12.4.07

Mayday!

Even though it's April and all, this is still highly distressing to me...my precious university has installed itself a new filtering system which means that I can't access my blogroll, or view this blog despite the fact that I can see comments in my gmail inbox. I'm sorry to be putting the same content up on both my blogs, but I think some part of the world outside needs to know what's being done here. And even the gmail, I don't know how much longer it'll work if the filters aren't removed- the girl sitting on the computer next to mine has just found that she can't open her inbox because the "weighted phrase limit exceeded" bit says "banned phrase found" instead. And among the blocked sites are not only my friends' blogs and all my fashion blogs, but also assorted wikipedia articles on Internet censorship, assorted UN sites, images of any artwork featuring nudity- that includes Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, by the way, and certain search strings in Google have been blocked altogether.
Here's one of the messages I got:
___________________________________
Access to the page:

http://stylebubble.typepad.com

... has been denied for the following reason:

Weighted phrase limit exceeded.



You are seeing this error because what you attempted to access appears to contain, or is labeled as containing, material that has been deemed inappropriate.

If you have any queries contact your ICT Co-ordinator or Network Manager.



Powered by DansGuardian
_____________________________________________________________

Replace that url with any of the ones in the links list, you'll have what's been happening over the last few hours. And the bolded bits are by me.
I've just discovered I can respond to comments, at least for now, if I take the long route through the Blogger dashboard. I've also just discovered that I can, from the dashboard, view every individual post that has ever been put on this blog- comments and all. SO WHY ON EARTH CAN'T I SEE MY BLOG- ALL OF IT, I MEAN? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WARPED BUNCH OF IDIOTS WHO DID THIS TO US?

5 comments:

Yohan said...

Yipes! I suggest using an rss reader. And for going to "banned" websites, try http://hidemyass.com

At least you still have 24 hour internet. In IIT Bombay they recently started shutting down the net from 11pm to noon. Shocking.

They should quit with the censorship; there are always ways around it, and people who want porn are going to get it anyway, by hook or by crook!

Blue Floppy Hat said...

We don't have 24 hour access to the Net, they're wiring the hostels only now but you know my views on the subject.
Among other things that I can't see thanks to the block: The Guardian website, the New York Times, and assorted art and literary criticism sites. I honestly don't know how to say it, but here it is: I'm furious. And disgusted. And hidemyass isn't working.

Perakath said...

Oh here's the hidemyass thing. Yanand Jon seems to come to this blog before the other one!

I don't know what I'd do in your situation. Pee on the Dean's room door in the middle of the night, most probably!

Well, at least we don't live in China...

Blue Floppy Hat said...

Wasn't it Thoma and Athar who once set fire to the Dean's door one Feb three years ago? Unfortunately, moves like that here would just lead to all of us being locked into our rooms at night..

Perakath said...

Set fire?? Peed I thought... but then something tells me pee is combustible.. now wouldn't that be a great way to solve the flammable/inflammable conundrum? Outlaw them both and use only combustible... boy I'm a genius...

About Me

My photo
Fondest of upbeat music and brightly coloured sweets.