OK I'm a Cuban programmer and can tell you this measure sucks big time, if the blocked government wants anything from Google Code, Sourceforge or any other "restricted" place they have mirrors, nice people on other unblocked countries willing to help and as last resource a tor proxy will do. So this measure only asserts read-only access, nothing else. Actually US goverment looks stupid when do things like this, you can't stop software to spread all over the world it's nonsense.
Anyway I prefer Github, Google is not the cool company they used to be, now most of their products look like stripped-down copies of others.
#ifndef HUMOR
#def HUMOR
I think we on the "Evil Axis" should have our own code hosting platform.
Dude, you made my day. I'm pretty fascinated by my Gringo stereotypes of Cuba colliding with a programmer on HN.
I'm picturing a guy with a laptop, palm trees in the background, lots of antique cars driving on the street behind him, a brass band somewhere nearby, a pork sandwich on a plate. Please, please be wearing a Che/Fidel hat.
In all seriousness, I'm curious about the internet situation there. How's the bandwidth these days?
As a fellow french speaking Quebecer, this is because of the "Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux", the main office regulating alcool, races and gambling.
In our legislation, if you are making a contest with the intent of giving away more than CAD$2000, you must get a licence from them[1]. Many companies just don't want to get their head in this.
The main reasoning behind this is to keep track of the contests and make sure that no one is trying to scam you.
> The Contest is void in Cuba, Quebec, Saudi Arabia and Syria
> and where prohibited by law. Individuals and entities
> restricted by applicable export controls and sanctions
> programs are ineligible to participate in the Contest
Some could perhaps be explained by export restrictions on crypto code, although I would expect to see some other countries (Iran) banned if that were the case.
Quebec has rather stringent data privacy laws - perhaps these are not compatible with Google's personal data storage policy.
Quebec's case is rather their laws regarding contests, lotteries etc.
Basically any contest from outside Canada won't give a damn about working all of those rules in (if it's even possible at all), so they are simply banned from essentially all international competitions of this kind :)
> although I would expect to see some other countries (Iran) banned if that were the case.
I remembered several years ago Iranian was also banned from the competition, but after sometimes they allowed Iranian, but I think they don't give prize in the case of winning.
Another example of Quebec being a totalitarian regime. A bit different from some others in this world though. A place where one can increase funding for a language Gestapo, who fines restaurant owners who don't properly translate pasta in their menu, while cutting social spending.
All for the benefit of the residents. Go Quebec!
[+] [-] DanBC|13 years ago|reply
(http://www.advertisinglawyer.ca/advertising.htm)
(http://business.financialpost.com/2011/09/08/why-many-contes...)
[+] [-] xradionut|13 years ago|reply
The Imp of the Recursive in my head was imagining an alternate programming culture like a Quebec version of steam-punk.
[+] [-] daliusd|13 years ago|reply
Still I hope they will reconsider this law.
[+] [-] xr09|13 years ago|reply
Anyway I prefer Github, Google is not the cool company they used to be, now most of their products look like stripped-down copies of others.
#ifndef HUMOR
#def HUMOR
I think we on the "Evil Axis" should have our own code hosting platform.
Possible URL: http://evilhub.com
I'm thinking in projects like:
ak47-assembler
missile-launcher
dropbomb
spy-detector
nuclear-cad
whitehouse-boom-boom
familyguy-downloader (we love stewie too)
#endif
[+] [-] JPKab|13 years ago|reply
I'm picturing a guy with a laptop, palm trees in the background, lots of antique cars driving on the street behind him, a brass band somewhere nearby, a pork sandwich on a plate. Please, please be wearing a Che/Fidel hat.
In all seriousness, I'm curious about the internet situation there. How's the bandwidth these days?
[+] [-] phowat|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] caissy|13 years ago|reply
In our legislation, if you are making a contest with the intent of giving away more than CAD$2000, you must get a licence from them[1]. Many companies just don't want to get their head in this.
The main reasoning behind this is to keep track of the contests and make sure that no one is trying to scam you.
[1] http://www.canlii.org/en/qc/laws/regu/rrq-c-l-6-r-6/latest/r...
[+] [-] JiPi|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] PeterisP|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] salmanapk|13 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] D9u|13 years ago|reply
That's probably why.
[+] [-] mryan|13 years ago|reply
Some could perhaps be explained by export restrictions on crypto code, although I would expect to see some other countries (Iran) banned if that were the case.
Quebec has rather stringent data privacy laws - perhaps these are not compatible with Google's personal data storage policy.
[+] [-] p_l|13 years ago|reply
Basically any contest from outside Canada won't give a damn about working all of those rules in (if it's even possible at all), so they are simply banned from essentially all international competitions of this kind :)
[+] [-] HadiAsiaie|13 years ago|reply
I remembered several years ago Iranian was also banned from the competition, but after sometimes they allowed Iranian, but I think they don't give prize in the case of winning.
[+] [-] skrebbel|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jherdman|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] erfou|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ronnyf|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] yen223|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] camus|13 years ago|reply