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Topic: 2012-10-09 Forbes.com - As Inflation Rages In Iran, Bitcoin Software Not Availab - page 2. (Read 7228 times)

hero member
Activity: 763
Merit: 500
don't overestimate this. western propaganda is probably exaggerate the inflation and the biggest censoring mechanism is still behind our ears.
legendary
Activity: 1862
Merit: 1114
WalletScrutiny.com
Now would be a great time to be offering bitcoin services in Iran (and to be in the paper recycling business).

Smiley lol
legendary
Activity: 4551
Merit: 3445
Vile Vixen and Miss Bitcointalk 2021-2023
Quote
Therefore, the export control determination has to be made by the project’s registered administrator on SourceForge, which for Bitcoin is lead developer Gavin Andresen

Well, I imagine Matonis is a little conflicted at this point, given that he is sitting on the board of The Bitcoin Foundation alongside the chief dev who has blocked Iranians from downloading the software .... seems like there might be a case for a hidden service on Tor mirroring bitcoin "official" repo.
The developers don't have a choice. Bitcoin uses strong cryptography, which, for reasons which don't really make sense, is legally classified as a military weapon under the Wassenaar Arrangement, and therefore illegal to export to "certain" countries. Simply making the source code available for download worldwide is legally equivilant to selling bombs to Iran. As fucked up as the law is, it must be obeyed if you want to avoid being jailed for arms trafficking.
legendary
Activity: 3920
Merit: 2349
Eadem mutata resurgo
Quote
Therefore, the export control determination has to be made by the project’s registered administrator on SourceForge, which for Bitcoin is lead developer Gavin Andresen

Well, I imagine Matonis is a little conflicted at this point, given that he is sitting on the board of The Bitcoin Foundation alongside the chief dev who has blocked Iranians from downloading the software .... seems like there might be a case for a hidden service on Tor mirroring bitcoin "official" repo.
legendary
Activity: 980
Merit: 1020
Dictatorship is so much easier when it's 99% self-policed.  ChillingEffects!


This is why we should practice fear inoculation: http://kibabase.com/articles/notes-and-thoughts#fear-inoculation
legendary
Activity: 1092
Merit: 1001
This censorship is disgusting and what's even more disgusting is that it's led by US. Where is the famous american "freedom"? So much dictatorship.



Dictatorship or scared off their pants Americans?

Dictatorship is so much easier when it's 99% self-policed.  ChillingEffects!
legendary
Activity: 980
Merit: 1020
This censorship is disgusting and what's even more disgusting is that it's led by US. Where is the famous american "freedom"? So much dictatorship.



Dictatorship or scared off their pants Americans?
legendary
Activity: 1092
Merit: 1001
This censorship is disgusting and what's even more disgusting is that it's led by US. Where is the famous american "freedom"? So much dictatorship.

I think the 'famousness' of American freedom is more for internal consumption.
legendary
Activity: 1148
Merit: 1008
If you want to walk on water, get out of the boat
This censorship is disgusting and what's even more disgusting is that it's led by US. Where is the famous american "freedom"? So much dictatorship.

legendary
Activity: 1862
Merit: 1114
WalletScrutiny.com
Can Iranians use the Blockchain.info wallet or is that site blocked?

At least instawallet is not blocked now. You can search an Iranian proxy to learn more about the funny internet for Iranians.
newbie
Activity: 50
Merit: 0
Can Iranians use the Blockchain.info wallet or is that site blocked?
legendary
Activity: 1862
Merit: 1114
WalletScrutiny.com
I suspect the developers have no option but to block access to avoid serious legal problems in the United States where the lead developer is based. The same would occur is many other countries for example Canada. I actually support the developers doing this for this very reason. That been said what is to prevent someone in a jurisdiction that does not have sanctions on Iran from downloading the software and then making it available via a server or bit-torrent? In the latter case for example on TPB.



I suspect the developers don't give a fuck as they've been ignoring my questions about this very issue since 1.3a.

There are sites which are more embargo-compliant and others that are less compliant and the bitcoin project also uses Italian domains or others that would not have any legal issues linking to open source for Iranians.

Actually if the USA wouldn't be scared of Bitcoin, it could use it as a weapon against Iran alongside its USD to destabilize the IRR.
legendary
Activity: 2282
Merit: 1050
Monero Core Team
I suspect the developers have no option but to block access to avoid serious legal problems in the United States where the lead developer is based. The same would occur is many other countries for example Canada. I actually support the developers doing this for this very reason. That been said what is to prevent someone in a jurisdiction that does not have sanctions on Iran from downloading the software and then making it available via a server or bit-torrent? In the latter case for example on TPB.

hero member
Activity: 815
Merit: 1000
Shit. This is serious. I can't imagine an embargo like this. To be unable to download open-source software? In these days and age, unacceptable.

Is there a simple how-to for download Bitcoin behind great firewalls? Chinese hackers could help Iranians in this issue.

I think the clients still RUN, right? Otherwise THAT is a major issue.

So it's just a question of using TOR, torrents or a simple MIRROR site to get A client.

For Iranians that should be like a given - you think porn is unblocked in that country? Hell being blocked there is like a seal of approval.
legendary
Activity: 2506
Merit: 1010
Quote
Forget about the mere difficulties of obtaining and trading bitcoin for national fiat currency in Iran — without the client software, they are not even there yet.

On a related note:

Now that there is a 100% Farsi translation of MultiBit I have improved the right-to-left layout.
It is not perfect but I think it is now usable.
Screenshot in Farsi:

[...]

I plan to get this released this week.
hero member
Activity: 931
Merit: 500
Shit. This is serious. I can't imagine an embargo like this. To be unable to download open-source software? In this days and age, unacceptable.

Is there a simple way to download Bitcoin behind great firewalls? Chinese hackers could help Iranians in this issue.
legendary
Activity: 2506
Merit: 1010
As Inflation Rages In Iran, Bitcoin Software Not Available
by Jon Matonis

Quote
The regular people of Iran have had access blocked to certain open source software sites for downloading applications such as Bitcoin.
[...]

The 20-month-old blockade hasn’t been instigated by Iran’s mullahs but by the U.S.-led embargo which prohibits certain persons from receiving services via open source hosting sites.
[...]

Forget about the mere difficulties of obtaining and trading bitcoin for national fiat currency in Iran — without the client software, they are not even there yet.
[...]

Source code can also be distributed in text-based form like a PDF or scanable book which is what MIT did for Phil Zimmermann and later what 70 international volunteers did for the PGPi Scanning Project in 1997.
[...]

More and more, the Bitcoin Project is starting to look like the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) secure email program with each passing day.

 - http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonmatonis/2012/10/09/as-inflation-rages-in-iran-bitcoin-software-not-available
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