On Wednesday, the folks at The Galloping Beaver reported that a number of Lib/Left bloggers, including yours truly, had been banned on computers in the AAFC (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada). Yesterday, Raging Ranter, a hard-core Blogging Tory and occasional commenter here, suggested in one of his comments that the ban was not limited to progressive sites:
On an unrelated topic, you'll be disappointed to hear that many blogs of various political persuasions are now blocked from federal government networks. (This I know because a friend of mine (in Winnipeg) reported that he is unable to get many of the Blogging Tories from work, including the Raging Ranter anymore.) Oddly enough, some high traffic sites, including SDA, are still accessible.
And then later:
BCL, I'm not sure why the ban seems so hap-hazzard. SDA allowed, RR not allowed??? Jesus, I only get 15 hits a day as it is! (Mind you, I guess it doesn't help that I haven't posted since June 11.) Nor do I know whether it affects all federal government computers or just certain departments. But I'll wager a guess and speculate that the filtering software, which is updated regularly, now includes various blogging domains such as Word Press and Blogspot. I believe that SDA does not use an actual blogging service, so that could be the reason.
I don't buy RR's theory, because Bread and Roses, for example, is not really a blog and yet has been banned, and it seems that many of the Blogspot sites can still be accessed. But I have no better theory to offer in its place.
In any case, whatever the facts of the matter might be, I would argue that I personally am STILL a dangerous radical, and folks high up in the Harper regime are still afraid of me. Honest!
PS. Actually this fellow had the story before me.
too bad since all these government CUPE folks don't have any real work to do.
ReplyDeleteThe boredom must be hell.
God knows, I have tried to be offensive, but I guess I just have to try harder. We don't seem to be banned, and we are really miffed.
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ReplyDeleteMeh. My blog (and likely many others) was banned at Public Works months and months ago.
ReplyDeleteMost Blogspot addresses are off limits to departments that have control of their own IT.
Departments that outsource IT can still access many sites, including Facebook, blogs, etc.
I am a conservative who works in the public service in Ottawa. Instead of telling you what the real deal is on blog urls being banned I'm going to let you progressives flail in the dark a bit longer because sooner or later another person WITH AN ACTUAL JOB will confirm what I know: you are paranoid immature retards for suggesting that the heavily Liberal public service is somehow biases against progressives.
ReplyDeleteI just notice darren's comments: I can confirm that PWGSC is one of the few departments that is actually biased against Tories; for example Janke SDA and Stephen Taylor are banned there, yet Kinsella, Cherniak, and Cerberus are all available. An ATI request will confirm what I am saying.