Are you in Australia? Can you access www.wikileaks.org?

[infinitejones]

As of 8pm Sydney time today (19th March) I can't get to Wikileaks. It was working earlier today but now - nothing.

When I ping it, it resolves the DNS but doesn't return the ping. 100% packet loss.

If you've been following the news in Australia about the ludicrous government internet filtering plan, you'll know why this is relevant... today wikileaks published a leaked copy of the ACMA blacklist. I had a quick browse at work about 7 hours ago but now I'm home and tried to have another look... nothing. Very strange.

Anyone else?

[itsStephen]

Not working for me

Conroy will be the death of the Rudd government

[sim-value]

The australian Government blocked it because there they posted the Dänish Childporn Filterlist ...

[Primefalcon]

just go to proxy.org or set one of your own up

[epidemiks]

bad news regarding Herr Conroy's dastardly plan, but i don't think it's just australia:
http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/wikileaks.org

[jocheem67]

Probably using open-dns is sufficient to be able to reach those Aussie blocked sites...just try...

http://www.opendns.com/

Imho you Aussies are in a bad position here, this all really smells like some heavy censorship:(

[billgoldberg]

Censorship, so ugly.

[infinitejones]

bad news regarding Herr Conroy's dastardly plan, but i don't think it's just australia:
http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/wikileaks.org
Good call, epidemiks... that makes me a bit less worried... I doubt even the evil Senator Conroy could take a whole site down in one afternoon.

Also, it struck me that while the blocklist makes it illegal to link to a site on it (even though they won't actually tell us what's on the list in the first place), there's nothing in place yet (yet!) to actually stop you getting to the sites from within Australia.

Is there...?

[samjh]

I can't access it. But it's not just Australia. It's down even when going via proxies.

Having said that, the Wikileaks site is censored by the ACMA:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/home/technology/banned-hyperlinks-could-cost-you-11000-a-day/2009/03/17/1237054787635.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1&page=-1/

Oh, and putting up links to banned websites will cost you a $11,000 fine. Better be careful.

[t0p]

I can't access it. But it's not just Australia. It's down even when going via proxies.


Indeed! I'm in the uk, and when I try to browse www.wikileaks.org (http://www.wikileaks.org) I just get a blank page. And this isn't just a DNS thing. If I try the ip address (88.80.13.160) I get the same thing. Namely nothing.

Surely this can't be a global conspiracy of censorship! The site must be down for technical reasons. Or maybe the Aussies bombed them...

EDIT: In the meantime, if you want to see the site you can go to the google search results site:wikileaks.org (http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=site%3Awikileaks.org&btnG=Search&meta=) and then click on one of the cached links. For instance, this link (http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:KeC3FVzfkRMJ:wikileaks.org/wiki/Australia_secretly_censors_Wikileaks_press_release _and_Danish_Internet_censorship_list,_16_Mar_2009+ ACMA+site:wikileaks.org&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk) takes you to the page telling us about the Australian censorship. Google is our friend. And like any friend, you need to know how to use the swine! :p

[infinitejones]

More details on boingboing (http://http://www.boingboing.net/2009/03/18/wikileaks-reveals-se.html) - they're linking to wikileaks but it looks like it's down from wherever they are too.

Although the link to the mirror site works... call me an anarchist but I've downloaded the text file and the pdf and I'll be storing them encrypted somewhere, just to prove the point that there's no point trying to censor anything on the interwebs...

[t0p]

This censorship the Oz government are up to has really annoyed me. Even though I live in the uk! (I have a couple of friends living in Oz, so I'm angry for them. Though I'd be offended even if I didn't know anyone down under.)

I found some interesting info about this ACMA crap here (http://www.somebodythinkofthechildren.com/). I tell you what, people of Oz: you want to overthrow your government or something.

To the censors: My comment about Aussies needing to put their democratic representatives up against the wall was a joke. So don't take my comment as "material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act" and ban this site too!! :p

[billgoldberg]

This censorship the Oz government are up to has really annoyed me. Even though I live in the uk! (I have a couple of friends living in Oz, so I'm angry for them. Though I'd be offended even if I didn't know anyone down under.)



