ironcove.net

An excellent resource and video of the Blogging freedom advocacy campaign that is being undertaken by GlobalVoicesOnline. During the last six months, since the launch of Global Voices Advocacy, we have been trying to cover the increasingly serious threats to online speech occurring around the globe and the efforts to combat them. We've documented the arrest and detention of scores of bloggers and online authors and highlighted several ...

A quick guide to sending SMTP email with Google. This is a handy little trick. You can even use a non gmail.com account. The GMail SMTP server. Luckily, I could setup my Evolution Client on my Linux box within no time, to use and send mail via the GMail SMTP server. Using TLS means your emails to google are encrypted too, after they go from google ...

To kick off I must say I love this quote from New Internationalist. When you turn on your computer, you're making a political statement. If, like most people, your computer boots Microsoft Windows, the statement you're making is that transnational corporations should control access to the most powerful public media that ever existed. New Internationalist Magazine Nov. 2006The Free Software foundation has gotten together with some ...

It is good to see that the UN has seen this as a prank rather than an act of "cyber terrorism". To often these simple attacks are suddenly blown up by the media into some kind of terrorist act and suddenly teenagers are spending 20 years in jail for defacing a website. Not that I condone website defacements, I just think these things should be kept in perspective. A simple ...

It has happened to us all. The boss is unconvinced and wants an antivirus (or other solution) that comes in a shiny box with all that "quality" technical support and a well laid out manual. Here is another tool in your arsenal to convince the boss that a shiny box is not always a better product. For the second year running ClamAV is up there at number 1. Yes ...

Attacks Prompt Update for Tor Anonymity Network One of the best-known and free services for helping Internet users maintain their anonymity online - a network known simply as "Tor" -- suffered an attack this past week that may have exposed the identities of thousands of users. The good news, however, is that the vulnerability in Tor that permitted the attack is now plugged with a software patch. Security Fix - ...

This video is a great introduction to the need for security in the NGO sector and also covers the "NGO in a box - Security Edition tool". While I have not used the tool, I have been very impressed with the work being done by FrontLineDefenders.org and would like to learn more about the specifics of this tool. There is also some great introductory content on the FrontLineDefenders page. ...

While censorship of the freedom of expression or political views is often highlighted at ironcove.net, there are times when content filtering is a very important tool for Nonprofits organizations. Particularly those who may have public access computers and volunteer staff. A solid "computer use policy" is important as can be content filtering software. A content filter is a piece of hardware or software that acts a shield between the Internet ...

IFEX have some information about censorship in China, with an interesting quote from a government official. It is all so matter of fact in the way he explains the shutdown. RSF/IFEX - Reporters Without Borders has condemned the Shanghai Information Bureaus decision to shut down a literary forum run by poet Lu Yang. This came after the Chinese government blocked access to Israeli literary website http://www.shvoong.com for its 20,000 ...

William Kamkwamba has found himself become an internet celebrity pretty much overnight. Read through his blog and some of the background he really has taken the future by the hands. The windmill that started it all. Inspiring Stuff! Boing Boing has some related comments and links revolving around the Vanity Fair Africa issue and Ted Global conference.