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Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

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Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#41

Post by AnimalMuppet »

gruez wrote: post #33
tapvt wrote: post #21

A case where I feel amateur (ham) radio would be a potential lifeline to the outside world.

If a tyrannical government is willing to cut off internet access, what makes you think they won't also ban ham radio transmissions (enforcing via violent means) as well?

Ham is harder. Internet comes (mostly) through cables; those cables at some points are subject to the control of the government, and can be either technologically filtered or physically disrupted. (Satellite internet is clearly the exception.)

But ham radio is like satellite internet - it's hard to cut off. You can ban it, as you say, but then you have to actually enforce the ban - either by jamming, or by finding sites that are transmitting and cutting them off.

But even worse, I don't think the point of cutting off the internet is to keep news from Belarus from leaking out. I think the point is to keep outside ideas (like the idea that elections should be fair, and outrage when one isn't) from coming into Belarus. Well, a ham can sit and listen and broadcast nothing. It's hard to track that down to be able to enforce the ban on the listening station.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#42

Post by jammucoder »

2Gkashmiri wrote: post #29

this is nothing. shameless plug. I am a kashmiri typing this from 2G internet which apprently is the only acceptable thing for the indian government to allow me. 4G access has been stopped since 5 AUGUST 2019. a freaking year has passed and no high speed internet. I didnt have 2G for like 7 months. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revocation_of_the_special_stat... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Kashmir#Cens…

I'm typing this from Jammu. Since 370 abrogation last year, number of terror incidents in J&K is down by 40%. Every story has two sides. While I hope the govt brings back full 4G connectivity soon, I am grateful to them for taking the terror situation seriously.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#44

Post by zzz61831 »

M2Ys4U wrote: post #34

"Controversial Election"? Now that's an understatement if I've ever seen one... I don't think elections in Belarus have ever been seen to be free and fair.

They were not, but since the polls were banned during elections the government at least had some deniability and fewer people were convinced it was all fake. But this time massive protests and polls and information online convinced everyone there is no real support left. Hence the shutdown of the internet.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#45

Post by enkid »

est31 wrote: post #23
toast0 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My guess is Starlink isn't going to turn off subscribers for small countries, but large countries like Russia and China may have more influence. The real question is if there's going to be enough receivers to make a difference.

Any country which has the capability of shooting down satellites has more influence than countries which can't do it. But even a country with like 100 million residents, if it doesn't have a space program (or someone protecting it with a space program), it doesn't have much of a say.

Countries that have that capability can't shoot down 40000 of them.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#46

Post by grecy »

est31 wrote: post #23
toast0 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My guess is Starlink isn't going to turn off subscribers for small countries, but large countries like Russia and China may have more influence. The real question is if there's going to be enough receivers to make a difference.

Any country which has the capability of shooting down satellites has more influence than countries which can't do it. But even a country with like 100 million residents, if it doesn't have a space program (or someone protecting it with a space program), it doesn't have much of a say.

Even countries that have the ability to shoot down satellites probably aren't going to shoot down hundreds or thousands of starlink sats, which is what it would take to end coverage.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#47

Post by arcticbull »

jammucoder wrote: post #42
2Gkashmiri wrote: post #29

this is nothing. shameless plug. I am a kashmiri typing this from 2G internet which apprently is the only acceptable thing for the indian government to allow me. 4G access has been stopped since 5 AUGUST 2019. a freaking year has passed and no high speed internet. I didnt have 2G for like 7 months. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revocation_of_the_special_stat... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Kashmir#Cens…

I'm typing this from Jammu. Since 370 abrogation last year, number of terror incidents in J&K is down by 40%. Every story has two sides. While I hope the govt brings back full 4G connectivity soon, I am grateful to them for taking the terror situation seriously.

Do you have any evidence limited speeds are the reason for a reduction in terrorist incidents?

Unless you have some hard evidence that's a weak-sauce claim. Correlation at best.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#48

Post by aaomidi »

jammucoder wrote: post #42
2Gkashmiri wrote: post #29

this is nothing. shameless plug. I am a kashmiri typing this from 2G internet which apprently is the only acceptable thing for the indian government to allow me. 4G access has been stopped since 5 AUGUST 2019. a freaking year has passed and no high speed internet. I didnt have 2G for like 7 months. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revocation_of_the_special_stat... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Kashmir#Cens…

I'm typing this from Jammu. Since 370 abrogation last year, number of terror incidents in J&K is down by 40%. Every story has two sides. While I hope the govt brings back full 4G connectivity soon, I am grateful to them for taking the terror situation seriously.

Shit like this has no place on HN.

Using random statistics to justify taking away the freedom to access internet is NEVER okay.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#49

Post by hamiltont »

caleb-allen wrote: post #8

I have coworkers in Belarus who have been cut off from our (US based) company since the weekend. I've been able to hear from one of them intermittently, but it's a scary thing, I can't imagine what they're going through.

FYI - we have been able to get regular SMS and voice calls through (using Google Fi as our carrier). It was great to go from "absolute zero communication" to "we know you're currently OK"

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#50

Post by bhupy »

aaomidi wrote: post #48
jammucoder wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm typing this from Jammu. Since 370 abrogation last year, number of terror incidents in J&K is down by 40%. Every story has two sides. While I hope the govt brings back full 4G connectivity soon, I am grateful to them for taking the terror situation seriously.

Shit like this has no place on HN. Using random statistics to justify taking away the freedom to access internet is NEVER okay.

I don't agree with jammucoder that information restriction is a justifiable way to reduce terrorist attacks, but I think HN is exactly the sort of place that tolerates this exact kind of viewpoint, especially directly underneath a comment that argues the opposite.
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