Iran's Solution To The YouTube Question: Just Block It

from the much-easier dept

Tue, Dec 5th 2006 6:53pm — Mike Masnick

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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13 Comments

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dorpus, 5 Dec 2006 @ 7:07pm

What if the internet worsens relations?
Asian countries have seen relations worsen since the introduction of the internet, as it has given rise to subcultures of professional skinheads who amass anti-__(country)__ information. Where mainstream media used to shun such material, ultra-racist comic books and detailed personal information about ethnic minorities are now spread online and used in vigilante attacks. Korean nationalists have attacked white English teachers in Korea by tracking down their personal information, Japanese fascists trade tips on how to heckle news reporters and do bad things to their houses, Russia now has KKK rallies burning crosses.

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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dorpus, 5 Dec 2006 @ 7:13pm

What if the internet worsens relations?
Asian countries have seen relations worsen since the introduction of the internet, as it has given rise to subcultures of professional skinheads who amass anti-__(country)__ information. Where mainstream media used to shun such material, ultra-racist comic books and detailed personal information about ethnic minorities are now spread online and used in vigilante attacks. Korean nationalists have attacked white English teachers in Korea by tracking down their personal information, Japanese fascists trade tips on how to heckle news reporters and do bad things to their houses, Russia now has KKK rallies burning crosses.

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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Lucas, 5 Dec 2006 @ 7:43pm

Blocking sites doesn't work.
As has been often pointed out on Techdirt: blocking sites to keep users from offensive content 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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Robert Louviere, 5 Dec 2006 @ 8:31pm

Re: What if the internet worsens relations?
I believe that free communications does not create subcultures in society that engage in actions of hate. Rather they just make them more apparent.
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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Anonymous Coward, 5 Dec 2006 @ 9:02pm

Broad solution for the middle east
Drop a bunch of nukes on all those sand flea infested countries. Send Budwieser over to make use of all the new glass from said explosion. Budwieser makes bottles for me to enjoy my beer.
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dorpus, 5 Dec 2006 @ 9:14pm

Re: Re: What if the internet worsens relations?
I believe that free communications does not create subcultures in society that engage in actions of hate. Rather they just make them more apparent.
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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Anonymous Coward, 5 Dec 2006 @ 9:18pm

Beer
Mmm Radioactive Beer.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Dec 2006 @ 10:46pm

Re: Re: Re: What if the internet worsens relations
I agree with you Dorpus.

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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benji, 6 Dec 2006 @ 12:55am

Internet good or bad???? hm....
well personally the internet is supposed to be for everyone of the worlds peoples to become connected...and i guess that it is anybodies right to harrass and make fun of any culture or religion out there...i dont belive that there is a set GOLDEN RULES OF INTERNET USAGE out there...so yea...if Iran wants to block it..that greeate...like the article said...everybody can just move to another site....but then what....Iran decideds to ban all internet usage whatsover...thus the public become complety unaware of the outside world..i think that they need the internet to expierence the world...cuz they sure as hell can travel around the world

...but yea...i just tottaly got lost in what i was saying....ahh man...

*brain fart*

ben
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pudro, 6 Dec 2006 @ 2:36am

Re: Broad solution for the middle east
Please, go right ahead and drink all the radioactive beer you can.
Trust me: you can't do this fast enough for me.
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Aaron, 6 Dec 2006 @ 7:31am

Budweiser? Why let only nasty beer benefit. Send Shiner over there to harvest bottles.

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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|333173|3|_||3, 6 Dec 2006 @ 7:58pm

So what if they block youtube, there are always free proxy servers out there, they can't block them all.
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nupur mathur, 27 Feb 2007 @ 2:22am

Re: Re: What if the internet worsens relations?
9/11 and the war on iraq was a sham dumbass. Extremist islamic terrorists?! hello! wake up! most of what you see and hear is fabricated and bush's stupid 'war on terror' was just a way to fabricate terror so that he can make more MONEY over weapons to fight a FAKE war on terror!!!

but i agree with you on information not creating hate and the internet does not create terrorists.
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