn't a shock that his friend was sent to prison. He also says that the court house was like a circus.

Steve in Utah:

Do bloggers influence politics and society? Yes. If not, why are prominent American politicians like John Edwards, Barack Obama, and John McCain now using blogs? In fact, why do some of them turn over blog space on their sites to complete strangers?

FROM EMMANUEL IN OGUN STATE,IN NIGERIA

BLOGGERS ARE VOICING OUT THEIR OPINION THEY SHOULD NOT BE PERSECUTED.

SAROJKUMAR from Chennai, India:

The apprehending of a blogger for sedition in Egypt shows how world governments want to muzzle the freedom of people who wants to air their opinion against the erring government. Blogging should be brought under the United Nations Human Rights Convention to protect the interests of scrupulous bloggers.

Martin from Delaware, US:

I have learned that marriage is a formality that should only follow true friendship and companionship. I haven't experienced much of either save for gross meddling from in-laws and I'm seriously looking to end it. Formal marriage, especially in Kenya where I grew up, is overrated.

Bryce from Oregon:

I don’t agree that people should be of a certain age to get married, but maybe people should be in a relationship for a while before they can get married.

Malcom from Ruston:

I would like to ask what is marriage? Why does the marriage between two people have to exist as a contractual document. True marriage should be a special bond between two people, not a legal issue with your government. If you do believe in a religion, then the marriage should be between you, your spouse, and your God...not the state.

Jeff from Cleveland, USA

I wonder why it's difficult for people to just say that marriage can be wonderful under certain circumstances, but it can also be harmful under others.

Suzy writes:

as a Christian I didn't want to get married because I feel that the state has made a mockery of marriage. I wish that Church and state were separated.

JULIAN, in our Paris bureau, from the internet freedom desk at reporters without borders, says that now that bloggers are being imprisoned people need to start stepping up and being counted to stop things like this happening again.

Lubna,Iraq.

Hi Boston,bloggers can sometimes reveal truth,but in many times they can damage and harm everything thats sacred,in iraq,bloggers have no much effect

arafat kampala uganda

World have your say,my comment is,'marriage is vital in preserving values such as respect,integrity,commitment and many more in the society'

Brendon says that global voices online is a great source for bloggers. Click to find out more.

Sand monkey says the Egyptian government doesn't care what the rest of the international community thinks, it will continue arresting and jailing bloggers whatever anyone says.

But Julian disagrees saying that of course they listen to the outside world and things will change.

But Sand Monkey doubts that very much.

See you tomorrow