India Bans Blogs!?!?
Major News. I just learned that India has blocked all major blog websites like blogspot, typepad and geocities.
Ok give me 2 minutes to shake with anger.
Are they freakin' crazy? How will my mom read my blog now? She was a loyal reader dude.
OK this is clearly a bigger issue.
"The government ordered a blackout of around 18 sites for publishing content that was ‘anti-national’ and ‘against public interest'. Blogging, particularly on fanatic and religious websites, had surged soon after the Mumbai bomb blasts on July 11. Over 25% of India’s 38 million internet users are active bloggers."
Screwed.
All the following have been blacklisted
• hinduunity.org
• hinduhumanrights.org
• princesskimberley.com
• bloodspot.com
• dalitstan.org
• clickatell.com
• blogspot.com
• geocities.com
• typepad.com
Some of these sound plain scary but blogspot? The words "why me??" scream from my brain. Bloodspot yes. Blogspot? No!
The problem is that sites like blogspot and typepad have no mechanisms to filter content. Somebody fix this. All you IT people in India. This is clearly a job for SuperITman. (sorry I'm clearly very disturbed.)
The blogging community in India is fuming. This is so not cool. And so not fair. It's so much more than banning a web log.
Should I move from blogspot to another non-blacklisted site? Or will they end up blocking those too? Anyone have any ideas?
Bachaoooo! ("Help" in Hindi with a heap of angst thrown in.)
4 comments:
I feel a little interference from the Government on matters like this always helps a sensitive democracy.
Interesting, particulary the 2nd para: A piece from the Economic Times -
"However, among the apparently ‘anti-national’ sites blocked by this policy are those like the MumbaiHelp blogspot, which was a lifeline for people post the Tuesday blasts in Mumbai, giving information about critical numbers to contact and details about the dead and injured.
To compound the absurdity, it’s still possible to get onto this site — but only by logging on through www.pkblogs.com, a site set up by Pakistani bloggers to get around the blog ban that their government had put in place after the Danish cartoons episode. In short, thanks to this new policy, a blog to help the victims of a possibly Pakistan-inspired attack can only be accessed through a Pakistani site!"
Hey,
Here is a clarification to SAJA from A.R. Ghanashyam, Deputy Consul
General, New York (his earlier work as the consul in charge of dealing with the press here).
A.R.Ghanashyam dcg@indiacgny.org
Subject: Blog Issue in India
July 19, 2006
Dear Sree:
Reference our discussions and correspondence on the issue of blocking
of
blogs in India, we had taken up the matter with the authorities
concerned in
the Department of Telecommunications in the Government of India and the
facts are as under:
A two-page write up containing extremely derogatory references to Islam
and the
holy prophet which had the potential to inflame religious sensitivities
in
India and create serious law and order problems in the country appeared
in a
blog facilitated by well known search engines. The matter was
immediately taken
note of by our CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) and the
Department of
Telecommunications (DOT) was informed of it. The DOT took up the matter
forthwith with the search engines and instructions were also issued to
all
Internet providers to block the two impertinent pages. Because of a
technological error, the Internet providers went beyond what was
expected of
them which in turn resulted in the unfortunate blocking of all blogs.
Department of Telecommunications have now clarified the issue and the
error is
being rectified and it is expected that normalcy in respect of blogs
will soon
be restored.
This is for your information.
A.R. Ghanashyam
Deputy Consul General
New York
Nice idea with this site its better than most of the rubbish I come across.
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