Ragnarok the Blocktopus's ICTentacles

[TRangsit]

Originally Posted by Jromerz

Once again there seems to be some block on YouTube, last night displaying the green MICT screen and today "This page cannot be displayed"

Also blocked for me....and this time it seems no easy circumventing by removing the www. I was hoping to upload some video tomorrow too.

Recently, I have had trouble with my Internet connection seeming very slow. A lot of pages take a very long time to load or can not. Not sure what is to blame for this. I have TOT DSL.

[Jromerz]

And the frontpage of 2bkk answers the question for us... Don't really know what to comment about that

[Nekochan]

There is a heated debate again in Prachatai. One question has been raised:

What will you choose? A man or the internet?

Several guys and I said "the internet". I do not have any hard feeling on anyone, but I think we have freedom to khow what has been going on in this world.

Free of charge. (3 baht-dialup modem)

I think ICT's act was a very imprudent one. The same standard was applied to Yale Press, Amazon.com, wikipedia and everything related to Paul Handley and his TKNS.

If they are wise, they should have requested Your Tube to remove the clip. It takes time, but it is a more civilized manner. This is a normal practice when illegal music vdos or clips appear on the web. ICT made a request, but they could not wait. Just blew the whole thing.

Consider that once Mr. ICT Sitthichai praised a new technological coorperation with ....err! IRAN. I could say....I rest my case!

[Wisarut]

Your Tube hs been BLOCKED due to their INSISTANCE NOT to remove video file that Insult His Majesty

[harrisben]

If Thailand wants to part of the internet it must accept that sometimes unfavourable things will appear on it. Instead of wasting mountains of tax-payer money pretending that it's possible to do something about it, why don't the MICT realise that the only way they could ever truly censor the net is to pull the plug entirely.

MICT has sent a strong message to Thai people: "You are too stupid to know what is right and wrong, so we will make the decision for you."

They could always start up their own network that contains only government sanctioned content. I'm sure China would be interested in connecting to it.

[Nekochan]

If you believe in a conspiracy theory....Is it possible that ICT posted the clip itself? No!, some said this in Prachatai.

There are several clips in Your Tube (as I posted earlier). This includes the clip that shows meeting at the palace after Sep 19. CNS does not like it, and Your Tube was blocked once or twice, temporarily.

ICT needs a good reason to block Your Tube (forever), an outrageous one.

If Spock were here, he could not agree more.

"Logically speaking, that is possible!"

It turns out to be wrong. The clip was originated in the US. Presumably, the culprit must be a 10 year-old boy who grows up in a potato farm somewhere in Idaho. (why Idaho?) So, CNS should dispatch an undercover unit, kidnap the boy and bring him to justice in Thailand.

The maximum punishment is 15 years multiplied by total downloads. let's say he's got 1,000 downloads.

That's 15,000 years in prison! Everyone should be happy. We lock him up forever!

[GWR]

Grim!?

Pantip's political page is banned

The government has shut down a popular political online chat room for national security reasons.

The shutdown took place just days after YouTube was blocked for videos deemed insulting to His Majesty the King.

The political page of Pantip.com was closed for national security reasons at the request of the Information and Communications Technology Ministry.

At the web page, a notice read, "The ministry has asked for the temporary closure of [the political page] Rajadamneon Room after it found several topics that might endanger national security.

Pantip is the most popular chat room in Thailand and the political pages often feature feisty debate about democracy, the military junta and the legitimacy of the coup that brought it to power last year.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30031411

PANTIP.COM
Political chat site shut 'for security'

Govt pulls plug on online board; fuels YouTube censorship row


The government has shut down a popular online political chat room, citing national security as the reason.


The Information and Communications Technology Ministry pulled the plug on the Rajdamnoen Room chat site hosted by the pantip.com website, according to minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom yesterday.


He said it had been temporarily closed after the ministry decided several topics, or threads, undermined national security.


The order was effective yesterday.


The chat room hosts political discussions with a leaning towards remnants of the previous regime.


The ministry is embroiled in another freedom-of-speech row over its decision to bar access to the video-sharing website YouTube after it declined to remove a clip deemed insulting to His Majesty the King.


Sitthichai said the ministry would permit the pantip.com chat room to open again "after the political situation improves". He would not say when this would be but hinted it could be soon.


He added the ministry was sensitive towards messages or discussions on websites that bordered on insulting His Majesty the King and Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda.


He said the ministry asked prachatai.com and mthai.com to monitor its political web boards, which allegedly carried several threads discussing the monarchy.


Sitthichai will consult with acting national police chief General Seripisut Temiyavej about legal action against those submitting content deemed harmful to the country.


Pantip.com yesterday posted a notice stating the Rajdamnoen Room was closed for national security reasons at the request of the ministry.


"The web page is suspended as requested. We would like to ask members not to post [political messages] in other rooms, otherwise the entire site will be closed. Sorry for any inconvenience," the notice said.


