I will not like it if your website host is Exabytes.

Written by lainie at 03:42 PM on April 25, 2008 in Rants.

It made me a bit irritated to see some friends on the "Notable Clients" list for Exabytes hosting today, including Iwraw Asia Pacific, and Disarseter Records. The reason is this, please do read on and see why I think Exabytes is ass:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Admin - Exabytes <admin@exabytes.com.my>
Date: Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 2:03 PM
Subject: Important Changes on Exabytes' Policies with effective on 1st May 2008

3. Reminder: Adult Contents Are Strictly Prohibited.

3.1. Adult Contents are strictly prohibited on Exabytes' network.

3.2. What we categorized as Adult Contents, but not limited to:
- Website that sells sex toys
- Website that contains porn video
- Website contain nude photos
- Website relates to gay and lesbian

3.3. For more information about Exabytes Acceptable Use Policy on
Adult Contents, kindly refer to:
http://exabytes.com.my/about/legal/aup/#H-adult

If you have any enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank
You!

Best Regards,

Chan Kee Siak
…………………………………..
CEO,
Exa Bytes Network Sdn Bhd
Web: http://www.exabytes.com | http://www.exabytes.com.my
Helpdesk: http://support.exabytes.com/help/

From: (name removed) <********@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Subject: Re: Important Changes on Exabytes' Policies with effective on 1st May 2008
To: admin@exabytes.com.my

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was brought to the attention of an email sent out by Exabytes in regards to its policy change recently. Upon perusing the policy change, I was taken aback at a portion in Section 3.2 which describes adult contents:

3.2. What we categorized as Adult Contents, but not limited to:

- Website relates to gay and lesbian

Does this mean a homosexual-centric blog will be prohibited under your company's policy? What about a website that promotes and reviews LGBT-friendly establishments, lifestyle or events, e.g. clubs, restaurants, cafes, anecdotes, meetups?

I hope my doubts are clarified, as your vaguely worded policy promotes very discriminatory and contracted views of your company.

Yours

(name removed)

On Thu, Apr 24, 2008 at 4:18 PM, Exabytes Admin <admin@exabytes.com> wrote:

Hello (name removed),

Thank you for writing in.

We are regret to inform you that any content (eg: blog, LGBT-friendly establishments, lifestyle or events, clubs, restaurants, cafes, anecdotes, meetups) related to gay and lesbian (homosexual) will be prohibited to be hosted in our server.

If you have any enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact. Thank You!

Ooi PY
--------------------
Customer Service Manager
Exa Bytes Network Sdn Bhd

Web: http://www.exabytes.com | http://www.exabytes.com.my
Helpdesk: http://support.exabytes.com

[ My friend couldn't take what she called their "borked England", and actually edited the letter for me, but I've decided to show it in it's original, grammatically painful form ]

Talk about bad PR. Talked with my friend after that, about her email exchange

girl: yeahhuh
some more in my email
i was like
guys you're vague
and this could be very discriminatory just in case you didn't realise
and this was the response i got
-_-
WITH EXCLAMATION MARKS!

lainie: ................

I told another friend of mine (a graphic designer), who said she was already aware of the situation (guess who isn't her hosting company).

I've sent Exabytes an email enquiring further. If you have a website hosted under Exabytes, may I suggest you contact them regarding their fucking policy, followed by looking up an alternative server (eg: Integricity)?

[ Update: I contacted friends from Iwraw and Disarseter. Iwraw will follow up, and Rafil from Disarseter sent out the most pro-homophobic-multi-bigotry email to Exabytes praising them for their stand against homosexual content, and all sorts of undesirably right-wing politics, then cc-ed a whole bunch of people including Exabytes admin, activists, journalists, editors, and politicians. I've been giggling over the email, it's so bad. I will update more when Exabytes releases a statement. Currently, only Elizabeth Wong (si, the politician) has enquired further. ]

26 comments

meesh (guest)

Comment posted on May 16th, 2008 at 04:05 PM

Hey Chan,

As Lainie asked just now. I too would like to know what Malaysian Law you are talking about here. When you say adult content, it's nudity etc, sexually explicit, and yet you add gay and lesbian content. Wtf is that? It makes no sense.

Gay and lesbian content need not necessarily be adult content you know. It's true that homosexuals like Lainie are sexy and stuff, but really, they are not that objectionable you know.

Also, Ooi, whoever this is (has bad English for one, it's so salah to have a Cust Service person who's England not powderful ok? Just a tip)

"We are regret to inform you that any content (eg: blog, LGBT-friendly establishments, lifestyle or events, clubs, restaurants, cafes, anecdotes, meetups) related to gay and lesbian (homosexual) will be prohibited to be hosted in our server."

THAT IS NOT SEXUAL/ADULT content. Since when do posts or info on restaurants, lifestyle events constitute as that?

Please cite this Malaysian Law you are operating under, because I have many, many, lawyer friends, and I'll ask them if this is such. So humour us la, and tell which laws these are. I'm waiting in anticipation to your justification of not being discriminatory, because you ARE.