February 4, 2008

I don’t expect people to know much about computers, but the story about Iran having no Internet access is complete nonsense.

It scares the living crap out of me that so many Cryptogon readers are propagating this nonsense without even trying to verify whether or not the story is true. (In fairness, one Cryptogon reader who submitted it later wrote that, by the same measure, Florida had no Internet services. HAHA)

The page that all of you are submitting monitors one router, which happens to be down, at the Iran University of Science and Technology. Somehow, through the magic bullshit amplification powers of the Intertubes, the fact that one router is down at an Iranian university has snowballed into "Iran is off the air."

Oh really?

Why not check out the Iran University of Science and Technology’s homepage?

http://www.iust.ac.ir
IP: 194.225.230.89
Machine Location: Tehran, Iran

How about the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

http://www.mfa.gov.ir
IP: 217.172.99.41
Machine Location: Tehran, Iran

How about the Central Bank of The Islamic Republic of Iran?

http://www.cbi.ir
IP: 217.218.174.178
Machine Location: Tehran, Iran

Hint: Don’t believe everything you read on Reddit and Slashdot.

Most Impacted Countries




See also: http://www-wanmon.slac.stanford.edu/cgi-wrap/pingtable.pl?fi
le=throughput&by=by-site&size=100&tick=monthly&from=EDU.SLAC ...