May be the Mumbai blasts triggered it.. But, India has now joined the select (!!!!) club of countries blocking blogs. I have not been able to access my blog for the past 24 hours.
Initially I was thought it was my machine problem.. My ISP problem and stuff, But when the problem persisted.. I started doubting and then I read this, which confirmed my nagging fears.
India has ordered ISPs to block several blog sites including blogspot, Typepad and Geocities. When I last checked wordpress and MSN Spaces were still working and it is probably just a matter of time before they get blocked too.
I am not sure what Indian Government is trying to achieve by this, but I sure do hope saner elements prevail and lift this ban.
It will be interesting to see the reaction of main stream media.. Will they rejoice or protest?
Meanwhile, this link might help you by passing the ban..
Update #1
Karthik S: I saw your comment because it came to my mail, otherwise, I have no way of viewing my blog or the comments.
Karthik, the fact of the matter is our blogs have been blocked with no responsible statement coming from anyone. If India wanted to block certain blogs then certainly this is not the way to do it.
Karthik, I don't know where you live but, you sure seem to have access to blogspot.. but I can't read your post and hence comment as I don't have access to your blog.
Ram, please let us not jump the gun. Mutiny.in says Govt. Instructed the ISPs to control access to certain blogs. I urge restraint on Indian bloggers part before we cry censorship and china comparisons.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts here
http://mufasasden.blogspot.com/2006/07/pissed-at-indian-bloggers.html
If u can post and not view it, then may be they are allowing the terrorists to send out information but not receive it :-0).
ReplyDeleteNow Ram, tell me if you start www.ramvishwanath.com and start ur blogging will the govt. block it ?
Don't u see a difference between censorship and blocking of websites to track terrorists ?
Can u print ur views in leaflets and distribute it in India ? Can u write ur views to newspapers ? Are ur letters being opened and read in post offices.
Censorship is too strong a word here IMO.
Here's a news article from ToI
ReplyDelete"http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1773589.cms?headline=No~way~you~can~block~blogs!"
Quoting relevant portions of it..
"
By Tuesday, it became clear that the government had in fact asked for all of Blogspot to be blocked. As things turned out, it was an obscure blog on the Blogspot network that government was targeting as part of its regular drive at censoring unpleasant voices.
Internet Service Providers who received the directive, though, simply banned the entire network. Fortunately, technology can circumvent censorship....."
Karthik
ReplyDeleteIf India is serious about catching the bad guys.. this is certainly not the way to do it.. Do you seriously believe that by blocking few sites.. India can clip the wings of the 'bad' guys? These guys will just find another way to do their stuff..
Let me quote Kiran Karnik on this issue.. NASSCOM President Kiran Karnik, told PTI that the Centre's decision to block out some blogsites was "neither desirable not feasible."
What is even more annoying is the fact that no responsisble Govt. official has come forward to set the record straight..
The point is we really do not know what happened. On the outside all the bloggers from India are unable to access blogger.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the directive from the Govt ? How did the ISPs implement it ? etc are big unknowns.
To call it curtailing of freedom of speech is an extreme. Curtailing freedom of speech is when a selective population is muzzled. Here everyone in India cannot access blogger.com. You just happened to use it and feel the effect.
Even Kiran Karnik says that the center wanted to block out (not ban) certain blog sites.... Which tells me that the center never wanted to ban entire blogger.com.
Why is no one even acknowledging the fact that the ISPs could have over reacted ?
When have the communicated anything properly that u expect them to do so now. Especially to crowd that doesn't number more than 5000 at the most.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of friends who work in India, none of them have even heard of blogger.com.