China's cyberdoor kicked down by Google

Snapshot of the Chinese version of Google on 15th January 2010

Sometime in the last three days Google flung China's door to the global Internet wide open.

This is the YouTube link on www.google.com.cn to videos showing the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Amnesty International commentary on the student protests is also able to be viewed, including this photo:

A China Daily article on Google's stand against China's Internet policy and recent hacking attempts is also intermittently available, although there have been reports that Baidu (dominant search engine backed by Chinese Government) is blocking access to Google's official blog post but not to links mentioning it.

How green is the Internet?

How green is the Internet? Not green at all would have to be the answer to that question.

Information and communication technology is said to directly contribute a whopping 2% of global carbon emissions according to Bell Labs research and the average network user consumes an estimated 25 watts of energy.

This means that worldwide the use of landlines, mobile phones, blackberries, personal computers etc. result in more greenhouse gas emissions in a year than total annual emission levels from entire countries like Australia and, the industry's carbon levels are expected to more than double over the next decade if communication technology is allowed to continue as usual.

In an effort to reduce this dismal state of affairs a consortium (which includes the University of Melbourne's Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society) has formed under the banner Green Touch to work towards an energy efficiency level, via changes in coding techniques which might eventually see the world's communications networks run for three years on the energy it currently takes to collectively power these networks for a day.

ITNews reports that the Australian Government already spent $1.411 million over three consecutive financial years on investigations used to create the nucleus of the URL blacklist it intends to use to censor the Internet from mid-2011, but what will the cost be in carbon terms once ISPs operating in this country have to run a mandatory filtering program against the online activity of every Australian user?

Google Gives China A Minties Moment

Google Inc. deserves a slap on the back and a free beer......
Here's what it posted on its blog on 12th January 2010 about the current situation in one of the few countries imposing mandatory Internet censorship:
"Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. However, it soon became clear that what at first appeared to be solely a security incident--albeit a significant one--was something quite different.
First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses--including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors--have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S. authorities.
Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Based on our investigation to date we believe their attack did not achieve that objective. Only two Gmail accounts appear to have been accessed, and that activity was limited to account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.
Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack on Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties. These accounts have not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on the users' computers............
These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.
These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China...."
Taking all that in Stevo? Still don't see the yawning slippery slope you are setting Australia on with your daft plan to nationally censor the Internet?
Let's hope that Google does stand up to China and takes whatever economic hit comes its way, so that "do no evil" begins to mean something again across the more than 150 international Internet domains this company holds.

# OpenNet Initiative maps showing known levels of online social, national security, political & IT technology information censorship around the globe.

Is this going to be the year of takedown notice?

It was only the eleventh day of the year when I took a look at the Chilling Effects database to see if there had been any movement on its Cease & Desist list.
I was rather surprised to find that there had been 29 takedown requests since 1 January 2010 - the majority alleging copyright infringement.

Seems the music and film industries are starting the year off as they mean to continue. Even hustler.com was yelling about copyright protection - something it has been doing since November 2009.

The blogger Patrick Frey from Patterico's Pontifications also started the year with a takedown request from a photographer, which was publicly refused on 9 January 2010 in a post on that blog.

Cryptome (an American whistleblower site) had one of its hosted webpages deleted at the beginning of the year, in response to Microsoft's November 2009 request which alleged unlawful sale of its product. The emails exchanged are here.

Cryptome held firm on another takedown demand in late 2009, this time by Yahoo! which objected to Internet users knowing how much it was charging the U.S. Government to supply information about their accounts and, a very interesting series of ISP spying price list links can be found below that email exchange.

As I write, the Chilling Effects C&D file now contains over 3,000 entries and rather surprisingly only about eleven of these involving allegation of defamation.

Thankfully Wikipedia does not feature yet this year, as this October 2009 letter indicated that it had entered deep water with one of its posts and the wiki team probably would like a quiet 2010.

The international whistleblower site Wikileaks hasn't woken up for the year yet, so I don't know how it is faring.

