Help! My website is blocked in China

knadolny
 November 19, 2009, 11:37 AM posted in General Discussion

So I have a wordpress blog hosted by godaddy and have come to learn it's blocked in China.  Since I write about China in the blog each post (it's to support my book to help people read Lu Xun in the original Chinese, you can see it here) I'm a bit disappointed to hear that some of my friends are having trouble accessing it. 

Does anybody have advice on this?  Especially those blogging from within the mainland?

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bendidelaowai
 November 19, 2009, 11:55 AM

Hello, knadolny!

 

So, I understand, that you used wordpress.com + a domain name. I blog on blogspot.com (which is blocked too). I do no target Chinese people, I target foreigners as my readers. So, what I do - I use a personal VPN (please go to google and search different services, if you don't find it PM me) and blog through it. Most of the blogging services are blocked. I live in mainland for 4 years - and honestly, more and more websites are getting blocked! If 4 years ago it was mainly US getting blocked now it gets to Europe and other Asian countries. Also I noticed some "theme blocking" - a lot of Arabic themed websites are blocked just because, as well anything about religion. 

 

You have few options - find a server not blocked in China. servers and websites are both blocked. And it won't be a guarantee of open access. You can first check if you can access the hosting webpage, and you can contact the hosting company.

You can go for a VPN solution. cheaper and less hassle.

You can stop blogging.

Proxy solution does not always work.

P.S.

google and googled products are blocked selectively and according to the mood of the cyber-nannies. For details rather PM me.  

No matter if you're ideas are good or bad, Chinese cyber-nannies have their own moods. 

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knadolny
 November 20, 2009, 11:18 AM

Thanks for all of your help!  This discussion has been enlightening. 

Cheers,


Kevin

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knadolny
 November 19, 2009, 12:07 PM

Thanks for the great answer.  I will take a look into this, but I liked wordpress since it was low technical skill required.  Looks like I have some more learning to do. 

 

When I was living in China (four years ago) I could access most websites.  I guess China is getting more sensitive (or just better at blocking websites). 

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knadolny
 November 19, 2009, 12:08 PM

not the specific website is blocked, it's the servers.

Oh seriously?  Interesting...

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bendidelaowai
 November 19, 2009, 12:13 PM

yes. You can use wordpress CMS (content management system) on other servers too. Will need a little bit of hassle installing, but will work.

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changye
 November 19, 2009, 12:13 PM

Hi knadolny

What bendidelaowai said is right. They block the servers. And the situation has been getting worse in the past few years.

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bendidelaowai
 November 19, 2009, 12:02 PM

P.S.

 

To be clear. With blogging services - not the specific website is blocked, it's the servers. It's not "you" blocked in China, it's "your server" is blocked in China in this case.

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bendidelaowai
 November 19, 2009, 01:44 PM

@ bodawei

Welcome!

I think there is at least one website tracking blocked ones, but honestly- I didn't search. Since some of the Polish servers and Russian servers got blocked - I got myself a VPN. Also, some "opened" websites are not opened 100%. Yes. Dig wikipedia and you will see!

Hmm to your PS. I don't know, I didn't check.

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changye
 November 19, 2009, 01:48 PM

Hi bodawei

I imagine that the CCP sometimes becomes a bit tolerant of some "big shot" websites such as BBC to show their "generosity" to the world, but the same is not true for minor websites, where people often more freely/severely criticize China.

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knadolny
 November 19, 2009, 01:58 PM

"I'm wondering - do you have a big audience in China?  You are where, United States, writing about China?  I am interested because I write about China too but I would not expect much of an audience in China.  Not yet anyway!"

Yeah I might be getting ahead of myself, but you and a few other people mentioned they couldn't access my website in China.  I thought it was just a fluke, but after doing some research yeah my site (I mean server) looks like it's blocked.  I don't like the idea of starting out on uneven footing so would like to take care of the problem now rather than later. I imagine I could have a large potential audience there.

I'm actually in Japan (my wife is Japanese) and we have tentative plans to go back to China.  I'm glad to hear I could still access my site from China, but just have to do the VPN stuff.

 "I have so much more time than I used to.  "

I like this one...

 

 

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bodawei
 November 19, 2009, 02:20 PM

@Changye

I think that you are absolutely right (as usual) with the 'generosity' remark, and with the inverted commas.  This explanation seems to have some validity in the visual arts as well (I think we have talked about this on other threads.)  But maybe we are both being too cynical?  You I have no doubt about, but me?  As you know, I don't have a cynical bone in my body... :-) 

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xiakehe
 November 19, 2009, 04:37 PM

The internet in china ,just like a big LAN!

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bodawei
 November 19, 2009, 01:11 PM

@Bendi, Changye

Thanks for the tutorial in blocking.. 

I don't have a great deal of experience of blocking and 'get around' technology (except 2006/07 when I was not seriosly inconvenienced and the past three months when I have either not been inconvenienced or not yet worried about it too much.) 

But I wonder if anyone can tell me how to keep up to date on this.  It is, as you say, getting 'worse'.  Compared to 2006/07 I can no longer get on Facebook, Blogger, YouTube and Twitter (actually Twitter did not exist then I think.)  But now I can go to BBC news which was blocked in 2006/07.  So far I am wondering if the CCP is actually doing me a favour! :-)  I have so much more time than I used to.  

Is there a site that keeps a list of sites unavailable in China (because the servers are blocked, thank you) and a list of the functional get around technologies?  Or is that just silly because it could be easily monitored?  

@knadolny

This doesn't stop you blogging - is it just your potential audience in China that worries you?  I'm wondering - do you have a big audience in China?  You are where, United States, writing about China?  I am interested because I write about China too but I would not expect much of an audience in China.  Not yet anyway!   

PS. I haven't gone the VPN route yet - I kind of object to the financial outlay that looks like Western rather than PRC prices.  Does the Chinese Government have a financial interest in the VPNs?  Is it possible to check?