Derived Regulation
Harnessing tech to address a nation's challenges
by Lim Sheng Ming , Brunei Darussalam
Subscribe to this blog
Brunei blacklisted
Jul 12, 2009 21:19Actions speak louder than words and nothing resonates more than seeing how actual Web sites react to requests originating from Brunei.
First up is video-sharing site Veoh. When I tried to access the site last year I was greeted by this friendly little message:
It's not just Brunei, though. Veoh decided to cut off its service to countries where demand was low. I wonder if it took into account Brunei's paltry population of 350,000 or so.
Exhibits B and C come from the blogosphere, specifically WordPress and LiveJournal (though I don't claim them to be the only offenders). On more than one occassion their spam-detecting algorithms have classified Brunei IP addresses as spam sources. Trust me, with Brunei's bandwidth problems I find that highly unlikely.
And I saved the best for last. I swear this really happened to me but I deleted the proof (dumb, I know). It involves the big daddy of domain sellers, GoDaddy. I was getting a domain transfered to GoDaddy and, with credit card in hand, was ready to pay the transfer charge, but GoDaddy rejected the payment. I tried again and with different credit cards, but no luck. Having made purchases from GoDaddy on numerous occassions prior, I shot a kindly worded email to the support and found a reply a day or two later.
Now, I forget the exact words used (I never should have deleted the email), but their reply was along the lines of "we are required by US law not to accept payments from countries suspected of harboring terrorists". Well, that did it, I fell off my exercise ball in a heap of laughter.
The GoDaddy thing was probably a one-off technical glitch because I've since been able to buy domains from the company again without a problem. Still, the way Web sites treat requests originating from Brunei, it's enough to give a guy an inferiority complex.
- Talkback
-
haha wwish i could read that email, i think it probably happens in all countries sometimes, but i'm sure brunei may suffer more frequently from these "rejection" emails, shame really. respect
Jul 13, 2009 05:22
At least the one good thing is you got some form of reply from GoDaddy's Support, whether it was an auto-response or otherwise.
Jul 14, 2009 13:59
Americans dream of terrorists everywhere there isn't a Starbucks on every street corner.
They have gone so far that it's funny now.....except for the inocent victims of course.
Jul 15, 2009 01:17
The U.S. is not what it used to be. She's living beyond it's means for decades by borrowing trillions from China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. Instead of saving and investing that money, she got drunk and spent it on ever bigger homes and cars and yaughts. Her affluence is an illusion based entirely on a phoney economy. She's literally and utterly broke.
For those interested in economics, check out Peter Schiff on Youtube. He's an American economist that predicted the credit crises in 2002!
Here's one to get you started:
www.youtube.com...
Jul 15, 2009 07:27
About Lim Sheng Ming
Tired of relatives misspelling his name, Lim Sheng Ming christened himself "LSM". Born in Brunei, he is currently based in intoxicating Japan where he is supposed to be doing research. A published writer, an accomplished Latin dancer, a Tai Chi practitioner and a committed Lifehacker, he still finds time to follow standards-based Web development and promote Internet accessibility. He is also one of the few who have switched from a Mac (but don't judge him for that).
Recent Comments
Most Discussed
Browse Archive
JanuarySponsored links
The new Citi DIVIDEND World MasterCard
Get up to 5% cash back for every dollar charged to your card.
Win an ASUS UL Series Notebook!
Answer 3 simple questions and stand a chance to win an ASUS UL80Vt notebook worth over $1500!
Crack the code
Crack the code with Western Digital and stand to win the new PS3 (slim gaming console).
Just right. Nothing more.
The VAIO X Series. It’s everything you desire and nothing you don’t.
Make Your Brand Sing Out!
The Music Matters Advertising Forum in association with Media, Singapore, Dec 8
Samsung Camera, Two LCDs.
Twice the fun of any camera. Dual LCD makes it easy.
CNET Asia is now on Facebook!
Be part of the most happening tech community in Asia on Facebook
CNET Asia TV
Watch gadget reviews, quick tips, movie trailers and more for FREE.
