Comments on: Blogspot Banned…What’s Next?

By: Conversations with Dina

Conversations with Dina — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 06:02:55 +0000

Blogs Banned in India - My Reflections on Censorship…

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By: To Each Its Own » Archives » Truth Behind Princess Kimberley

To Each Its Own » Archives » Truth Behind Princess Kimberley — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 09:37:45 +0000

[...] Apparently one of the blocked blogs, princesskimberley.blogspot.com was reported as princesskimberley.com. I just don’t get this; I mean how hard is it to copy information off blogs who have covered the story (in a much better fashion) and print it - obviously mentioning the source/sources of their details. Ace blogger Patrix informs us that our DoT and our government have all the justified reasons to block out Princess Kimberley as she could be a bad influence on many of our young women bloggers and blog readers. A look at the concerned blog, it is in fact a two-year-old abandoned blog by some Kimi who happens to be depressed about her life and has just two posts. It would be great if DoT could just give us a few pointers as to why they found Ms. Kimberley so offensive and a threat on the lines of national security - 1. Was it because she wrote only two posts (a good example of a bad blogger) 2. Was it the minute details of her depressed life that could possibly translate her as a suicide bomber Or 3. They just don’t like the name Kimberley and would have spared her if she was named Sonia, Priyanka, Rabridevi and the likes. [...]

By: A Dangerous Precedent at Nerve Endings Firing Away

A Dangerous Precedent at Nerve Endings Firing Away — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 04:33:21 +0000

[...] I am sure the majority of bloggers would accept that solution and go back to their normal blogging life. But thankfully, few blogger voices like Neha, Amit, Dilip [initially via email], and Confused have gone beyond the current scenario and examined the larger picture of censorship. As I mentioned yesterday, the act of censorship is as futile as it is self-defeating but it ends up setting a dangerous precedent that any speech - online or otherwise - if found unpopular can be stifled. It sets in motion a series of events that know no end as the parameters of censorship are widened each time to satisfy every section of the society. [...]

By: Why The Blogspot Ban is Wrong at Retributions

Why The Blogspot Ban is Wrong at Retributions — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 02:45:28 +0000

[...] I am glad that so many bloggers have taken up this cause(see Amit here, Patrix here), but we must not stop at winning this limited battle. The larger war to be won is that of freedom of speech and no grounds should be conceded in that matter. The war would be long and hard but the prize is too important to even contemplate defeat. [...]

By: Sakshi

Sakshi — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 13:54:04 +0000

“princesskimberley.com which I checked and doesn’t exist.”

Shit Yaar….I thought I would make her join my feminist blogging gang. ;)

Another thing I noticed among the MSM is the confusion with regards to the ‘number’ of so called black listed sites. Some are saying…12, some 18 and some I think have messed it with the number 22, which was actually the number of pages sent as notice to ISPs across the country.

Do you have any clue about this?

By: Madhavan

Madhavan — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 13:43:40 +0000

I can’t access the sites.

A lawyer friend advises that a letter should be sent to the Chief Justice of India, complaining that the government is denying the fundamental right of freedom of expression under Article 19(a) of the constitution (excerpted below). A letter will be treated as a writ petition. I suggest a blogger campaign to write such letters to the CJI (and to the President). Note that the in case of any restrictions on this right, the onus os on the government to prove that they need to impose the restriction on grounds of national security, public order etc.

Excerpt from the Constitution, with the proviso:

“19. Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc.—(1) All citizens shall have the right—
(a) to freedom of speech and expression;….
(2) Nothing in sub-clause (a) of clause (1) shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.”

By: ada-paavi

ada-paavi — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 08:45:29 +0000

NASSCOMM has commissioned a report on the loss of productivity due to blogging and chatting from the workplace and has found the loss to be pegged at close to 50%. Therefore in order to avoid a bad name for IT companies, NASSCOMM has pushed a suitcase and has gotten Maran to do the dirty work for them.

patrix tht is doing the rouds as one of the many reasons for the ban

By: Letters from China

Letters from China — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 08:40:30 +0000

What Can India Learn From China?…

If You Can’t Beat Blogs, Block Them Global Voice reports the blockage of Blogspot/TypePad-hosted blogs in India. The official response is Somebody must have blocked some sites. What is your problem? Mdeii wholeheartedly supports the Indian nanny:I who…

By: ada-paavi

ada-paavi — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 07:27:55 +0000

techonogies, even podcating mite be banned :D

By: ada-paavi

ada-paavi — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 07:27:06 +0000

ooh another thing ive heard is tht the government is scared of Web 2.0 technology and its westernising the indians, next to be banne will be you tube etc and other such technonolies :D

By: ada-paavi

ada-paavi — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 05:36:50 +0000

patrix its a big conpiracy between WP and Maran to promote WP in india. if blogspot is blocked most would switch to WP increasing its popularity!! tht is why blogger is blocked in india

By: Patrix

Patrix — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 03:44:08 +0000

Bongo, we just might end up banning the Internet, our current lifestyle and presto! the terrorists have won.

Suyog, you may be right but according to MSM articles, they have banned “religious hatred” sites which I believe are as good as stifling free speech. If they think that a simple website with hate-filled messages are enough to destablize the peace of India, then I don’t have much confidence in our law and order machinery.

Anyway, you are right. The ISPs have taken the easy way out and banned the entire domain and now they have to face the wrath.

Confused, I thought you were all about free exchange of ideas even if you didn’t agree with them; banning anything would be antithetical to your philosophy :)

Shivam, I would love to sit down with the govt.official who issued the order to ban just one blog - Blogspot. Fun will come. Try and drill that into his head when you call Dr. Rai again. Good work on this issue though!

By: Shivam Vij

Shivam Vij — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 03:33:20 +0000

How, in WHAT words, does one EXPLAIN them, that not select websites but hundreds of thousands of them are inaccessible.

By: The Acorn » Dolts with sledgehammers

The Acorn » Dolts with sledgehammers — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 03:22:29 +0000

[...] It stands proven, once again, that stupidity is incredibly hard to insure against. Home | Permalink | [...]

By: DesiPundit » Archives » Blogspot.com Blocked In India By Some ISPs

DesiPundit » Archives » Blogspot.com Blocked In India By Some ISPs — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 03:06:17 +0000

[...] After the Blogspot ban, what’s next in the ‘to ban’ list to “save” us from terror? [...]

By: confused

confused — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 01:57:45 +0000

Most humbly this atheist submits, banning religion will surely help. :)

Rest I agree with, what a stupid idea!

By: Suyog

Suyog — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 23:50:22 +0000

I dont think they are doing it to curtail free speech as well - I think they are just dumb.

What I dont understand is, why can’t the govt just issue a directive to Google / Yahoo / etc and tell them to get rid of those blogs - given that they seem to know which ones to block.

And I think the ISPs just wanting to be safe have banned entire domains instead of just some sites which should have been banned. In either case… its amusement :D

By: BongoPondit

BongoPondit — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 20:46:10 +0000

…cell-phones, snail-mail, heck lets ban languages so that the terrorist cannot tell each other what to do.

Btw, I may be wrong, but I don’t think the Indian govt is doing this in a concerted effort to stifle freedom of speech. I doubt if they are that savvy.