Unblock Deviantart.com !

Deviantart.com is an international online community for artists. It was first launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens and Angelo Sotira, amongst others. DeviantArt, Inc. is headquartered in Suite 788 at 7905 Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States. As of August 2008 the site consists of over 8 million members, over 62 million submissions, and receives around 80,000 submissions per day. The domain deviantart.com attracted at least 36 million visitors annually by 2008 according to a Compete.com study.[4]

DeviantArt aims to provide a place for any artist to exhibit and discuss works. Works are organized in a comprehensive category structure, including photography, digital art, traditional art, literature, Flash, film making, and skins for applications, among others, along with extensive download able resources such as tutorials and stock photography.

Etisalat has blocked deviantart Yesterday 15-January-2009 and People are really annoyed by this because for some people in the uae (ex: me) actually see deviantart as their home on the internet were they spend most of their time surfing it!

People are hating etisalat for doing this, and i dont really know why they are not responding ! Please sign this Petition if you really understand what it means of losing something you really love, or if you are actually a deviantart lover, artist, or a photographer who wants to express his/her feelings through art and photography!

Here are some comments from people in the UAE :

First of all, is H.Q and his/her post is below:

" Posted by H.Q. on 15 January, 2009 11:02

And now they've hit again!!

I came from Syria, where we had way too many blocked web content, only to be shocked by the MASSIVE senseless blocking strategy used here!!!
WHO THE ***** IS REPORTING THESE SITES!!!

I'm an artist, and deviant art is my online gallery where i show drawings, prints & photography to those interested, and share knowledge with fellow artists, learn and let others learn, it's an art & literature community for God's sake!!

I wouldn't say there's no nudity on the site, but 1) you have to register to be able to browse it, 2) you have to check the "i'm over 18" box, 3) IT'S F(*&#@$ ART!!! it's not Porn we're talking about here!! the retard who reported the site should know how to control his animal instincts drooling over each female "figure" his eyes could spot!!

and even with explanation provided back in 2006 by Etisalat... DATING?! don't you think it's a bit STUPID?! YOU ETISALAT RETARDS!! EVERY SINGLE SITE, FORUM, BLOG & PERSONAL PAGE WHERE COMMENTS AND EMAIL ADDRESSES ARE MENTIONED CAN BE USED FOR DATING... GO BLOCK TH %^$@!# WEB!!!!

Oh... and go collect your kids from the malls & night clubs... THAT'S where they go for "dating"...

Etisalat, once again, has proven to hold a bunch of illiterate, ignorant and uncivilized crew, who cannot differentiate between art, literature & a human rectum (Oh yes, and if you feel offended by the word "rectum", then, my friend, you're no different from the one who asked for dA to be blocked... It's SCIENCE, BIOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, HUMAN ANATOMY, LEARN YOUR ABCs!!)...

The only thing i can feel now, is chokingly deep pure HATRED...

I'm sending an unblock request to etisalat right now, please do the same, or we shall start a new petition once again...

Please inform all those whom you know, every single soul could help...

Welcome to the age of Art suppression...

H.Q. "

And here is another one from Anonymous:

" Posted by Anonymous on 15 January, 2009 11:59

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
im a deviant-artist and i need to upload my arts !!!
WHY do they have to do THIS !?!!
:(
:'(
D: "

and here is the last but not least Lyka :

" Posted by Lyka on 15 January, 2009 13:28

I AM FUCKING PISSED.

THIS IS JUST TERRIBLE. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW UPSET I AM, ANGRY!

I'M LITERALLY SHAKING, I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW STUPID AND BLIND THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED THIS SITE TO BE BLOCKED IS.

I'M JUST OUTRAGED.

WHAT THE HELL WILL IT TAKE TO GET THEM TO UNBLOCK THIS SITE? I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT DEVIANTART! BLOCK ANY OTHER SITE, BLOCK EVEYRTHING IF YOU WANNA, JUST NOT DEVIANTART!

I WILL ANYTHING TO GET THEM TO UNBLOCK, ANYTHING.

I HATE THIS SO MUCH.

AND FYI , I UNDERSTAND YOUR RELIGIOUS VALUES, I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'D WANNA BLOCK SITES LIKE FLICKR. BUT FOR THIS, I HAVE TO PUT MY FOOT DOWN. MY GOD. DEVIANTART IS MY LIFFFFEE! DEVIANTART IS WHAT EVERY ARTIST NEEDS, IT BRINGS ALL THE HARD CORE ARTISTS ALL OVER THE WORLD TOGETHER, WHICH I THINK ETISALAT DOESNT UNDERSTAND, I FEEL LIKE THEY JUST BLOCK AND DONT CONSIDER IT BEFORE THEY BLOCK IT.

DO THEY EVER EVEN LISTEN TO US? I FEEL LIKE THEY JUST LAZILY IGNORE ALL OUR REQUEST FORMS!

IF THIS SITE ISN'T UNBLOCKED BY NEXT WEEK, I SWEAR I WILL GO DOWN THERE MYSELF AND DEMAND IT TO BE UNBLOCKED.

LETS SEE IF THEY REALLY LISTEN TO THEIR PEOPLE.

MEANWHILE, MY WHOLE LIFE WILL BE PUT ON HOLD, AND I'LL BE SLOWLY DYING UNTIL DEVIANTART IS UNBLOCKED. "

So, If You really want to support, sign this Petition and remember 1 vote can make a difference !