Somehow, the use of the word "security" is misleading, to say the least! The only ones gaining any security from the electronic blockade are the mullahs and their thugs.
- By: MommaBear on July 13, 2003

This is the only news I found on the disruptions in Iran. It dealt mainly with TV broadcast but maybe Cuba helped with the Internet blocking too. DEBKAfile’s sources report, Iran paid Cuban experts handsome fees to disrupt the uplink itself, stopping even exiled Iranians in Canada and Europe from tuning in. http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=520
- By: KMK on July 13, 2003

Mr Derakhsahn It seems ur sobhaneh.com,also,has been blocked. here: http://www.iraniancrawler.com/cgi-bin/palm.cgi?action=palm2&id=114
- By: weblogger on July 13, 2003

1. Blocking on Hoder website in not nationwide among ISPs. There are a few conservative ones which have blocker Blogspot, Persian Blog and Hoder's blog. 2. To inform you, end user wireless access is illegal in Iran by now. 3. And I believe that the foriegn governments should block Iranian government channels in an eye-for-eye.
- By: Cyberaver on July 13, 2003

If you surf through a proxy, your ISP can't see where you are going, and can't block it. ;) http://www.all-nettools.com/privacy/anon.htm Starting at the middle that page there are a bunch of tools for surfing anonymously (using a proxy). There are some free ones you can surf "through" online. If Iran government starts blocking those, you can directly configure your browser to use a proxy. There's a list of open proxy servers here: http://www.multiproxy.org/anon_proxy.htm Just keep trying them until you find one that goes where you want to go (some of them do block things, I've found some that block blogspot). Oh, and some instructions for configuring different browsers to use a proxy server here: http://www.lib.msu.edu/proxy/ (just change their proxy to whatever you want to use). The Chinese have been running their own blocks using these for years, Iranians can do that too. Unfortunately, I cannot write Persian, and these sites are all in English. If some of you who speak both languages translate into Persian and put it on your blogs (or send in e-mail to anyone who is still blocked), we can get everyone back to talking. :)
- By: Kathy K on July 12, 2003

Was internet access cutoff? So even wireless access was impossible? I am no tech genius but if an avenue remains open for any to get word out to the world, perhaps the noise made about it outside Iran would help. I am willing to assist in any way that I can, if it is useful to those at risk from such censorship/blocking. There has to be a way, a network, to protect against the silencing of voices. If any have ideas, feel free to write me.
- By: Cowboy Kahlil on July 12, 2003

So no-one in Iran can access weblogs now? I don't see how it is going to stop hardliners - it seems more consistent with the blocking of monarchist TV stations etc - simple information repression. But I am far away... Good luck to the iranian weblogging community anyhow!
- By: Ryan on July 12, 2003

Spice The regime seems quite adroit at information warfare. We can do better.
- By: Wind Rider on July 11, 2003

Dear JIM Too long to read
- By: bhy on July 11, 2003

Dear Mr Derakhshan I am connected from Iran, there is no blocking in my ISP, Regards B H Yousefi
- By: bhy on July 11, 2003

I'm really wondering if it is the optimistic scenario what is the pessimistic one!! Actually by controlling Internet & recently blocking weblogs they directly did the worst to us & just proved that they don't give a damn if we oppose what they do or not, & they can take all we have, It doesn't matter what's the reason or it is temporarily or not...although it's much more worse if they have done it just in order to cut off communication with outside for some days; so they wanna cut off our voice & continue their violent , being sure that no one understand what is happening.
- By: Iraniangirl on July 11, 2003

Many of us agree that 'ideas' represents an anemic effort by the U.S. in dealing with Iran and other Middle East countries - and a few others. Pushing a concept of 'democracy' is rightly perceived as merely 'political,' not foundational, and thus unacceptable under their philosophical and religious criteria. It appears shallow compared to America's true potential offering to the world out of our unique founding and creative-growth values and inventive experience. The definitive in human nature is the individual ability to make choices. (Is there any other kind of human? 'Groups' are verbal conveniences - not Reality.) ALL humans share in this true depic- tion of our nature. The human being is earth's choice-maker. Such a valid assertion undercuts every man-made alien opinion and is verified everywhere on planet Earth - daily. Thus, nature itself has laid the foundation for every human relationship, institution, and social act. After all, the creative process is a choice-making process and functions best in an environment of opportunity - Freedom. What are our leaders waiting for? Mr. Jefferson's statement, "all men are endowed by their Creator with...Liberty" says the same thing.(Liberty is internal - the ability to choose. Freedom is external - the opportunity to choose.) In public, private, and Christian schools, I taught my 5th graders for over 30 years, it is as natural a requisite for Earth's choice-maker to need Freedom as for a gold-fish to require water. My choicemaker-based civics workbook (Gr. 5-8)won numerous awards in the '60's and was placed in the Eisenhower Presiden- tial Library, Abilene, KS, by "Ike," himself. Isn't it time for a universal "Season of Generation-Choice- maker" to flower world-wide and bear fruit? Cyrus the Great and Mr. Jefferson would both choose to agree. I trust you and others will also choose to agree. Please take part in placing this concept before our nations and before your neighbors for the youth of Iran. Always Faithful Jim Baxter Santa Maria, CA For the complete statement, see: "What is man...?" Earth's Choicemaker http://www.geocities.com/James-Baxter/ Peace is not a Cause -- it is the Effect.... * * * *
- By: Jim Baxter on July 11, 2003