[Infowarrior] - AOL/Hotmail Blocking Truthout Communications?

[Richard Forno]

"...the Microsoft-Hotmail administrators inform us that they are blocking
our communications to Truthout subscribers on their systems due to what they
describe as our "reputation.""

Knowing that any American-based email provider is censoring/blocking
political discourse --regardless of viewpoint-- is disturbing.  For shame!

-rf



http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/091307Z.shtml#

    UPDATE: 09.14.07:12:noon:pdt:

    We are receiving numerous reports from readers that our communications
to them are affected. The reader comments posted below provide valuable
additional information.

    The most frequent question we are hearing right now is: "What can I do?"
NOTHING works better than public pressure. They can ignore us; they can't
ignore you.

    AOL/Microsoft-Hotmail Preventing Delivery of Truthout Communications

    Thursday 13 September 2007

    Currently, AOL- and Microsoft-related email providers, including
Hotmail, are preventing delivery of a range of Truthout communications to
thousands of our subscribers. Such communications include Truthout's regular
newsletters and notifications to our subscribers from individual
workstations of Truthout administrators informing those subscribers that
they are affected.

    For the most part, all other ISPs appear to be delivering Truthout
communications normally.

    While AOL has been largely evasive and silent about their reasons for
blocking communications, our server logs and complaints from subscribers
illustrate a clear pattern of interference. Microsoft-Hotmail, while not
being forthcoming about their actions to the subscribers involved, have
stated to our administrators that they are in fact "throttling" and
"blocking" our communications. Further, the Microsoft-Hotmail administrators
inform us that they are blocking our communications to Truthout subscribers
on their systems due to what they describe as our "reputation."

    We believe that you - not your Internet Service Provider - should decide
what you will read. In an effort to restore service and send a clear message
to the ISPs involved, we ask you to do the following:

    1.) Keep us informed. Let us know if your newsletters suddenly stop
arriving. We have set up a special email address
<mailto:SERVICE at truthout.org>  for those complaints.

    2.) It is critically important if it does become clear that you are
still on our list, and we are sending to you, that you demand your rights.
The only rights you have are the ones you exercise.

    We are deeply sorry to all of you affected. But we are confident that
this problem can be addressed working hand-in-hand.

    Good luck,

    Marc Ash, Executive Director - t r u t h o u t