26 January 2009

Can't Hold Us Down

(following from my last post...)

The Ministry of Information has went from being a minor pain in the ass to just totally infuriatingly outrageous. Besides blocking politically affiliated sites, they've blocked proxy sites, translation services, art & culture websites, archives, and much more.

MINISTRY; HERE'S A SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR YOU. YOU CAN BLOCK A DOOR, YOU CAN BLOCK TWO, BUT YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO CENSOR THE INTERNET, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. THERE ARE A MILLION AND ONE WAYS TO GET AROUND YOUR BLOCKADES, AND YOU'LL NEVER KEEP UP WITH THEM. GET WITH THE PROGRAM.

Besides the numerous politically affiliated websites, proxy sites, as well as adult and gambling websites, there is a number of ridiculous bans we don't understand (Why?!?!?!?)

www.DeviantART.com (Art/Culture website)
www.Demonoid.com (Private torrent tracker)
www.askmen.com (Online Men's publication)
www.google.com/translate (Online translator)
www.allposters.com (posters site. WTF?)
www.4chan.org (imageboard service)


Want to read more about this? Here's a list of bloggers/newspaper articles dealing with the blockade.

English:
Yacoubs Dome
S as in Saudi
Silly Bahraini Girl
Gulf Daily News #1
Gulf Daily News #2
Another Day
Eyad
RedBelt
Al Singace
Ali Abdulemam

Arabic:
Suad
Marhoons
Ali7
Khalid Bahrain
Hayat

FaceBook Groups:
Article 19 of Decree Law 47!! :S
The website Ban in Bahrain is BULLSHIT
You may take our porn... But You will Never... Take... OUR FREEDOM!
The Ministry of Culture/Info Should Stop Blocking Websites

And i'm pretty sure there are a lot more out there. If you know any, add them in the comments below and i'll update the list. We won't stop till these stone-age minded big brother tactics are lifted.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

well you have forgotten me me me!!

Woozie said...

Blocking 4chan is really not surprising at all. Have you been there before?

Angelo Embuldeniya said...

Just a heads up that askmen.com is now accessible again, I guess the ban is them temporary? :) (hope so, don't quite get this blanket ban...)

Angelo Embuldeniya said...

And another heads up that the google translate site is back from it days behind the door :)

Anonymous said...

I think the intense barrage in the media and some good reporting/letters in GDN might have paid off. Bahrain's Deviantart community went on an offensive gathering 1000+ signatures on an online petition.

The website contains from amateur to world class art - also includes some of the most amazing pictures of Bahrain taken by Bahrainis, Expats and Tourists alike.

Today morning Deviantart is back online on the Batelco networks.

We were surprised in our absence, the ban report spread in DA as well garnering support for us.

Fingers are Still crossed though.

regards!

Anonymous said...

"You may take our porn... But You will Never... Take... OUR FREEDOM!"

The creator passed the torch to me xD

The Dude said...

Keep complaining Ammaro. Keep complaining... Stupid ministry scum, all they managed to do was make me start a blog. Out of hate.

Anonymous said...

sadly i can understand why they blocked some sites...i think its because people misused them

but why deviantART :(

Ahmed Rabea said...

Some would think that Saudi Arabia government is worst countrey in that term. I have tried the 6 (I wrote the number in letters, but then I thought you're site might be banned for that) websites in Saudi Arabia, they are all accessable, except the last one !!!! Intresting to me.

shezrulezz said...
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