operadvorakblogdw8.png (PNG Image, 1024×744 pixels) — I first got wind of the site being blocked by one of our favorite readers and now it’s been confirmed by two sources. Although there is a feedback system I am told once you are blocked you may never get online again. Here is the comments from a Twit listener in the UAE who captured the screen shot linked above.
The entity that decides which sites get blocked is a government agency called the TRA (Telecom Regulatory Authority) and these blocks are implemented by the former monopoly Telco/ISP called Etisalat and you can go here (http://feedback.ecompany.ae/) to submit your reasons why any blocked site shouldn’t be blocked, but you’ll need a local Etisalat account. However that hardly works and takes a long, long time to get sites unblocked unless you get a huge media response in local papers like 7days.ae or Gulf-News.com.
It’s going to get even worse in this so called modern country, even though all VoIP traffic (Skype, Yahoo!, MSN, PC-PC or PC-Phone) was blocked anyway, but now all VoIP and Internet traffic will be censored from next year, through out the country; currently some zones in the country like Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, and Emaar properties don’t have any censors in place as they’re managed by the new Telco ‘Du’. However now the TRA decided all Internet traffic will be going through a filtering proxy server to avoid giving Etisalat an edge.
Hey remember! the motto of Dubai is “The City that Cares”.
Muzammil
United Arab Emirates
So apparently everyone has to kow-tow to some unknown standard or be blocked. This is the future of the Internet. I wonder exactly how much information actually gets into these Middle East countries if they block tame blogs such as Dvorak Uncensored. Much of our coverage is about technology. We have never had nudity on our site and no porn. Language is moderated. We are only critical of things that are generally stupid, incompetent or bigoted. Apparently that is some sort of violation of cultural values in the UAE.
Link:
Etisalat Homepage
I’m worried now. I’ve got a website about cats.
Congratulations, John! Not many sites get that kind of recognition from what I hear.
hi,
i used to live there for awhile, and i know the system a little bit.. i think the problem is a stupid one. coz i think they use some programs with some filter words like “porn, nudity…etc” and maybe.. i say maybe in ur case the word “Uncensored” which could be used in many in-decent medias.
but dont worry.. i think if some people did complain about it then they will un-block it coz i know of sites getting blocked by mistake.. sometimes google got blocked for a couple of mins.. i relate these to software problems of glitches.
i will try to ask my friends there to submit a feedback for u. i cant as i am in UK now :S
hopefully it iwll be solved.
keep up the good work. i am starting to follow twit and ur blog too 😀
Well, if the site is going to be blocked anyway, why not some nudity and porn, eh?
Among other activities, I run a small foundation called the International Organ Foundation, “dedicated to the conservation and promotion of the pipe organ in all its forms.” Its main activity is an online database of pipe organs world wide (www.intorg.org, if anyone’s interested).
As well as receiving occasional e-mails asking for help in procuring hearts, livers, etc, for transplants, I have been told that my site has been blacklisted by various anti-porn filters. Presumably it’s also blocked in China, the UAE and elsewhere…
Guys i live in Dubai an dthe problem is that there is only one ISP which handles all the mobil phones and home phones aswell. There is no one person who picks sites to block, the ISP uses a program that does it (dont know how) i remmber asking someone who works there a few years back.
Chances are they no one even saw this site. Oh yes i can access this site because i use Du’s ISP which will launch offically within the next 2 months.
Big fan of Dvorak, twit and Cranky Geeks.
Depleted Uranium has an ISP?
The cap is definitely a keeper. When you can’t offend someone’s religion, politics, values and culture, it never hurts to at least LOOK like you do.
Could be posted under the section for fake diplomas.
Is there some real reason that a sat service like Hughsnet can’t get around this kind of local censor?
Q-Tel is owned by the government and is a monopoly. Its owns the ISP, cell phone and POTS trade in Qatar.
If the uplink and downlink are through satellite (I say that becuase it use to be satellite downlink and modem uplink) then the local govt is powerless to stop it. That is not to say that they can’t declare it illegal. They would just have a hard time stopping it.
Short reason: Too many atheist at dvorak.org
I’m sure you can bypass this filter with TOR.
You also recently started being blocked by my work. 🙁
You also recently started being blocked by my work’s IT dept. 🙁
Just a hunch?? It may be some of the so so pictures that get posted with the articles? I realize they aren’t porn, but………………………some including the vailed slinky wearing arab girl last week are is probably to much for them? ????
Why should John edit his postings and comments to please conservative Muslims? What’s next, Hassidic Jews and fundamentalist Christians? When you start down that road you might as well close up shop.
If you want to help out in the fight against indiscriminate censorship, check out Amensty internationals fight against censorship which basically, gives you a banner which shows information from sites which are censored by governments, do the world a favor and sign the pledge and put this on your blog/website.
The site is http://irrepressible.info/
So, as I see it, Dvorak Uncensored is for UAE, as Janet Jackson’s nipple is for me; Really, really bad.
Heck, now I don’t know who’s censorship makes me most sad…..
Well, since this blog is banned, I might as well post this link from Boing Boing on the illegal land seizures the royalty do in Bharain.
Link to PDF closeups of Bahrain’s palaces
Strange to see how cruel and racist the Arabs are to their own kind when filthy rich. Hopefully the middle-class is growing in numbers.
Why’d it take so long? They just get the Internet or something?
send ’em this program to get around the censor
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6187486.stm
Congratulations, John! You are my hero.
I don’t think your site could really claim no nudity or porn ever, though definitely not hardcore.
AB CD — we, in fact, have NO NUDITY, and NO PORN even softcore.
I think my comments about feeding bacon to the muslims came through 😉
The article heading could also be titled: “Who gives a…”
this is about as newsworthy as… the winner of the latest international snail race…
Congratulations!
It’s modern equivalent of being on the Nixon enemies list. I’m jealous. If you.
Higghawker, I think you’ve got it. I remember that pic. Loved it.
John you site is also blocked at Lee Sandwich Shop at Chandler Az. Everytime I navigate to your site, the system logs me ~ 2 sec later.
http://leessandwiches.com/stores/default.cfm
It’s not just the UAE, it’s also inside the USA.
UAE Web directory
Good one Richard..I just added the blog
#23, “AB CD — we, in fact, have NO NUDITY, and NO PORN even softcore.”.
YES YOU DO, by AB CD’s standards at least! I mean, you do have pictures of women with their faces uncovered, don’t you???
😉