Iran's Solution To The YouTube Question: Just Block It
from the much-easier dept
Rather than just worry about the content available on YouTube like some others, it appears that Iran has decided to just block the entire site outright. Of course, you have to wonder how effective such a block really is. After all, this is the same country where broadband service providers apparently have no worries about ignoring the government's ban on broadband (which would seem like it might make YouTube less than useful anyway). However, with hundreds of competing sites, and more popping up every day, it seems that the Iranians who want to view the next viral video, will just move on to some other site.
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What if the internet worsens relations?
Would Iran really benefit from freely exchanged imagery, or will it breed a new, even more fanatical anti-semitism, anti-everyone?
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=187f699ac9
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What if the internet worsens relations?
Would Iran really benefit from freely exchanged imagery, or will it breed a new, even more fanatical anti-semitism, anti-everyone?
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Re: What if the internet worsens relations?
The information available on the net that you gave examples of were widely known ideas and not some information barred from the public of another country only to be freed on the net.
These societies who are fueled by hatred (ie extremists islamic terrorists, etc.) don't get created or enhanced by information they find on the net. They only reveal their true nature as they were already LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE to hate group (X) even more.
Same thing as fighting a war against terror does not create more terrorists, but simply brings them out of hiding as they struggle to look more powerful than they already are. All those training camps existed long before 9/11, it's just that the info was not public until the war in iraq.
The extremists groups that are thriving on hate didn't just pop up this century as most passivists would like you to believe. They didn't get created in response to preemptive war. They've been around for years. They just happen to get successful a few times.
Don't be fooled, information does not create hate. Information gives hate a false justification to make itself known.
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Re: Re: What if the internet worsens relations?
The information available on the net that you gave examples of were widely known ideas and not some information barred from the public of another country only to be freed on the net.
I disagree completely. Anti-(X) information was suppressed by the media and education establishments of said countries, and the internet created a new culture of open hatred that did not exist before. Racist books and TV shows that had no chance of succeeding before the internet are now bestsellers, spread entirely by word of mouth -- despite the refusal of mainstream media to talk about them. Amazon.com participated in the censorship also; one week, a racist comic book was listed as the bestseller on amazon.jp, but then amazon deleted the information when political activists complained. (Amazon still sells the book and is thought to make a fortune from it.)
In Islamic countries, mainstream media suppresses information about terrorist groups, but it has served to enhance their mystique. The internet feeds the appetite of dienfranchised youth, who receive extremist encouragement from the net.
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Re: Re: Re: What if the internet worsens relations
Here is where I stir up controversy. I believe that the internet has played a part in making Iran a nightmare. I believe the bad guys (and no, I don't mean America) are bolsterd, empowered by the anti-America rhetoric that flows on most blog sights. Right or wrong, getting MORE people killed is not the way to go.
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Re: Re: What if the internet worsens relations?
but i agree with you on information not creating hate and the internet does not create terrorists.
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Blocking sites doesn't work.
There is certainly content out there that should be blocked (child pornography is always the obvious example) -- but attempting to block traffic this way is pointless. The cardinal rule here is: if anyone is really determined to do/say/see something, they will find a way to do/say/see it.
This will however, probably block a few people who are just too lazy too bother looking for content that's not on a site like YouTube.
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Broad solution for the middle east
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Re: Broad solution for the middle east
Trust me: you can't do this fast enough for me.
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Beer
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Internet good or bad???? hm....
...but yea...i just tottaly got lost in what i was saying....ahh man...
*brain fart*
ben
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For those of you who don't live in Texas, sorry, Shiner is the greatest gift God ever gave man, and it is only in Texas. Well worth the trip down though!
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