Apparently some brilliant Georgia Tech “researches” have developed a way to beat censorship via Flickr and Twitter:
The tool, which is implemented in Python and uses the OutGuess framework, relies on a technique known as steganography to weave hidden messages into an image file. It uses an automated testing tool called Selenium to facilitate the deployment of the messages.
The researchers believe that hiding subversive messages inside content that is indistinguishable from legitimate social network activity will reduce the chances of detection.
I personally think this is really neat although the law-abiding citizen in me is being jabbed.
Censorship can be a very touchy subject as well as freedom of speech, especially as it relates online. There are some cases where I feel it’s ok and other situations that make me feel ill.
This especially touches me deeply as it relates to the messages that we, as a faith people, have to share. What are the boundaries? What are the best practices?
Where do you sit?
Censorship is crazy lame.
In my opinion: I think people of faith need to learn to communicate in modes where censorship is not an issue. Let’s concentrate less on sermons and more on conversations. Sharing our faith shouldn’t come down to whether we obey the law or not, for we serve a King who trumps the US Government.
Jesus does trump governments but he also tells us to give to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s. This implies that we are to abide to the laws that govern us.
Just because we associate with some less than reputable types of people doesn’t mean that we have to participate in the behavior or the acts that they do. I don’t think that we would be good Christians if we did participate in certain things just to get closer to people. Even if the end result is to bring them to Christ, you shouldn’t disobey Christ in the process. When breaking down the actions to the thought process, I’d be lying if I said I weren’t a hypocrite at times. Downloading 1 song because the rest of the album is absolute trash, talking to my high school youth group about something and then catching myself in the thought process on the following day. It’s hard most of the time but we are called to a higher standard of living.
Anyways, the process of steganography itself has been around a long while. They’ve used it to attach viruses to images in the past, send encrypted files and all kinds of things. It was only a period of time before someone started to use to get around censorship. And we are very fortunate that in the US we are not restricted to making the choice of breaking laws and sacrificing our lively hood when sharing our faith.