June 9, 2007 12:22 AM PDT

Flickr blocked and Flickr blocks?

by Daniel Terdiman
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So Flickr has had an interesting couple of days on both sides of the restrictions fence.

First, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that Flickr says it is being blocked in China.

"In postings on its Web site Thursday, Flickr said it was experiencing no technical problems and that its service was in fact being blocked, without saying by whom," The Chronicle wrote on its Web site late Friday night. "In an update Friday, co-founder Stewart Butterfield wrote that the Web site's staff is checking on the issue periodically and that the blocking continues.

"We hope that this is a temporary issue, and we currently believe that it will be," The Chronicle quoted Butterfield as having posted. "In the meantime, we are investigating our alternatives."

Then, on the flip side, Forbes.com reported that well-known sex and technology culture writer Violet Blue is claiming that most of her Flickr images had been unilaterally placed behind a members-only wall.

"Today, unless you're a member of (Flickr), my account has been erased," Blue wrote on her site. "Except, confusingly, right now you can go to my page and see *only* the nipple-tastic photos I removed form public searches."

It's an odd confluence of events for the popular photo-sharing service.

Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between. E-mail Daniel.
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Everything in 3's
by daintreepeters June 9, 2007 1:40 AM PDT
and,

3. Flickr is owned by Yahoo who are currently under public and legal scrutiny regarding their involvement and complicity with China's process of aggressive censorship.
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Missing first 2 comments
by niravabhavsar June 9, 2007 3:08 PM PDT
I think cnet has removed first two of your comments. I agree with you that china is censoring internet content in their country. But isn't it true for US too. Why aren't they allowing Al-Jajeera to broadcast news and other programs here? Isn't that active censorship? Stop this hypocrisy and stop using all websites on the internet including google, yahoo, microsoft etc. Also, stop using any products made in China. Oh! your house will be empty if you do that. First clear up your mind than publish comments.
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