Coursera blocks access to students in Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria

Re:Coursera blocks access to students in Cuba, Iran, Sudan a... by bilbo0s on Wednesday January 29, 2014 @12:14PM (#7145191)

"...The biggest problem is doing it in a way that doesn't bring you to the attention of those doing the blocking...."

I think this is a HUGE issue that should not be taken lightly. A guy scanning certain websites from Iran IS going to attract some attention no matter how benign his motives. It just won't be taken lightly. That attention can land you on lists you don't want to be on.

I'm not saying that I don't sympathize with his/her situation... I just think that certain actions can be viewed by people with a security mindset as hostile. Indeed it may only increase the number of sites being blocked. As well as, SEVERELY restricting his/her ability to travel without being arrested. And if you attract enough of the right attention... you may find that being arrested is the least of your worries.

And all of this doesn't even take into account what Iranian authorities may do from their end.

Advice like this, given on a public forum via easily identifiable pseudonyms, should be taken with a BIG grain of salt.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Coursera blocks access to students in Cuba, Iran, Sudan a... by mehrdada on Wednesday January 29, 2014 @01:32PM (#7145783)

Having lived the first two decades of my life, and naturally had to circumvent network blocking, in Iran, I can tell you that's not how they work. Most of the blocking they do is targeted at the masses, and most people actually do circumvent it. People who circumvent their internet blocking facilities do not generally face persecution, as it's basically 100% of the internet users.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Coursera blocks access to students in Cuba, Iran, Sudan a... by bilbo0s on Wednesday January 29, 2014 @06:57PM (#7148084)

I was referring, mostly, to what American authorities would think of an Iranian IP address port scanning web servers. That will get the attention of American authorities... and not in a good way.

You just don't go port scanning and probing willy nilly in the US. That's DOUBLY true if you are port scanning and probing sites that the US government has blocked... AND you are doing it from inside Iran.

You're just BEGGING for Homeland Security to take a closer look at you. It's very foolish.

You may know your Government... but I know mine. I can tell you that an Iranian probing sites whose access from Iran is blocked by the American government for security reasons... that's not bright. Authorities here will not take kindly to it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Coursera blocks access to students in Cuba, Iran, Sudan a... by smnrchrds on Wednesday January 29, 2014 @01:44PM (#7145847)

Exactly.

گر حکم شود که مست گیرند

در شهر هر آنکه هست گیرند

Sorry, I couldn't help citing this particular piece of Persian poetry. Trust me, it's relevant.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Coursera blocks access to students in Cuba, Iran, Sudan a... by selimthegrim on Wednesday January 29, 2014 @06:24PM (#7147877)

"If they tell you to get drunk, everyone in the city is the boss"?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Coursera blocks access to students in Cuba, Iran, Sudan a... by mehrdada on Wednesday January 29, 2014 @07:16PM (#7148175)

The literal translation would be something along the lines of "if they rule to arrest drunk people, they'd have to arrest everyone in the city."

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