Archive for May 18th, 2007
Worldwide censorship of the Internet is growing as the Net becomes more popular.
At least 25 countries around the world block access to Web sites for political, social, or other reasons as governments seek to assert authority over a network meant to be borderless, according to a study released Friday.
The actual number may be higher, but the OpenNet Initiative had the time and capabilities to study only 40 countries and the Palestinian territories. Even so, researchers said they found more censorship than they had initially expected, a sign that the Internet has matured to the point that governments are taking notice.
”This is very much the revenge of geography,” said Rafal Rohozinski, a research fellow at the University of Cambridge in England.
China, Iran, Myanmar, Syria, Tunisia, and Vietnam had the most extensive filters for political sites. Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen had the strictest social-filtering practices, blocking pornography, gambling, and gay and lesbian sites.
In some countries censorship was narrow. South Korea, for instance, tends to block only information about its neighboring rival, North Korea.
Yet researchers found no filtering at all in Russia, Israel, or the Palestinian territories despite political conflicts there.
Governments generally had no mechanism for citizens to complain about any erroneous blocking, with Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates being among the exceptions.
Read it all: Study: 25 countries block Web sites, including those with gay content | News | Advocate.com
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Today I went to a bank to open a new checking account. I closed one with a previous bank because I moved recently and was looking for a more convenient bank to use.
I chose M&T Bank and it was a huge mistake. According to them I lacked the proper identification needed to verify my identity according to the Patriot Act. I presented a valid drivers license, a SUNY student ID with a photo (albeit expired 2/1/2007), my social security card, my voter registration card and possessed my current uncashed payroll check. According to the suit who was summoned by the girl at the desk, I also needed to produce either a credit card (don’t use them) or a passport. I did have a current PayPal debit card, but was told it didn’t count. Ironically, I have a current student loan through their bank . . .that did not matter. Perhaps I don’t need to pay off the loan, since their is no way to verify who I am, they can’t come after me for non-payment. I also previously had an account with M&T for 22 years.
After a 15 minute go-round with the suit, I headed out the door and down the street to First Niagara. 10 minutes later I was leaving with my new set of checks in hand without any veiled references to being an illegal alien or terrorist.
M&T is taking things just a bit too far, here’s the requirements of the Patriot Act:
The Rule requires that a bank’s CIP contain procedures that specify the identifying information that the bank must obtain from each customer prior to opening an account. These include name, date of birth (for an individual), address and identification number. However, based upon an assessment of risks, a bank may require a customer to provide additional information to establish the customer’s identity in order for the bank to establish a reasonable belief it knows the true identity of the customer.
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Why Are They Lying About Ron Paul? - May 18, 2007
The mainstream (self-serving) republicans are mashalling their forces and doing everything they can to discredit Ron Paul. The one thing they can’t do is change the facts.
Ron Paul is the exception to the politicians we are usually subjected to. He speaks the truth and uses logic when devising a plan of action. The status quo relies on policitical doublespeak (and Fox News) to instill fear an ignorance in the general populace. Paul, on the other hand, speaks the truth and has a solid set of principles and values that shape his policies. There are no surprises or guessing with Ron Paul, just a fair, effective course of action.
[tags]Ron Paul, 2008, republican, candidate, president[/tags]
The Thursday at the Square lineup is online. Included this year are the Violent Femmes, The Romantics and the Dropkick Murphys. And, the concert series extends to September 20 this year. Lot’s of partying downtown will be happening. (yes, I know that last sentence is a grammatical mess)
