UAE Community Blog: DeviantArt blocked

16 December, 2006

DeviantArt blocked

Ughhhhh. So Etisalat has now blocked DeviantArt, an online community for artists and surely, a more 'serious' place than Flickr.

49 comments:

archer14 said...: This is totally unacceptable. That site has nothing sexual about it. What kind of people report such sites?; 16 December, 2006 13:42
Anonymous said...: Took 'em a while to find that one. Watch for...well I won't name the very similar site I occasionally surf. (I don't want it shut down too!) It's even more creative with an equally wide range of images.; 16 December, 2006 15:24
Woke said...: Now I dont want to come back to Dubai!; 16 December, 2006 16:44
Anonymous said...: I know a lot of deviant-artists who can't live without it! Prepare for a massive online petition! neyahaha; 16 December, 2006 20:04
Rejected said...: Could it be a mistake????

Hmmm...Why there is a Saddam in every country in the Middle East?; 16 December, 2006 20:52
Anonymous said...: I think this may be a mistake. Just filled in one of those feedback forms, I hope something's done about it. Soon.; 17 December, 2006 00:55
flamin said...: I doubt it's a mistake. I think some of the pages on DA were blocked last week and now...the entire site is blocked. As of now, it's still blocked.

I'm too tired to get angry or shout at The Privacy Warriors.; 17 December, 2006 08:26
Anonymous said...: is this block only in parts of dubai or is this also in the 'free zones' ??? i'm in adult business and want a taxfree country , but it would be stupid i cannot send and work on my sites

...; 17 December, 2006 09:05
Anonymous said...: i saw that the owner of this 'community' is in the programming business ...

maybe he can explain some more ...
if i buy or rent a place in a freezone can i visit all erotic competitors ....

i cannot afford dubai without the big business in xxx arenaz

so ... no place for adult webmasters in dubai then ?; 17 December, 2006 09:07
Anonymous said...: i could even transport all those woman from the labourers india & china in my aqua tower project ....
and give all labourers also an appartement

if somebody knows the emir personnaly or some businesses that see potential

i need like :
- 100 labourers to build the construction 'zero dirham !!!!! sorry, human rights BUT ! they are allowed and receive a free condow (appartement, studio !!!) when building finished

- their wives will have work in the erotic interactive entertainment etc

- we can make billions when those women drop their clothes

- . . . . . .

i also need some other 'little' projects and stuff, but i think after arriving next weekend

i will find my way, money is no problem; but i doubt dubai will be a partner?!

i also want to build some industry in the dessert . .. .

like china sell stuff to the world not only oil , anything from tooth sticks to nuclear heads

we produce them and sell them

i'm gready and want to buy porsche & ferrari

can you plz contact the local top

we need to buy the world

DU BUY DU BAI
no

we buy the world
==================

i want a total leave in the palm as well

all house nrs; 17 December, 2006 09:12
Anonymous said...: i can only finance

the building 'to put us in a better picture and pay all the people a loan without working, but i control them and keep them at work in my businesses'

or i buy the leave of the palm 200 300 400 luxe villas and finance the projects with mortgage

and all the other mails here, hell i can use some adult arabic sites xxx as well

i'm the off & onshore connection

just write yours info here

i'll contact you

this ip is not mine !
=====================

ps

i'm no troll; 17 December, 2006 09:15
Anonymous said...: Latest Press Release from Etisalat, explaining why deviantart was blocked; 17 December, 2006 09:25
Anonymous said...: I just feel like leaving UAE now.; 18 December, 2006 10:07
Anonymous said...: this is the worst thing Etisalat has done so far.. Kudos to their team!!; 18 December, 2006 10:08
Anonymous said...: can you all guys go the form and submit a complain to unblock the site..I am a handicapped person who fill her life with art and deviantart..it is my life!they just killed me when they do so, I got no friends, nothing...I hate them for what they did :(; 18 December, 2006 10:16
samuraisam said...: anonymous @ 18 December, 2006 10:16: can you please email me on sam@samurai-sam.com

thanks.; 18 December, 2006 11:31
Anonymous said...: Sucks by all means, and a very rational decision , no respect for any other entity and choices..let them first block the half naked Hifa Wahbi who dress worst than naked woman , or for god sake what about the hotbird channels with all those shameless appearance and arabic written text !! which is even a motion picture!! I am so pissed off to a stage I actually hate it so much.; 19 December, 2006 08:33
Anonymous said...: Etisalat is the devil; 19 December, 2006 12:13
Anonymous said...: YEAH!!! it was just blocked here in kuwait too by Qnet. that pissed me off to the point of insanity >< what, you're running out of porn sites to block? THERES ALWAYS MORE!! wish they'd stop bylluying out poor innocent art commuity!