Pantip.com is the most popular chat site in Thailand and its political pages often feature feisty debate about democracy, the junta and the legitimacy of the coup.


The website is considered to be pro-Thaksin Shinawatra and anti manager.co.th, the website of the Manager Group controlled by Sondhi Limthongkul.


The Rajdamnoen page was shut for two weeks shortly after the September coup that ousted Thaksin.


Pantip.com founder Wanchat Padungrat yesterday said he could not understand why the chat room had been closed. He added he monitored the content of Rajdamnoen Room and found no aggressive messages insulting the monarchy.


"The ministry does not specify which topics [endanger national security]. It may become sensitive for the junta. However, I am wondering why pantip.com is the only website being censored, while other political sites are untouched," said Wanchat.


Prachatai.com editor Chuwat Rerksirisuk said he and staff ensured the site carried no offensive material. It is prepared to cooperate with the ministry.


"We try to impose self-censorship to prevent libel actions by third persons," Chuwat said.


He disagreed with ministry censorship, saying it did nothing to help the situation.


He was unaware of content deemed offensive to the monarchy, although he noted the ministry informed the site of two threads considered insulting. "We moved quickly to delete them," he said.


He added that 99 per cent of political threads on Prachatai did not discuss the monarchy. The others are trying to use the monarchy and the Privy Council president as tools to shut the site down, he said.


Prachatai.com is a political website which opposes the coup. It attacked the Thaksin government, too.


Media lecturer Darunee Hiranrak said the ministry could shut websites considered insulting to the monarchy and a danger to national security. "Even some details on the web board are not truthful. It could arouse political turmoil," she said.


Last month, the computer-related crimes bill passed its first reading in the National Legislative Assembly and entered the committee stage ahead of its second reading.


The proposed legislation is considered draconian by free-speech advocates because it provides for the punishment of online users and Internet service providers.


The legislation allows for the closing of websites carrying content considered a threat to national security. Critics say the draft gives the government excessive control over the Internet.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn


The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007...s_30031456.php

[Nekochan]

I have not been in Pantip for years, I do not khow the real reason why it was blocked. I do not think Pantip is a place you can find comments related to Thai monarchy. Very odd, indeed. Some said about CNS' 12 M Baht budget. It has nothing to do with Your Tude ban.

By the way, Prachatai has been warned, too. (Prachatai is supported by Soros?)

ICT makes such a bad move declaring war against technology. A war that you will never win. You can only be run over. Time will tell.

So, Thailand wants to show the world how advanced she is, just turns out to a feudal society in disguise.

Grim? Not that grim. Wait until $1=70 Baht. That's grim!

[FarangBha]

Grim? Not that grim. Wait until $1=70 Baht. That's grim!

And when will this be?

[mdechgan]

Anybody have access to youtube?

It still seems to be blocked by that "piece of ****" green looking mict website.

How do you guys access the tube?
any webproxies you guys recommend?

Most of the webproxies I search need to pay or either just don't work because of some cookie.

[FarangBha]

Having just re-installed windows onto a larger HD, I'd appreciate help on getting round the censors also.

[Stephen Cleary]

Go on to Google and search for something like 'free download proxy'.

Many of these companies give a free trial for 7-14 days. Most work perfectly.

If you don't download one and just bypass to youtube via a proxy server the videos wont show and they are very slow.

Another one which works perfectly (usually) is Freegate - used by the Chinese.

Do a Google on Freegate and find the free download.

This program though has to be downloaded every time you turn on the computer though (for some strange reason). And when you turn on your com. you may have to go to 'Tools' > 'Connections' > Lan Settings and turn off the proxy - otherwise you cant use the Internet.

I have the CD Rom from FACT (Freedon against censorship Thailand) so if anyone wants a copy tell me.

[FarangBha]

cheers - have tried Google before but a bit hit and miss for something like this, hence looking for local recommendations.

[GWR]

Thailand to lift ban on YouTube

The Information and Communication Technology Ministry plans to ask the cabinet to waive a decree issued by the Council for National Security, earlier known as the Council for Democratic Reform, which has prohibited political websites, said ICT minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom.

The junta's decree, known as Order No. 5, which has banned political websites, will be lifted by the Surayud cabinet this week in order to make the people feel better now that the political situation has improved and a general election is to be held, he said.

The ICT minister who claimed to have banned only about 200 websites, 90 per cent of which featured pornography said that Thai-based internet users will again be allowed to access www.youtube.com, the popular video-sharing website, in particular, after it had been blocked for several months.

Google, the US-based parent corporation of YouTube, had offered to see to it that any lese majeste content will be kept off that website, he added.

The ministry in early April began blocking the popular video-sharing website after it showed a sequence of video clips considered insulting to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. (TNA)

22:37 Jun 25, 2007

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_previous.php#

[mdechgan]

I couldn't wait for the mict.

I just downloaded ultrareach and it works great.

unfortunately the link is now blocked by the green monster.
(What else is new)

But if anyone would like to try I can email a copy. It is freeware and no ads.