Thoughts of A Lively Mind

Gems don't lure any more to Gujju girls-Entertainment-Media / Entertainment / Art-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

So what has triggered this passion for gizmos among girls? While some opine that it's just a way of flaunting your latest possession, others believe high level of exposure could be the catalyst. Says Pooja Shah, 28, a resident of City Light Area, "Media, today, has become a window to the changing trends outside the city."

Technorati Tags: gadgets, India, surat

By implementing this feature, they would avoid the embarrassing incident earlier this year when all blogs on Blogger and Typepad were shut out (including a previous incarnation of this blog) when service providers were instructed to only block specific sub-domains on those two services.

Here is an extract from the ET article along with a link:

Screening for dangerous blogs, sites- The Economic Times

Errant websites won’t be able to escape this net. The Centre is putting in place an advance screening system at the bandwidth landing stations to block individual websites and blogs perceived as threats to national security. The technology to be put in place at the eight landing stations — which bring international bandwidth into the country — will be capable of blocking websites at a sub-domain level, thus saving internet service providers (ISPs) from a sweeping shutdown.

Technorati Tags: india, blocking inappropriate content, filters, blogs

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A few thank you's are in order:
1. Thanks to all Indian ISPs for goofing up on the censorship order - without your goof-up, I possibly wouldn't have cared all that much, but now I do care about the situation and what the government can and can't do, or should and shouldn't do.
2. Thanks to the great community at Bloggers Collective on Google Groups - somehow everyone got together and lobbied the media, rallied the fellow bloggers and got the message across to the public.
3. This entire episode has made me post to my blog on 3 consecutive days - that in of itself is a record considering that I rarely if ever post anything here. I sure am gonna try to change that!

Technorati Tags: indian isps ban blogs, indian blogs ban lifted, airtel india, airtel

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The Department of Telecom (DoT) has instructed all the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country to block only the specified website/webpages on the parent website. The DoT, in its letter issued to all the ISPs has mentioned that it had come to notice that in some cases the parent website had been blocked in contravention to what was stated in its earlier order dated 13th July 2006 whereby it ordered the ISPs to block certain websites/webpages.

As such the DoT has now directed all the ISPs to strictly comply with the order dated 13th July 2006 and provide unhindered access to Internet except for the websites/webpages which have been specifically mentioned in its orders issued from time to time.

The DoT has further sought explanation from the erring ISPs as to why action be not taken against them for blocking unintended websites/webpages.

RM/AMA- 200706 Webpages blocking

As always, catch up with the latest that's going on with reference to the blanket blocking of blogs on blogspot & typepad at:
Bloggers Collective
Updates when specific ISPs lift the block

Here's to hoping (and some action on my and other bloggers' part) that the initiatives setup through the Google Group (Bloggers Collective) continues - we wait out the various Right To Information applications filed, the possible Public Interest Litigation in the Indian Supreme Court and of course the continuing fight against random censorship exhibited by the Government of India and the various Indian ISPs.

As many bloggers in India have said, a resounding thank you to Indian ISPs for exposing their ineptitude by simply blocking traffic from the IP addresses in question - without that, we would have never even noticed the censor action.

Technorati Tags: indian isps blocking blogs, airtel, ISPAI

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CNN-IBN's report by Narendra Nag is here: Bloggers ready to take on the govt
They also have a signature campaign running online, you can sign here.
An updated article is also here.
Coverage on the same subject by Rediff: Blog blockade will be lifted in 48 hours

Through this crisis, Indian bloggers have used a limited number of sites to exchange information, suggest courses of action and attempt to organize activities:
Google Groups: BloggersCollective
Bloggers Against Censorship

One item of relevance that did not get any major discussion was a suggestion by one person on the "Bloggers Collective" group of co-ordinating our posts on various blogs through the use of common tags.

Technorati Tags: weblogs, airtel blocking typepad, indian isp, indian isps blocking blogs

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Here's more from the Indian blogging community:
Bloggers Against Censorship by Kiruba Shankar

I love this particular quote by Ravi Kiran, "You know what really scares me? Some bureaucrat learnt that terror groups are using blogs to communicate. Instead of deciding to read those blogs to find out what they are upto, he decides to ban them. I am shit-scared that my country's security is in that guy's hands"

Blogs and the Right To Information Act

"Somebody must have blocked some sites. What is your problem?"

“Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has been designated as the single authority for issuing of instructions in the context of blocking of web sites. CERT-In has to instruct the Department of Telecommunications to block the web sites after verifying the authenticity of the complaint and satisfying that action of blocking of website is absolutely essential. There is no explicit provision in the IT Act, 2000 for blocking of websites. In fact, blocking is considered to be censorship; hence it can be challenged if it restricts the freedom of speech and expression. But websites promoting hate, contempt, slander or defamation of others, promoting gambling, promoting racism, violence and terrorism, pornography and violent sex can reasonably be blocked since all such websites cannot claim the Fundamental Right of free speech and expression. The blocking of such website may be equated to “balanced flow of information” and not censorship. If the blocking of a website is arbitrary, unreasonable and unfair and is based on extraneous and irrelevant materials and reasons, then it would be vulnerable to the attack of unconstitutionality, being in violation of Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.” - CERT-IN's brief on website blocking.

Indian Government Blocks Blogs Boing Boing - this story has been dug @ digg as well.

Technorati Tags: weblogs, airtel, indian isps blocking blogs

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Technorati Tags: weblogs, airtel blocking typepad, indian isp

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Gaurav Bhatnagar writes about super bowl ads: New Delhi Times: godaddy.com super bowl made an impact on me - and i didnt even watch it!

I was in Johannesburg South Africa on a business trip during the super bowl weekend. Heard the Patriots defeated the Eagles 24–21.

When I got back, as usual, I made it a point to visit ifilm for the ads

My favorites: (Apart from the GoDaddy ads)
1. Bud Light: While You Were Out
2. Bud Light: Designated Driver Dance
3. Bud Light: The Clydesdale Zoo [refers to the Bud ad a few years back where Clydesdales honored the 9/11 victims, if I recall correctly]
4.

Now playing: U2 - Vertigo from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb