Google-based services seem to be out from NZ

[IainB]

All Google-based services seem to be out from NZ - that includes Google.co.nz and Google.com
NZ time: 2012-02-02 2047hrs
I can get to all other usual non-Google services and links that I normally use.

[IainB]

Now all Google services seem to be back to normal.
Odd.

[40hz]

Possibly due to a snag in their new redirect to local TLD server policies?

Link here.

Google Starts Redirecting Blogspot Blogs to Country-Specific URLs

by Venkat on January 31, 2012

in Tech News

You wouldn’t be surprised in future if you visit Blogspot.com other than in US country you’ll be redirected to your country specific URL in browser in fact its happening now – where Google redirecting Indian users from blogspot.com domain to blogspot.in. For e.g if you visit Googleblog.blogspot.com URL from India you’ll be taken to Googleblog.blogspot.in URL.

Right now these policies only officially affect Blogspot. But once the rollout is completed I'm sure the practice will spread to Google's other services as well. They're already "cooperating with local laws" in countries that are practicing outright web censorship. So it's a small step to do the same for everything down the road. And easier from a network administrative viewpoint.

To riff on the Space Guild Navigator's line about melange spice in Frank Herbert's book Dune: Order must be maintained! The adword revenues must continue to flow.

Good old Google. The unspoken message seems to be: We're still not evil! In fact, we're completely uninvolved with any of these issues. (Subtext: Our advertisers wouldn't like it. And our investors would be outraged if we were.)