If he continues to refer to me as a dothead, Adrastos had better buy me this AWESOME t-shirt (via Sepia Mutiny):
I’m glad to be back on the Sepia Mutiny wagon, especially during the repercussions of the train bombs in Mumbai. Recently, I learned that Indian netizens can no longer access Blogger or TypePad-hosted blogs. Never mind that Blogger is the devil from a web-publication standpoint and should be banned on principle, this is outright censorship using terror as the excuse. Jai Patriot Act Hind?
More immediately, if the Indian government is afraid that “terrorists are using blogs to communicate,” get your intelligence to read the blog entries and comments, don’t ban them! You’ve just given the violent malcontents reason to find another, more clandestine, channel of communication.
(06/19/2006 21:42 – On further reflection, this seems to me a conflation of blogs and bulletin boards / discussion fora. If so, shame on India’s CIO for failing that internet quiz!)
Manish Vij presents an insightful analysis on Ultrabrown:
As the world“s back office, for India to blame overzealous techies would hardly be credible. It’s not yet clear which blogs the government was targeting, but banning all of Blogspot is nothing less than outright repression ” mimicking the tactics Pakistan used to shut down discussion of Danish cartoons critical of Islam … These repeated incidents are also a cautionary tale about the dangers of relying on Web apps centralized on a small handful of domains. What“ll you do when your government blocks Gmail?
Let’s fight tyranny, not turn to it, in the name of democracy and freedom, people. Additionally, the modern quest for technology branding and homogeneity may work against us in the long run, which makes a strong case for OpenSource publishing software hosted on personal servers. Power to the people!
On cue, the Indians become the Cowboys become the Terrists are the Merkins are the Cowboys turn into the Romulans who emulate the Cardassians and … whatever. It is time for us independents to unleash the Right Hand of Doom.
Who me? I’m as innocent as a hooker with a heart of gold, m’am. I’m more worried about the wham thing at this point. Also, Dr A is amazed that you’ve been silent about my calling you the Adrian Monk of the blogosphere.
For once, my mouth didn’t get me in trouble. All I ever said was “dots not feathers”. Ahhh…to watch someone else writhe in pain. Har!
Open source everything. Open everything. Maybe those goobers that moved everything to the abandoned oil rig and declared themselves independent are simply the first wave.
My brother has been worried about the Wham thing since I was a young teenager crooning along with George Michael in front of the mirror, with hairbrush acting as faux microphone.
As for your referring to me as Monk, it’s mere reinforcement as you’re probably the fourth or fifth person to call me that. I’m the resident Monk of my work team, band of girlfriends, immediate neighborhood and, now, the NOLA blogosphere, but not of my family (my mom being the tree from which this acorn didn’t fall very far).
Ashley, do you mean these guys? I wanted to form a data haven after reading Cryptonomicon, and still do. Between this and my need for a private beach with personal cabana boy, it’s time to purchase an island.
I think he *should* buy you the t-shirt, and that you’re right, it *is* awesome. I don’t get the Monk reference, but figure it must be one of two things. If it has nothing to do with the television show of the same name, it likely applies to me too. *sigh*
It seems kind of senseless to ban blogspot. As if that’s going to really stop anything.
Sharon, it’s Monk of the TV show. You’re probably not as annoying as I am about the OCD – I start to organize everything everywhere if given the chance.
I think that’s it, M. I can’t seem to google the place I’m thinking of, but that meets all the criteria, although I didn’t think they’d been around that long.