You do realise you are writing this on the most PC/moderated/censored forum in the world?

[Moustacha]

This censorship the Oz government are up to has really annoyed me. Even though I live in the uk! (I have a couple of friends living in Oz, so I'm angry for them. Though I'd be offended even if I didn't know anyone down under.)

I found some interesting info about this ACMA crap here (http://www.somebodythinkofthechildren.com/). I tell you what, people of Oz: you want to overthrow your government or something.

To the censors: My comment about Aussies needing to put their democratic representatives up against the wall was a joke. So don't take my comment as "material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act" and ban this site too!! :p
People don't really know how to riot here. We've had it relatively good for the last 108 years. I wish there was rioting like france because of this proposed filter :)

[samjh]

Senator Conroy is in damage-control mode.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,25210931-5014239,00.html

So the list published on Wikileaks.org is not the real blacklist, eh? The problem is... who should the public believe: the people who are trying to censor information, or a website trying to un-censor it (even if it turns out to be fake)?

[t0p]

You do realise you are writing this on the most PC/moderated/censored forum in the world?

Hey, I've received enough infractions here to know what this site is like. I was even banned for 2 months for dissing a mod.

Thing is, we all know what this forum's like. If we don't like it, there are plenty of other places to go. I come here because it's the got the best online ubuntu content/discussion. (You ever been to alt.os.linux.ubuntu? Now that is an unmoderated newsgroup, yes, but it's also a load of crap.)

Point is, the mods here censor this site. They don't censor an entire nation's web access.

[zmjjmz]

Wikileaks is working for me (US), so you Aussies should try it again.

[zekopeko]

I can't access it. But it's not just Australia. It's down even when going via proxies.

Having said that, the Wikileaks site is censored by the ACMA:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/home/technology/banned-hyperlinks-could-cost-you-11000-a-day/2009/03/17/1237054787635.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1&page=-1/

Oh, and putting up links to banned websites will cost you a $11,000 fine. Better be careful.

that are deplorable tactics. you can get fined for posting a link to a page thats only labeled as illegal in a secret government list. everybody notice the absurdness of the situation. catch 22 if I have ever seen one.

there is an informative article on wikileak about child pornography. please note the technical side of the matter. no way is filtering gonna prevent child pornography.

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/My_life_in_child_porn

note: the author leans on the side of underage sex but his technical and legal observations look compelling. so read it and please note who the author mentions as producers of child pornography.

[lisati]

Seems to be working across the ditch in NZ

[days_of_ruin]

Hey, I've received enough infractions here to know what this site is like. I was even banned for 2 months for dissing a mod.

Thing is, we all know what this forum's like. If we don't like it, there are plenty of other places to go. I come here because it's the got the best online ubuntu content/discussion. (You ever been to alt.os.linux.ubuntu? Now that is an unmoderated newsgroup, yes, but it's also a load of crap.)

Point is, the mods here censor this site. They don't censor an entire nation's web access.

+1. Its completely appropriate for a forum to be moderated/censored.
And the moderators tell you ahead of time what you can't do.
With the Australian government its a SECRET list of do-not-link-to-or-else sites.

[suitedaces]

Working in the UK. The issue of net censorship worries me. Look at China for example. Forums are a different matter, you can easily go to an uncensored one if you want.

[Dr Small]

I'm here in the US, and it is still working, for now.

[Onoskelis]

Working here in Canada.

[mips]

Working in South Africa.

[itsStephen]

It's working here again

I looked on the list and encylopedia dramtica is on it, wtf?

[mips]

I looked on the list and encylopedia dramtica is on it, wtf?

I also looked at that list and can only wonder about some of the sites they blacklist. Very disburbing this censorship thing.

[ddrichardson]

Working in the UK. The issue of net censorship worries me. Look at China for example. Forums are a different matter, you can easily go to an uncensored one if you want.
Censorship is a fairly moot point in the UK because we're under so much surveillance (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13145-us-and-uk-rival-china-for-government-surveillance.html).