On Monday Boing Boing reported that last Friday the nation of India enacted a ban on blogs. Specifically, the government ordered that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) block all websites affiliated with Blogspot/Blogger, Typepad and Geocities.That means BurningTaper.com and SacredFems.com as well as millions of other blogs can no longer be accessed from India. I guess India will just have to figure out how to survive without us until their government stops acting like they are China.
By Monday, most but not all of India's major ISPs were in compliance.
When asked why this had happened, Dr. Gulshan Rai, director of CERT-IN, the only body authorised to issue directives to ISPs, responded, "Somebody must have asked for some sites to be blocked. What is your problem?"
What would Gandhi do?
Our thanks to our friend GrouchoGandhi for the heads-up on this.
India | Censorship | Blogs | Bans | BurningTaper.com | Burning Taper | SacredFems.com | Sacred Fems
I wonder if this has something to do with the train bombings, maybe there are concerns about Islamic radicals communicating over the Internet. But if this is it, why Blogger and Typepad? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that the ban is an attempt to suppress free expression and the exchange of ideas deemed unacceptable by those in power. Blogs have put the power of the printing press into the hands of Everyman all over the world, or at least wherever there is unfettered access to the Internet. Ideas can be rapidly transmitted in a way never before imagined.
ReplyDelete— W.S.
Perhaps there is truth to both of the previous assertions...
ReplyDeleteDarren
I wouldn't mind if they blocked out mediamatters.
ReplyDelete