This paper comments on the epochal change in the self-representation of tribal groups through Internet discussion boards and other sources. Over the last decade, with the spread of Internet access even among rural communities, a growing number of indigenous testimonies and perspectives on the social history of tribes have been published offering a new form of narrative and interpretation. Using self-censored discussion forums and bulletin boards, tribal members conceptualize identities across political and hierarchical boundaries. They provide a refreshing catalyst for the bi-polar debate between oral and written (documented) history over questions of descent, identity, cohesion, or inter-tribal relations. Though anthropologists have usually relied on participant observation of native practices, rituals or social dynamics, it is surprising to note the current neglect of considering tribal outreach forums a valuable methodological source. While the use of new media technologies and its impact on societies has been acknowledged by scholars (Eickelman, Kraidy), the same cannot be found for Internet-based sources. However, the IT-revolution has brought a rapid transformation of values and customs as well as the public discourse about them. Obviously, working with online texts raises a number of questions; some of them will be addressed in this paper, such as the origin of the writer, the targeted audience, the reliability of the sources, the issue of networking, or the impact on the community, both virtual and real. This paper analyses the content of two forums of largely Arabian tribes with primary focus on the Anazah tribe and secondary, comparative focus on the Shammar. It is argued that those forums create unpredictable outcomes regarding the position of tribes in the national context, while providing a medium of exchanging contrasting views undermining the state's monopoly on information. The paper concludes with further remarks on the dichotomy between online publishing and hard copy prints of tribal history.