ANYONE STARTING AN ONLINE PETITION??? cuz if your are count me in.

it seems reporting to those lame providers isnt helping either. they're ignoring my emails and everything :/; 19 December, 2006 18:58
Anonymous said...: It used to have amazing tutorials!!! this is stupid to do.; 20 December, 2006 12:44
Anonymous said...: Dummiest thing ever,I agree with Jazz we should all come up with some petition so those fellas straighten up and understand it is important for artists!

Regards,
Malsoon; 20 December, 2006 12:57
Anonymous said...: Hey there guys please sign this online petition to unblock Deviantart.com and forwarded to all the artists that lives in UAE and want to unblock the site...please.http://www.petitiononline.com/cd34cd34/petition.html

Best regards,
Mayah; 20 December, 2006 13:14
Anonymous said...: Okay, so now the main page seems to be unblocked, but everything else on the site is still inaccessible! What's the point?!; 24 December, 2006 14:30
Anonymous said...: Guys...if you keep sending reports and request feedback on the matter Etisalat might reconsider the matter...we have to be persistant and shoud bring the matter at the same time..please guys.; 24 December, 2006 15:52
Anonymous said...: http://www.gopetition.com/sign.php?petid=10599

Sign it, Spread it, Love it....; 24 December, 2006 23:46
Anonymous said...: I think that it could have actually been this that annoyed them...

http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:9ghqSMePut4J:www.deviantart.com/deviation/58075960/+deviantART+Etisalat&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=13&lr=lang_en&client=firefox-a

Everybody knows that you don't poke fun at dictators or they take out your knees! Stupid cow...; 31 July, 2007 15:29
Anonymous said...: In Oontario, Canda, the PEEL District School Board has officially blocked DeviantART. I think a petition will be started because of the fact that my art teacher has an account and is a regual member.; 09 November, 2008 21:00
Anonymous said...: i agree i dont see why dA is blocked on most school computers. most people dont even look at the nude photography or anything so i dont see why it is.; 18 November, 2008 19:27
Anonymous said...: WHY?!

I just feel like leaving UAE right now, and go back to Yemen.

I, myself, a deviant-artist. DeviantART had nothing inappropriate in it, it's ART. I'm sure everyone sees something a tiny bit nude in art galleries. DeviantART is just art, I don't see a proper believable reason for them to block it.; 23 November, 2008 18:10
Anonymous said...: I hate etisalat because Working controling peoples personal rights.. I cant visit tagged, flickers, and more.. Are we paying for to people who blockin the sites.. There are many people started to hate ur service etisalat..If there is any line which providing services without blocking site's, sure i will throw ur modem and buy the new 1..; 29 December, 2008 07:36
H.Q. said...: And now they've hit again!!

I came from Syria, where we had way too many blocked web content, only to be shocked by the MASSIVE senseless blocking strategy used here!!!
WHO THE ***** IS REPORTING THESE SITES!!!
I'm an artist, and deviant art is my online gallery where i show drawings, prints & photography to those interested, and share knowledge with fellow artists, learn and let others learn, it's an art & literature community for God's sake!!
i wouldn't say there's no nudity on the site, but 1) you have to register to be able to browse it, 2) you have to check the "i'm over 18" box, 3) IT'S F(*&#@$ ART!!! it's not Porn we're talking about here!! the retard who reported the site should know how to control his animal instincts drooling over each female "figure" his eyes could spot!!

and even with explanation provided back in 2006 by Etisalat... DATING?! don't you think it's a bit STUPID?! YOU ETISALAT RETARDS!! EVERY SINGLE SITE, FORUM, BLOG & PERSONAL PAGE WHERE COMMENTS AND EMAIL ADDRESSES ARE MENTIONED CAN BE USED FOR DATING... GO BLOCK TH %^$@!# WEB!!!!

Oh... and go collect your kids from the malls & night clubs... THAT'S where they go for "dating"...

Etisalat, once again, has proven to hold a bunch of illiterate, ignorant and uncivilized crew, who cannot differentiate between art, literature & a human rectum (Oh yes, and if you feel offended by the word "rectum", then, my friend, you're no different from the one who asked for dA to be blocked... It's SCIENCE, BIOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, HUMAN ANATOMY, LEARN YOUR ABCs!!)...

The only thing i can feel now, is chokingly deep pure HATRED...

I'm sending an unblock request to etisalat right now, please do the same, or we shall start a new petition once again...

Please inform all those whom you know, every single soul could help...

Welcome to the age of Art suppression...

