it seems indian government has asked internet service providers (isps) to block certain websites, including blogspot and some other blog providers. the world's largest democracy should hang its head in shame. let’s hope this does not spread south of palk strait
it is possible that this is a temporary operation limited to certain parts of india.
some indian bloggers have organized a bloggers against censorship collective with a google group and a wiki to 'collate information and influence opinion'. wiki has a list of isps that seem to have blocked sites and a short list of methods that can be used to access blocked sites.
we in sri lanka may learn a thing or two from their experience if same thing happens here in the future
--
update:
wiki moved so changed the links.
see here for an actively updated sequence of events relating to the blocking.
it is possible that this is a temporary operation limited to certain parts of india.
some indian bloggers have organized a bloggers against censorship collective with a google group and a wiki to 'collate information and influence opinion'. wiki has a list of isps that seem to have blocked sites and a short list of methods that can be used to access blocked sites.
we in sri lanka may learn a thing or two from their experience if same thing happens here in the future
--
update:
wiki moved so changed the links.
see here for an actively updated sequence of events relating to the blocking.
12 comments:
Is this for REAL? Omg I thought that the Indian govt's dumbest act was that reservation issue based on castes...now this? Shame indeed!
I hope the Indian bloggers will get together and do something to stop this dumb decision from going forward.
Keshi.
Wonderful. Now Mahinda can point to the Indian example and do the same here.
I want to get the fuck out of South Asia.
I'm sure GoSL is delighted to hear of this. Another thing to ban, at least if they know what blogs are. But like you said, observing the situation in India would be good for us in case a similar issue comes up here.
This is the new hype in the world these days. Technology is so advanced and every common person using it – governments feel like they are out numbered. They want to get in to the game and do thing or two. Just to show us they have power and they know the ‘Cutting age Stuff’.
Bush starts wiretapping in US – Similar thing. Those things do not mean anything in the long run. It is just to show us governments have power over technology too. But No government can invent the technology. (Don’t misunderstand – have to have technology in the country first of all – Sri Lanka is not one of those countries – but India is deferent)
Just remember how many millions government have to spend on encrypting single message 100 years back. Now majority of the P2P network encrypted. I can easily create encrypted Telephony over the Internet. I can easily user a proxy and by pass any domain blocking.
Technology is all about go beyond boundaries and limitation. India already depends on technology. But Sri Lanka.. Well. We have fertilizer subsidiary. Don’t worry.
keshi:
hayy :-)
yes it is quite unbelievably stupid.
when i heard of it i did not believe it first. but it is real.
it is stupid bc anyone against whom this is aimed at( if there is anyone like that ) will know how to get around the blocking easily. it is the ordinary innocent ppl who will really get affected .
it is shameful bc one expects better from india ( it is after all not china)
hope they will realize the stupidity and shame and remove it soon.
anon 7/18/2006 11:01 am
don't be too hasty .
there is no such thing here now and try not to run from problems. :-)
sach:
I'm sure GoSL is delighted to hear of this. Another thing to ban, at least if they know what blogs are.
that sentence shows your prejudices too. :-)
don't be too hasty to judge.
yes we can learn from how this play out.
sam:
Technology is all about go beyond boundaries and limitation
right you are . :-)
btw do not underestimate sl compared to india.
Sittingnut ur right..and one more reason why they did it so bluntly...cos those who banned it and took away the right from the usual blogger dunno what blogging really is!
Keshi.
keshi
yes :-)
If i had a chair in the government, i would use blogs to get a feel for what the people are thiking (ranging from local political issues to foreign policy)and act accordingly,or communicate the reason why they may be wrong etc....
How unfortunate that the government feels threatened by something which could be made use of?
India is probably a very loud democrasy...
Singapore, not a dictatorship - a democrasy in a different way...
US - technical democrasy
SL - terrorists/murders choose the all powerful executive.
manisha
i do not think sl blogs are quite representative of sl opinion. but as opinions they are worth listening to and as you say can be made use of.
btw do you prefer singapore kind of democracy ?
Irrepressible.info
Irrepressible Adj. 1) Impossible to repress or control.
Sri Lanka is lucky to have internet freedom. There are some countries that do not have this luxury. Support people in these countries and Sign Amnesty International's petition for Internet freedom here:
http://irrepressible.info/
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
Voltaire
Undermine censorship by publishing irrepressible fragments of censored material on your own site. The more people take part, the more we can defeat unwarranted censorship and create an unstoppable network of protest.
http://irrepressible.info/addcontent
And let's try to demand from the Srilankan government to find people who kill journalists and destroy TV stations, even if they are buddhists from the south.
vishwamukti
why are you leaving comments on my old posts (dozens) today? got unhinged due to terrorists' defeats?
anyway i deal with events as they occur in their own posts and comments . you better comment on relevant posts.
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