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Bahrain's ISPs Must Block Google Earth
Bashar writes "A Bahraini newspaper reported today that Bahrain government, following the block of nude sites, have instructed all ISPs to block the Google Earth service, making them one of the few countries worldwide to block a major Google service that is used around the globe, and proving very effective. Here is the same news source, translated by Google to English."
What exactly is the problem with Google Earth? I mean, nude sites, as stupid as it is to block them, at least have some moral backing. Are they just trying to convince everyone that the world is flat or something?
Partial Credit: The Engineer's Best friend
"Well, the bridge didn't fall all the way down!"
Good thing they translated it to english, or else I was screwed!
They're worried about someone using Google Earth to look right smack down on any nude beach in the world. They can relax; anyone who tried it would get massive headaches from the eyestrain because the resolution just isn't there. Not that I tried to do that or anything...
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They block web porn and Google Earth, but tolerate Michael Jackson? Oh yeah, I fogot he was acquitted...
Unfortunately the only people on a nude beach large enough to see from a satellite are, well, large.
Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
Eventually, though, these Flat Earth Society people are going to have to give up and admit that the world is round.
- RG>
Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
Because it encourages other governments to "harmonise" to Bahraini law. Remember that harmonisation is how the US got the Bono Act and how Australia got counterparts to the Bono Act and the DMCA.
But isn't this the country that Michael Jackson moved to after his trail in California? That would explain a few things.
that's my guess, a variation of the honeypot. They don't care about the vast bulk of the public seeing the maps, but they need a little winnowing action. They are interested in just a few people who REALLY want/need to see some critical features using the maps. the government there considers those folks "persons of interest". They are trolling for those guys to take the bait and try to circumvent their way to those maps.
Granted, still lame, ways around it, etc, but it is still my guess. Governments/regimes feeling threatened (or even think they are threatened) tend to throw various crap at the walls to see what sticks, even if 99% doesn't. This is a fishing expedition, not a censorship move..
Speculation at the Bahraini Blog Mahmood's Den (No link provided; google him if you're interested... I like him too much to slashdot) speculate that either the governement there doesn't want the people to see how much prime real-estate has confiscated... It has als obeen claimed that one person put anti-government / misleading labels on all the palaces (there are like five or more, I believe)which pissed off some royal type. Mahmoud included directions on how to get around the blocking, though, being the good guy that he is...
Bahrain is a fairly pleasant place, progressive for the most part. A major base for the US Navy 5th fleet is there. Slashdot admins have the place blacklisted though, for some reason... I could only post as AC when I was there, even after I wrote them about it. Oh well.
This site is up - http://english.bna.bh/
As are most of the other government agency sites - http://www.newarabia.net/Bahrain_ministry.htm
Next time, try not to be such a sensationalist over one dead link.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is usually crucified.
Because there's an imminent threat of attack from its own citizens?
Not right at the moment, but I'd agree that blocking GE isn't going to slow them down. The Sheik and his family are Sunni, while the majority of Bahrainis are Shia. For years, the Shia perceived that they weren't getting a fair shake from the sheik, and the revolution in Iran didn't help. The opposition has been coopted to some degree by the introduction of a two house Parliment and regular elections (The GE closing may be a result of conservative morality agenda w/in the lower house, which also led to blocked porn sites). However, this is offset to some degree by the Sheik's long standing policies to assist the US in the Gulf, which aren't popular with most citizens.
Luke, help me take this mask off