How To Visit Google BlogSpot In China

Most efforts(using proxy or editing hosts file, for example) to bypass The Wall can work, . I'm going to write 2 methods dedicated for blogspot.

The easier way is to use pkblogs, who provides accesss to blogs "blocked in India, Pakistan, Iran or China". But I think pkblogs itself may be blocked soon.

The more technical way (by Dance In The Dark) is to assign "*.blogspot.com" to an alternative IP address which is not banned yet, by configuring proxy settings of Firefox with following steps:

1. Create a new text file and write the following codes
   

   function FindProxyForURL(url,host){
   if(dnsDomainIs(host, ".blogspot.com")){
     return "PROXY 72.14.219.190:80";
   }
   }

   
   


2. Save it as C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\local\proxy.pac


3. In Firefox, open Tools(menu)->Options(menu)->Advanced(tab)->Network(tab)->Connect, Settings(button)->Automatically Proxy Configuration URL(box), enter:
   

   
   

   file:///C:/Program%20Files/Mozilla%20Firefox/local/proxy.pac

   
   


4. Say OK to close all dialogs. Now you can try someone.blogspot.com

Problems:

1. The IP we used here 72.14.219.190 may be banned in the future, you will need to google for new solutions at that time.


2. IE is also known to support auto proxy configuration, but I can't get it work. (via)

Google BlogSpot Blocked Again In China

The most popular blog host BlogSpot is blocked again after the the 17th Party Congress finished in BeiJing.

In the south China, BlogSpot is not accessible all the while, but in the north China, BlogSpot was suddenly accessible on October 15 in BeiJing. The 17th Party Congress started on October 15. Some believe that the current unblocking may be related to the 17th Party Congress, temporarily allowing the major foreign journalists to access their favorite BlogSpot. So the BlogSpot was only unblock in north China, on October 15. After the Congress's finishing, the BlogSpot is blocked again.

An unblocking of the site last year led to the availability of a Shanghai-based foreign blogger known as Chinabounder, whose blog recounted the author's sexual exploits with Chinese women while working as an English teacher. The posts ultimately led to an unsuccessful hunt for the author and a temporary closing of the blog(via).

Baidu Hijacking Google, Yahoo, Microsoft In China

Numerous users find that if they trying to access Google, Yahoo, or Microsoft search engines from China are being redirected to Chinese-owned search engine Baidu yesterday.

Chinese DNS servers are under government control, some have accused Baidu of hijacking the traffic, but some suspect that Chinese government has unilaterally blocked there US search engines in China and is redirecting all requests to Baidu.

Hijacking Google Blog Search

Hijacking Yahoo Search

Hijacking Microsoft Live Search

Earlier this week, Beijing has been ramping up its filtering of political sites in an attempt to stifle political dissent leading up to the Communist Party Congress, a meeting in which leaders are selected to serve under the president for the next five years. The most popular online video website YouTube is also blocked in China yesterday.

YouTube Blocked In China

The most popular online video website - YouTube, seem to be blocked in China. The Chinese users are unable to access YouTube now. YouTube which has been acquired by Google Inc since Oct, 2006, is the leader in online video, and the premier destination to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on the web.

The current blocking may be related to the Communist Party Congress, which began on 15 October in Beijing and ends on Sunday. Chinese authorities regularly blocks access to websites that it finds objectionable, including those dealing with politically sensitive subjects. YouTube could conceivably carry some information the Chinese authorities think it shouldn't. That's what we have been. Blocked. Great Fire Wall-ed. 

Now YouTube is inaccessible for most everyone in China, the current block is actually a bit more restrictive than the other block, since any mention of the string "www.youtube.com" in any URL seems to be blocked.

For example: http://www.google.com/search?q=www.youtube.com (if you are out of China, you should use http://www.google.cn/search?q=www.youtube.com) will not go through, and will get you a "Connection reset" error.

That mean the YouTube are not viewable via normal proxy. Chinese user must use secured transmission (SSL , HTTPS) to visit YouTube, that is not suitable because of the slow and instable connection.

The Chinese authorities also block some great website like FeedBurner, Flickr, WordPress, BlogSpot and Wikipedia.

FeedBurner Is Completely Blocked In China

At the end of August, when FeedBurner is blocked by China Telecom (most in south China), some of the China Netcom (most in north China) users may glad they still be able to visit feedburner. Today, FeedBurner is blocked by China Netcom too, so the China Netcom users must say goodbye to the FeedBurner.

So far, all Chinese users were unable to visit FeedBurner now.

This time is different from last year, in August 1,2006, FeedBurner is also blocked temporarily, one day later it’s came back. But this time, FeedBurner is blocked lot's of days, and it's still out there, which reminds us that this blockade may be permanent in the nature.

Even so, the Chinese users can still use Google Reader to visit FeedBurner, but if Google Reader becomes the next one, what should Chinese users do?

China Internet Censorship Goes Crazy

Are they going crazy? Before they would warn and order the webmasters to delete "harmful" information from their websites, sometimes they just blocked the website. But now thousand of websites would be blocked if they are so unlucky to be hosted by the same IDC company with a "harmful" website.

Yes, in the last month, most of the interactive website(including forum, guestbook, blog) in China were blocked by the Chinese authorities. Some believe this is because of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China opening, the Chinese authorities want a social stability. 

Chinese authorities often blocks an entire Web site, even if only parts of the site contain sensitive information. Just in the last month, more than thousand of dedicated server in HeNan TeleCom room and ShanTou TeleCom room were closed forcibly. thousand of sites were blocked included those on health, education, news, entertainment, religion. Also they use the Greate FireWall to blocks some great website like FeedBurner and Flickr.

This month, the Chinese authorities will finish their jobs, closing the rest of "illegal website". So when the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is opening, the Chinese cyberspace will become a very harmonious and stable.

Not a country renowned for freedom of speech, China has nevertheless outdone itself with more internet censorship that would make them proud.

FeedBurner Blocked By China

FeedBurner, the most popular and powerful worldwide RSS service provider, is blocked by Chinese authorities for the censorship tonight.

Now Chinese user unable to visit feeds.feedburner.com, when I try to ping feedburner from China, it will return "Request timed out".

When I issued traceroute requests to feedburner in China, I found the IP packets  are blocked by 202.97.33.110. This IP address is a main router of China Telecom.

It's confirm that the Greate FireWall's IP blocking works. The FeedBurner is blocked in China again.

This is not the first time that Chinese authorities blocks FeedBurner, in August 1,2006, FeedBurner is also blocked temporarily, one day later it's came back, but now it's blocked again.

Why Chinese authorities blocks FeedBurner? Because Feedburner provides content from countless websites. It could conceivably carry some information the Chinese authorities think it shouldn't. So they try to blocks it, Although this will let them be against lot's of Chinese bloggers.

Although the Chinese bloggers could visit FeedBurner via proxy server, only few people use proxy in fact, maybe because proxy is slow and instable.

I wish FeedBurner will come back tomorrow.