SourceForge is Blocked in Syria. How can the Arab Tech community help?

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  As some of you may already know... SourceForge.net has suddenly blocked Syrian users (see:http://twitpic.com/z4asq), on the basis of being compliant to US law.

  This has obviously opened up the debate (again) about how 'Open', 'Open Source' really is... and how susceptible it is to the shackles of Politics and National laws. I'm not looking to open any political debate... but there must be a way to help.

  I'm wondering what the Arab tech community can do about this? I'm not a hacker or much of a techie and don't really condone black-hat techniques, but there must be a way that we can become less reliant on US based software platforms.

  Using this particular SF issue, what about someone creating a platform and using crowd-sourcing to download from SF and upload there? Obviously we won't be able to do everything, but we should be able to get some of the more popular Downloads done... and provide a way for Syrians, Iranians and Sudanese to request specific ones from the community.

  It might be completely ridiculous as an idea... but let's use the recent attempts to link the Arab techie community spirit and find a solution!

   

  Tags: sourceforge censorship

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  Thank you all for this rich discussion. I believe Mr. Hamed Al-Suhli project is very promising, and I really hope you go ahead with it.

  Personally, I think tech-savvy users will be able to find more solutions to access what is needed. The main risk is on the normal users who will lack the way to download open and free software. It is a complicated issue, and I hope all can contribute in their different spheres of influence.

  One idea that occured to me, is developing a kind of seek-help/offer-help in providing the software requested. I spent some time on it, and here is the early beta.

  http://www.opensource4arab.com

  I welcome all your commects. It is just one small effort to deal with this really complicated issue.

  Salamat

  by Shadi HIJAZI, Jan 28, 2010 1:50pm

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  and now the story is top on Ycombinator:

  http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1073903

  by Gaith Saqer, Jan 25, 2010 12:39am

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  I can't even search for flights to Damascus from Orbitz.  This is probably due to the same interpretation of the law.

  by Haisam Ido, Jan 24, 2010 11:17pm

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  ArabCrunch.NET has open source profiles, if anyone has ideas to improve we are ready to listen.

  One the other hand ArabCrunch Eng (the blog) post  about the blocked is now Hot on Reddit with 156 points (78% like it) 217 up votes (61 down votes!!!!) AND 111 comments:

  http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/athsz/sourceforge_has_banned_downloads_from_syria_iran/

   

  Support our freedom to innovate and Go Vote and Comment 

  by Gaith Saqer, Jan 24, 2010 11:01pm

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  This is why open source projects should be warehoused outside of the US when possible.  US foreign policy is schizophrenic and hence unreliable.  Is there a European equivelant to sourceforge.net?

  by Haisam Ido, Jan 24, 2010 4:36pm

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  Actually "downloading" or "uploading" any project are the services that has been banned from those users! Not the whole site.

  by Humam Hawasli, Jan 24, 2010 2:58pm

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  Alsalam aleikom
  
  I'm going to design an Internet distributed application prospect aimed at:
  1-the core is Arabic Semantic binary encoding contain something like http://corpus.quran.com/
  2-the system contain hiratial rating mechanism i suggested here: دراسة آلية لقولبة نظام التوثيق التأريخي رقميا
  3-the application can rely on dedicated servers for more speed but mainly is distributed file system derived as expansion to BitTorrent protocol so the dedicated servers is not critical.
  4- also it has something like GIT in addition to the Torrent files exchange system.
  5-contain personal and public discussion system combine forum tiddlywiki and maybe email and chat forced over the torrent stream.
  
  for now I think we can build such application (the alpha) in one year using the effort of 10 half time volunteer programmers?
  but the concept I'll complete it within 2 month inshaallah.

  by Hamed Al-Suhli, Jan 24, 2010 2:56pm

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  i just checked http://sourceforge.net/ ..  it's open.. i'm in Syria and did not use any hack to get there.

  regarding google, many of their services are blocked for Syrians. one of them is Google Chrome... imagine!

  i'm using their Gmail, but how could i be sure they would allow me to get in?

  by Mazen Mosfy, Jan 24, 2010 2:54pm

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  I don't think we should be aware on how people in those country can download the projects, it is very simple issue to them.

  We should think about sending a message to those who beleive in freedom! I don't think this issue is known outside or even people outside know anything about banning those countries!

  It is our job to spread it to the whole world.

  by Humam Hawasli, Jan 24, 2010 11:00am

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  Google code banned syria then sourceforge.. what's next? HTTP protocol?!!!

  Actually we don't need open SOURCُE as much as we need an open MIND. I feel we don't live in 2010 AD. I feel we live in 2010 BC..

  I'm with Gaith we shouldn't forget Sudan too....

  by Zakwan Alhajjar, Jan 23, 2010 9:40pm

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  Thank you Hichame, do not foget that Sudan is also in this not just syria, i just posted about this:

  http://arabcrunch.com/2010/01/following-clintons-internet-freedom-speech-us-based-sourceforge-blocked-syria-sudan-iran-korea-cuba-is-open-source-still-really-open.html

  by Gaith Saqer, Jan 22, 2010 8:40pm

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