This is why you don’t build blogs on free sites and expect to keep them around. From Wired:
Blogging platform Blogetery.com was cut off by its hosting company last week after the authorities said al-Qaida “terrorist material” was found on one of its servers, said a statement from web host BurstNET Technologies Monday.
Blogetery, a platform for some 70,000 blogs, was taken down by BurstNET after the Federal Bureau of Investigation asked BurstNET “to provide information regarding ownership” of the server hosting Blogetery.com,” BurstNET said.
I used them before for backlinks to other websites. 70,000 bullshit blogs no doubt. 69,995 were probably spammy delight. But if the fed fuckers and chickenshit owners can take down all blogs after one or two blogs were probably the culprit then any free blog platform can be yanked I would guess.
Think about the shared hosting you (and I) participate in. One blog or site has terrorist material, perhaps the imperial federal government would shut the whole server down. Not a pleasant thought. Would it happen? I dunno? Could it happen? I dunno. But the feds are not really looking after your interests at all. They have no problem shitting on our privacy via The Patriot Act so I guess anything is possible.
Again I don’t know what this shit is about but I don’t like how it feels being an owner of websites and using servers and services I do not control, given Big Brother’s over-reach and over-reactions.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I suspect a more sinister reason for the shutdown not directly related to spammy sites – it was a test of the proposed Internet Kill Switch that the ruling class wants to use to mute opposition speech. As Senator Lieberman says; the Chinese do it why can’t we?
No warrant, no due process, no charges, no way of defense, and no legal explanation. Behold the Department of Propaganda.
Yep, kinda scary for anyone using shared hosting or relying on income from any free or paid blogging platform. That plug could get pulled anywhere, anytime by anybody for any reason and they don’t even have to tell you if they don’t want to.
I lost a few backlinks from my little spammy corner of blogetery, but that goes with the territory so I just build some more to take their place elsewhere.
Maybe there is a partial solution to this if you’re really paranoid… you could always build your spammy delight on servers hosted in Outer Mongolia or someplace remote and out of reach of the Big Stick wielders…
I am more inclined to agree with John’s post above.
Unless we all become hyper aware and responsive, we are in trouble people.
I am sure this is just coincidence, but I signed on to an online petition supporting conservative issues a few months back. Within two weeks I received an audit demand from the IRS.
Is this a coincidence, or am I paranoid? Maybe so. Or perhaps “they” are as aggressive as I think they are.
Interesting post as always Splork.
Our government is both losing control and trying to take more control of our lives. It is making for some very interesting policies and subsequent protests. The gov’t is heavy handed and pretty much can do whatever they want since the Constitution is no longer something they care to follow unless it suits them. I carry a healthy dose of paranoia around with me these days and trust nothing that comes out the mouths of politicians and media types.
Thanks for reading.
Hey Splork, I have a couple of sites that rank in the top spot for their keyword, however adsense isn’t panning out because of low cpc. What’s the best way to sell ad space on them.
Hey Noob. Maybe someone in the peanut gallery can speak up but if I’m not making money with Adsense I’m putting an affiliate product on the thing. Anyway, I don’t sell ad space so I really can’t, or shouldn’t, suggest anything.
Hey Noob,
what Splork said, plus you could get in touch with companies related to your keyword and ask them if they want to buy ad space.
As to shared hosting, the czech republic is a pretty good place to host, but many ‘outside the US’ hosts actually have their servers in the US.
Just a thought
AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!
Crap.
Scary stuff this Obama hopey-changey thingy.
Well, Big Brother is always there, typical myopic vision. Check out the book Zeitoun. Book about this guy who stayed at his house after Katrina and they put him …. oh wait read the book and be shocked. Personally I find it amusing people who say they are conservative. I never see them wanting to conserve anything besides their own funds.
So it is always good to set yourself up as flexible as possible. Like here is the idea biz model.
Have company in 1 country, Bank account in another country, customers in another country, Residence in another country and one more thing.
Cheers,
Sam