Monday, August 15, 2005

Smells Like China

Blogspot and some typepad blogs continue to be blocked for some people in Korea. Still, no one seems to know why, though some surmise its because of today's Independence Day festivities.

I'm not American, but have figured out the U.S.'s Independence Day celebrates freedom. In Korea it celebrates censorship? What gives? Now that I'm feeling a bit better it's pissing me off. I pay for my internet access. How come sites that were okay to view last Wednesday night, were not ok by Thursday night? What right does the government have to hand out blanket blackouts that don't even affect everyone equally? Some people are experiencing the blockage here, and some are having no trouble at all. Others are all blocked up. Constipated. Again, speculation seems to be that it depends in ones ISP. I haven't done a lot of surfing around, but I think other sites may be blocked as well. I was looking up symptoms and got a big red error message, saying my ISP was blocking a government medical site. Maybe it's related, maybe not.

What really sucks is that there doesn't seem to be any information as to why this is happening, and who is doing the blocking! Kevin, at the Big Hominid website suspects it's the work of the MIC's - (The Ministry of Information and Communication) doing, and I suspect he's right. Check out his site for some addresses to write to regarding the censorship. I've already sent off a couple letters, which were polite and more along the lines of, "excuse me, sirs, are you the ones repressing me?" rather than Kevin's (hilarious) "even my dick hates the MIC." Really, check out his site if you don't feel fired up already. Also, please visit the Nomad, and Joel, for more insight. Joel's internet service provider thinks he's a potato-loving little girl, and is blocking sites for his own protection. How sweet!

Read this article, about the Communist cyber-block in China, and see if what's happening here doesn't smack of China's censorship policies. Democracy, my ass. What is South Korea so concerned about people seeing? Why is this happening? What do you think would happen if this kind of blockage occurred in North America? Maybe it's not the MIC, maybe it's just some kind of glitch, but how are we to know? Zey are sayeeing nuzzzzing. Nuuuuuzing!

Now quick, get out of here, lest you see something you shouldn't!

1 comment:

Kevin Kim said...

Thanks for rattling a saber in Ulsan!


Kevin