H.Q.; 15 January, 2009 11:02
Anonymous said...: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
im a deviant-artist and i need to upload my arts !!!
WHY do they have to do THIS !?!!
:(
:'(
D:; 15 January, 2009 11:59
Anonymous said...: OMG,I made new friends there,and it's become this big social thing for me.

I check up on others,and they check up on me...

Why did this have to happen:(; 15 January, 2009 13:30
H.Q. said...: Oh well, of course there's a thing you can do for now...

Lyka, I know exactly how you feel, and you don't need to put your life on hold, we actually need you to be as active as you've never been...

first, once you try to open dA's page and find the "Blocked" page, click on the "Feedback Form"
http://www.etisalat.ae/proxy
and fill in the required fields and write them the reason why you think the site should be unblocked... for instance, I've sent them this, trying to be as polite as possible, even though all I was thinking of was: "I'M GONNA F^!@# YOUR F!%^@# INTERNET &*~!^@# YOU *&%^!@#&*^ PROXY !@#&*^!$"... but I just... well, i put it in some way that might be of some reason to these retards...
it was something like this:

"Dear Etisalat team,

I am an Artist, Photographer & Printmaker, resident of Dubai, I'm truly shocked to see Deviant Art blocked once again, we've been through this back in 2006, and again in 2008, and I think by now we should all have shaped a good idea about the nature of the site.

Deviant Art is an Art & Literature community, it collects creative people from all around the world, being a home & an Art Gallery for each of them, back in the days it was banned for claims that it had been used for dating. which is somehow weird, as EVERY SINGLE FORUM and website with comments permitted can be used for dating purposes!! but eventhough that might be true, dA.com has NEVER been a dating service of any kind! but a place to share knowledge, literature, art & culture! the blockage of DeviantArt.com is guaranteed to put a deaf black spot on the cultural page of Dubai & the the image of the UAE, and the claims of Dubai being an open space for culture & civilization.

I hope you would reconsider the reasons why the site has been blocked, and take a deep look into the content instead of a swift & shallow first look, for this is one big living community of culture and art that has all the world and humanity contributing to it, it's a shame that such a valued resource is blocked here in the UAE... I just hope this can be changed...

Thank you for all your hard work trying to keep the internet experience clean and safe for all, and I hope you would top it all up with an open mind & heart, and let go this one harmless misunderstood site.

Best regards,
H.Q."

Well, let's say tried to sound like the "good cop" in this mail... though I would've loved to be the ^!@%# BAD COP...

and remember, they've already blocked us twice in 2006 & 08, and it all went back again once they received enough pressure...
I've checked the old petition HERE: http://www.gopetition.com/online/10599.html and sent its writer a message to reactivate it, if she doesn't do it i'll create a new one within the next 48 hours, depending on what kind of reply we'd get from Etisalat.

but please, the most important thing is DON'T STAY QUIET, just shout it out, call all of your friends and let them fill and submit the feedback forum, once they see that there ARE a big base backing the site, they will HAVE TO unblock it, I've already called a few friends, and now i'm writing emails to colleagues and artists here in Dubai... hopefully we'll be heard soon enough...

All the best luck...
H.Q.; 15 January, 2009 15:25
Anonymous said...: I just want to know, WHY?
it's the ideal place for Art students coz it's the easiest way to communicate with other artists around the world. what a dump decision!!; 15 January, 2009 16:45
Anonymous said...: oh... not again Etisalat..NOT. AGAIN.

ARGH.; 16 January, 2009 00:08
Electric said...: I just came to DA like ayear ago and trust me fellas im in love with the photography posted there. Im not a photographer but i love photography and i learn so much from there!

This blocking system is totally BIASED and so i wrote on the feedback form telling them to unblock it...i didnt noe it was blocked in 06 & 08 but honestly they just dnt make sense!

I agree with H.Q dont stay quiet speak up! THEY HAVE TO open it up..! :@ uff i miss DA already =[; 16 January, 2009 01:19
Anonymous said...: HQ - yeah, I sent the request form and signed the petition, i also begged all of my friends to do it too, even though most of them don't even know what DA is, but whatever, so yeah, I am not gonna stop till it's unblocked, and I read your two comments and I sooo cannot agree with you more! took the words right outta my mouth.

T0T; 16 January, 2009 01:43
Anonymous said...: WHAT THE MEANING OF THIS!!!!!!!!!!
I WILL GET MY HANDS ON ETISALAT IF THEY DON'T UNBLOCKED; 16 January, 2009 19:16
Anonymous said...: I have no idea why they are keep doing this ! =s
it seems like they dont want use to use the Net !!

what we are going to do if etisalat kept blocking each single site they hear of !

it's just nonsense =s !!

