Heads up to all those relying on India traffic

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   Dale Nelsonposted 14 years ago

   Our latest world news mentioned this morning that hte balckberry may be banned in India and their next target for government censorship and blocking websites is Google and Skype.
   
   Hope this helps some hubbers to try and find alternatives.

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   SiddSinghposted 14 years ago

   The news IS correct but your inference is NOT.
   
   It is NOT, repeat, NOT, in any way, concerned with search traffic and search options - which is what you basically mean. It is about how these services are being used for communication that is a matter of concern to authorities.
   
   IM services/Mails on blackberry are are difficult - almost impossible - to trace. Same with Skype, and Google Voice/video chat. The scenario in question is whether terrorists can use (as they have repeatedly, and successfully, done in the past) these services to manage a deadly strike.
   
   Anyway, this is not a new matter - it seems so only because a deadline is reported to have been given. Otherwise RIM (Blackberry) had been playing cat and mouse for last two years.

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   ryankettposted 14 years ago

   SiddSingh is quite correct, despite expressing that in an extremely patronising and condescending manner.
   
   The problem is that these messenger services use western servers and do not allow access to the authorities in those areas in which they operate.
   
   This effectively means that:
   
   a) Western countries such as the USA can gather more intelligience about what is happening in these countries than the countries own governments.
   
   b) It could be used as a communication tool for terrorists, organised gangs, drug dealers etc, with it becoming easier for them to slip under the radar.
   
   It is not a censorship issue, it is a security issue. If you send an SMS, that SMS can and probably will be monitored if you use a particular word or phrase. The SMS messages of drug dealers etc forms an important intelligience weapon.

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      SiddSinghposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Uh-Huh. I thought I picked up the tone from the OP - suggestion about alternatives et al.
      
      
      
      Exactly.

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         ryankettposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         YES you WERE patronising, I repeat YES you patronised. I cannot emphasise enough just how rude YOUR post could be percieved. Your post WAS correct BUT you wrote in capital letters in a manner which certain CAN be construed as a little condescending OR aloof.

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4. 45

   Dale Nelsonposted 14 years ago

   Hi Ryan Kett and Sidd Singh
   
   Thanks for sharing more detail on this.
   If its not new to you then dont worry about it.
   Just trying to share with other hubbers. Could make an interesting hub though.

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5. 61

   SiddSinghposted 14 years ago

   Hi Dale,
   
   The thread title "Heads up to all those relying on India traffic" appeared to mean that something negative can happen to search traffic from India.
   
   The post itself talked about -
   
   - proposed ban on Blackberry
   - proposed restrictions on Skype and Google.
   
   Maybe, you meant that Blackberry users should look for alternatives. How that will affect those relying on India traffic (I am assuming you mean search traffic) is not really clear. But then I am not an expert in these matters, or "quite a celebrity" as some would say.
   
   Your point about Skype is correct.
   
   But when you said Google - someone may get confused with Google as a whole - search engine and all. This is not true - there is no talk of 'banning' Google a la China. However, the IM service by Google was pointed out by authorities as an area of concern - as something that cannot be traced easily.
   
   Thanks for your heads up - you certainly mean well.
   
   I could also say that Censorship is totally a different issue - and nothing in this case suggests censorship per se.
   
   I could also say that upper cases are sometimes used for emphasis, they do not always mean rudeness. But that difference will perhaps will NOT be clear enough to everyone.

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