Freedom Of Blogging

Censorship, or limiting access to certain specific data is a big drawback for democracy. It limits freedom of speech, thought, expression, the basic fundas of democracy.

We say india is a democratic country. Why? There is censorship in almost all movies, in addition to rating given by the censor board.

Well forget that. But why is my blog not opening up since yesterday. I had to do some blogging but since my blog was not opening up, i thought, it might be down. But that is not the case...

Take a look at the traceroute below (for techies):

C:\Documents and Settings\Admin>tracert jayant7k.blogspot.com

Tracing route to blogspot.blogger.com [66.102.15.101]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 314 ms 298 ms 300 ms 97.239.1.15
2 298 ms 320 ms 299 ms 97.239.2.1
3 297 ms 320 ms 499 ms 202.138.101.57
4 517 ms 540 ms 519 ms 220.224.184.178
5 517 ms 540 ms 519 ms 62.216.145.221
6 557 ms 539 ms 559 ms eqixva-google-gige.google.com [206.223.115.21]
7 638 ms 639 ms 640 ms 216.239.47.120
8 539 ms 539 ms 540 ms 72.14.238.235
9 718 ms 740 ms 719 ms 66.249.94.233
10 717 ms 720 ms 719 ms 66.249.95.246
11 717 ms 719 ms 719 ms 216.239.46.44
12 637 ms 619 ms 619 ms 72.14.236.9
13 617 ms 639 ms 620 ms 72.14.233.121
14 639 ms 619 ms 659 ms 216.239.49.78
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 * * * Request timed out.
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 * * * Request timed out.
20 * * * Request timed out.
21 * * * Request timed out.
22 * * * Request timed out.
23 * * * Request timed out.
24 * * * Request timed out.
25 * * * Request timed out.
26 * * * Request timed out.
27 * * * Request timed out.
28 * * * Request timed out.
29 * * * Request timed out.
30 * * * Request timed out.

Trace complete.

After 14 hops, suddenly the request for data times out.

Well take a look at this... http://www.withinandwithout.com/?p=854. The GREAT indian government has decided to do censorship on internet also. Blocking freedom of blogging. This is very bad. The government says that terrorists are using blogs to communicate. Well agreed. But then there is google earth.

If you dont have any idea about what it is, you can do a search on google and download and take a look at it. Using google earth, you can zoom in on any place around the world be it "the white house" or "The parliament". You will be having the map of that place in front of you, no matter where you are.

If you have good internet connectivity on moon, maybe you can plan a terrorist mission from there using google earth. What will the government do then, decide to ban "google earth". Say that from now onwards, there would be no maps made for delhi.

It was just an example, of what technology can provide. Using it depends on who uses it. Just like an atom bomb. It can be used both for construction and destruction. Dynamites and explosives can be used for breaking rocks and making roads or for killing innocent people. With advanced technology, nothing would be impossible.

What i would say is that instead of blocking access to data, the government should focus on strengthening its own infrastructure. Look at the amount of corruption that is there in india. The cost of a traffic cop in DELHI/NCR is only around 100/- for whatever was done or not done. The feeling of doing something good for the nation has to be there, not only in the traffic cops but in the ministers and all IAS/IPS officers.

People in india want to become MPS, IAS, IPS because there is lots of under table money in these lines.

Sometimes, i just try to imagine how can this country run? But it is still running. Though a single earthquake, single famine or a single terrorist attack can bring it to a standstill any day.

Well, for example, we had a heavy downpour in delhi today, and believe me, more than half of delhi was immobile due to it. Why cant the government do something about it?

Well, anyways lets hope this does not go on for long and we can access our precious blogs soon.

To bypass the block, you can use www.pkblogs.com. And read whatever blogs that were blocked. The news is that blogspot, Typepad and geocities have been affected due to the ban. You can post blogs but cannot view your blog.

And almost all ISPs have dirtied their hands in this game. Have a look at http://censorship.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_ISPs_that_seem_to_have_blocked_blogger

Keep blogging........
Let the world know where we stand......