Remember Flickr ?

all Of us filled that feedbacks forms but they just didnt listen !! =S Etisalat DOnT listen & They DOnT Care For Their Own customers opinion!!

every one of us is responsible of his/her own posts ! So why punishing every one ! punish the one who did the mistake !

Etisalat you are being like a teacher who punishes all the class for one student ! WE HATE YOU NOW !

I Really wish if there's other companies to provide the interenet working on different server than etisalat or du.; 17 January, 2009 12:07
Anonymous said...: I hope Etisalat would break apart :); 17 January, 2009 13:48
hmdqdrshk said...: Hi i have made a petition at:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/unblockdeviantart.html

please sign to get those Etisalat retards a taste of how many ppl are affected by blocking devaintArt!

Please sign the Petition.
Thanks; 17 January, 2009 18:17
H.Q. said...: Dear Hammad, thanks for taking the initiative and going the first step, I've signed there and sent the link to many other friends and people who could show an interest to help. Oh.. and i was just thinking that you may want to update the stats of DeviantArt, just found these stats, as for today the total Number of posts is: 5390933 & the Number of registered members: 5068184. well... dunno about the rest as the site is blocked!!

@Lyka, that's good to hear, I've contacted even more people today, former colleagues and people who might care enough to sign the petition... hopefully there'll be some good reactions, I just can't stand the idea that dA could end up like Flickr, of course, no matter how hard the shock of losing Flickr was on many of us, we still had an alternative, which was dA, until the past few days... of course there are always alternatives, maybe like http://conceptart.org/ ... but if we just keep on searching for alternatives, Etisalat will only keep on blocking each and every single site we use... i guess once we're done with dA... we should file a petition for Flickr to be brought back to life... let them learn that they're not living among sheep... they are here to SERVE US... and we are the only reason why their whole ^%@#! company does still exist...

These guys cannot be "Internet Nazis"... Even Hitler was an Artist!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU FREAKS!!!!!; 18 January, 2009 11:19
Electric said...: Thanku for making that petition. I signed it..
its soo frustrating! I WISH they cud unblock it ASAP! I miss those amazing photography :'(; 18 January, 2009 22:52
Anonymous said...: hey..!!

Etisalat has done this to most of the art sites like flickr now deviant art, when they blocked flickr i remmember reading this post almost simmilar to this where one said that they are doing this to promote their own art site something with "weyak" i dunno. what i mean is that they are CLOSING ALL doors on all creative sites so people would be FORCED to use theirs

i didnt believe it at first because with flickr there was a bit of E7mmmzzz from local people..!! although i hated when they blocked it..!!

having said that, what r the odds that they r doing this for that same reason that i mentioned?! could be!?

When they blocked it i was at the airport leaving for holiday, and i was shocked when i was at the airport and i logged on it was BLOCKED..after i arrived at the hotel the first thing i wanted to do what to see what was wrong..of course from there it wasnt blocked but i saw a couple of post on deviant art from uae-ians that they accessed it from a thing like they r doing with flickr, and how it is blocked..!!

i arrived today early morning, got some rest and now here i am trying to do everything i can to get it back..!!

i was an active DA..!! and i was actually improving in my photography, now i just LOST IT!!; 23 January, 2009 11:47
Anonymous said...: T-T it's still blocked. wtf.

last time they blocked it, how long did it take for them to unblock it again?; 25 January, 2009 12:44
H.Q. said...: @Lyka... it IS UNBLOCKED!!!!!

HOORRAAAAAAYYYY :D!!!!!
Congratulations everyone!!! I guess we've done it!!!!... I guess 8)!!

well... what do you say now... shouldn't we head for flickr ;)?!; 26 January, 2009 13:43
Diaz-soul said...: Noo!!! DeviantArt is blocked at my school district agian!! This is just not fair. NOW how the hell can i post my art?! I just cant see why they had to blocked it? School is the only place where i have internet access too scince my internet at home got cut off 'cause of non payment. Now i'm just pissed. Dang it!; 21 April, 2009 20:21
Abdul Wahid said...: ACCESS www.deviantart.com now browsing only!!! need to do more....
www.deviantart.com is semi blocked by etisalat so I try to create a firefox script to access deviantart coz
using ultrasurf/hotspot shield come with lot of unknown guests/spy & viruses plus take lot of bandwidth resources.

I am trying and succeeded, but still need to do lot more to get all things work properly.

http://deviantart.com deviantart temporary fix; not much just changing the urls from .net to .com for all images, js & css as .net is blocked lil slow but i will work on it.

So what you have to do is get a Mozilla firefox
Install a Greasemonkey addons https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748?id=748
then install a Devtart temporary fix SCRIPT http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/59238
that's it and send me feedback about it.

http://color2life.deviantart.com/; 06 October, 2009 22:12