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Chaos Computer Club Website Blocked by UK ISPs

104 points| dubbel | 11 years ago |ccc.de | reply

43 comments

order
[+] lectrick|11 years ago|reply
Google Chrome strongly advises you not to continue.

If you click the "Advanced" link, you can, though.

Who decided that a centralized entity could be the authority for these things, anyway, instead of a Web of Trust?

And also, should the books "1984" and "Fahrenheit 451" be required reading in British schools?

[+] api|11 years ago|reply
"Who decided that a centralized entity could be the authority for these things, anyway, instead of a Web of Trust?"

Usability.

Try explaining to a non-technical person how to bootstrap their trust system.

Things either "just work" or they are broken, at least for 99% of users. I'd even count myself as part of that group. I'm a highly technical user, but I'm usually too busy to futz around with stuff. I get something akin to road rage when stuff doesn't work and get out of the way. I played a lot with stuff when I was younger but I don't have time for that crap anymore.

[+] driverdan|11 years ago|reply
This is because they use an SSL cert that is signed using a cert not included with browsers (or at least not included with Chrome).
[+] Zenst|11 years ago|reply
"Accessing the server directly via http://213.73.89.123/ currently appears to work quite well, thereby rendering the censorship efforts useless."

So would appear to be at a DNS level of blocking perhaps, tested the internet access I have at hand currently (using ISP's DNS offered to punters and not direct IP access):

Three (Mobile telco) works upon a data dongle. Also O2 (Another mobile network) works just fine with this site. The last also covers a large user base internet access wise and tends to be up there with regards of blocking sites at governmental whims.

So beyond Vodaphone do we know which other UK ISP's also block this site?

[+] DanBC|11 years ago|reply
Did you turn on your optional ISP supplied filters before testing?

You probably turned them off some time ago - "Content Lock" is I think what O2 calls theirs.

[+] petecooper|11 years ago|reply
I am absolutely against this blanket form of ISP-level censorship, but I have to wonder if the intended clientele of CCC (i.e., technically-minded, curious, etc) would be very the near the top of the list of people who could bypass this block with trivial effort. Sort of self-defeating, really.
[+] marquis|11 years ago|reply
If you were a young, inspired enthusiast and you never found out that CCC existed, don't you think that's sad? It's unfair to deprive such knowledge, from someone who hasn't had the chance to find it yet.
[+] Joe8Bit|11 years ago|reply
Seems to work fine for me in the three ways I tried, via Virgin Fibre (from London), EE 4G and O2 4G.
[+] DanBC|11 years ago|reply
Works fine on GiffGaff 3G (which uses O2 network) but I have already turned off content filtering.
[+] TazeTSchnitzel|11 years ago|reply
Worth noting that said filters are optional, you can turn them off.

Though the process to turn them off might resemble this[0].

[0] http://www.departmentofdirty.co.uk/

[+] mszyndel|11 years ago|reply
In most parts of the world optional means something you can opt-in to. Not something you have to painfully opt-out and be permanently put on the list of "those people".
[+] justincormack|11 years ago|reply
The process to turn them off is to get your internet from Andrews & Arnold. Only the mobile ones are optional, some sites are still blocked.
[+] jamesbrownuhh|11 years ago|reply
No, not blocked at all, working just fine here from several different UK ISPs. What is the source of this claim of blocking?
[+] DanBC|11 years ago|reply
Some ISPs include optional filters. Some of those filters have some granularity - pornography; violent content; hacking / cracking / piracy; etc.

If your ISP has those filters you've probably already turned them off.

[+] egyptisblocked|11 years ago|reply
Interestingly www.ccc.de is completely blocked in Egypt.