FARK!! It looks like being hot and steamy across the Northern Rivers for the rest of summer

According to the Oz Bureau of Meteorology on 6th January this year:

Pacific Ocean warming near its peak
"Central Pacific Ocean temperatures remain well above El Niño thresholds. Trade wind strength returned to near normal over the past fortnight, slightly reducing the excessive warmth of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. However, significant areas remain more than 2°C above average at the surface, and over 4°C warmer than normal at depth. Climate models suggest that tropical Pacific temperatures may have peaked for this event, though are likely to remain above El Niño thresholds until the southern autumn. Despite a rise in recent days, the Southern Oscillation Index has generally remained at levels typical of an El Niño event over the past fortnight. Similarly, cloudiness and rainfall near the equator have remained enhanced, typical of a mature El Niño event. The influence of El Niño events on Australian rainfall typically declines by mid to late summer. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) has a reduced impact upon Australia over the summer months."

In practical terms this means the NSW North Coast has a fair chance of baking for the rest of summer.

BOM maps can be found here and here.

Vehicles and beaches are not a good mix

The Daily Examiner on 11 January 2010
Click on image to enlarge

It's the height of summer once more and families with children are flocking to North Coast beaches for a day of sun and surf. Older residents are also seeking a little relief from the heat with a beach walk at the end of the day.

As usual the issue of vehicles driving onto and along the beach surfaces at this time of year, as is shown by the above opinion piece.

It always amazes me to see obviously healthy and otherwise active men take a four-wheel drive onto the beach, just so that they don't have to walk a mere quarter mile to set up their rods and reels for a little beach fishing.

However, what actually offends me is the sight of a carload of young adults, too lazy to use their legs, pelting down the beach on a bit of a sightseeing spree.

Old people, children and in leash-free areas the family pet (as well as the unwary tourist) are all expected to quickly move out of the way of these driving bullies.

At Minnie Water the curiously legless folk have even taken to using the beach as a carpark before they enter the surf.

Like the regular users of Pippi Beach at Yamba, I also get tired of the broken glass and dangerous mess (left behind after night time beach parties) which I am sometimes forced to skirt around on an early morning walk along local beaches.

It's no wonder that residents are becoming wary of going onto certain Clarence Valley beaches and permanently banning vehicles is being quietly discussed around more than a few dinner tables.

Update:

The Daily Examiner online comment gives Clarence Valley Council a hint.

Posted by yambaman from Yamba, New South Wales
12 January 2010 7:26 a.m.
Can't understand why Stafford Sheldon thinks he'll be unpopular for suggesting Pippi Beach be closed to 4 wheel drive vehicles, most of Yamba would agree - who wants the drunken yobbos driving on our beaches and leaving a mess behind, if they had to walk they'd drink at the pub!
Posted by janelle from Yamba, New South Wales
12 January 2010 11:37 a.m.
I absolutely agree with Stafford Sheldon and the comment above. I don't see why they have to drive onto the beach at all, ever. We apparently have an obesity problem so make them walk!!! And as far as leaving behind all that rubbish, well how hard is it to clean up after yourself. Shouldn't be allowed thru the tick gate I say.....
Posted by cherylmcc from Yamba, New South Wales
12 January 2010 7:23 p.m.
The 4 wheel drives are hazardous to people enjoying that part of Pippie Beach when they are gather speed for the climb back off the beach. A lot of families now use that part of the beach especially with the holiday units just across the road, maybe when it was decided to allow access to these vehicles at this part of the beach it was not used as much then. There should be a review of who uses the beach by the council before someone is hurt . Plus it is not a very very long beach that they have access to so what is the point of them going down there.
Posted by Popeye from Yamba, New South Wales
12 January 2010 7:30 p.m.
I hate it when people leave rubbish behind. I'm always picking it up when I walk around so that Yamba doesn't get like the Gold Coast. Have a look at the mess left on Hickey Is at the far end of Whiting Beach where people appear to have been camping and drinking heavily.