Iran Goverment Bans Gmail

Google just cannot seem to keep its technologies out of the international spotlight (which I imagine is amazing for its PR business). First, China, now Iran. The Times is now reporting what Mashable did over an hour ago: the Iranian government has said it will permanently ban the use of Google's Gmail in the country.

How this will affect the ability of the Iranian citizenry to communicate via the internet is unclear, but it is my guess that the information coming out of the country will escape despite this roadblock.

The political and ideological implications of banning Gmail notwithstanding, it seems to me that any government trying to hold back the flow of information in this age of connectedness is a bit like trying to hold back raging floodwaters with your hand.