The men and women of the United States Armed Forces are overseas right now fighting for your freedom. They made this choice on their own yes, but it is a choice they made because they love the idea of freedom, and because they want to better themselves and their country. Remember it is not a choice that is made lightly by any means. It is something that they considered, and probably for several months. In the end they decided that fighting for freedom and making a stand was worth more than anything-even their own lives. That being the case they signed the papers, they boarded a plane, and now they sit thousands of miles away from home. Fortunately there have been some innovations that have provided soldiers with more entertainment than they would have had access to in the past. These innovations are centered around the internet.

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So what would a soldier want to access on the web. Believe it or not, one of the things they do is watch TV online. They can catch their favorite programs or watch hockey. Most of the TV networks put their some of their latest episodes online. For others, they can access media sites that aggregate content. Another source for media is the online newspapers like the New York Times. Or maybe they want to read their home town newspaper online. Today most, if not all papers, have an online version. So between TV, sports, and newspapers, they can catch up on the latest US media and news.

Instead of TV, they might be on social networking sites like FaceBook or MySpace. For those who have not served in the military, you can’t imagine how much of a gift these sites are to lonely young men and women far from home. With a click of the mouse, they can see friends and loved ones. They can catch up on the latest happenings in their families or circle of friends. They can see videos, pictures and general updates. And maybe, just maybe, some of the loneliness might go away. Sure, they are still at the front. Sure they are still in harm’s way. But they have a connection back to their normal every day lives. Unfortunately, they can’t always connect back to these US sites. You’d think the web is available everywhere.

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The internet has grown in a number of ways many people did not expect. Originally conceived as a way of communicating academic data, the internet is now home to a multitude of entertainment sites. One of the most popular is www.Hulu.com which is home to a great many classic and modern television productions. So popular is www.Hulu.com that millions of people opt to watch programming at this website on a regular basis. Now, while the first W in WWW stands for “world”, www.Hulu.com may not really available on a worldwide basis. This can prove to rather annoying to Americans that may travel to a foreign country only to discover their access to Hulu is prohibited.

Why would a benign site such as Hulu.com be barred in certain countries? Is it due to draconian censorship rules? Actually, it is really just a matter of finances. While Hulu is free to watch, it is sponsored by advertisement. That means a specified amount of money is paid for certain specific advertising exposure. Based on the terms and agreements of the advertising contract, Hulu may bar the presentation of its site in certain areas. After all, the advertiser has not paid for exposure all over the world. So, Hulu must restrict access and it does this through the banning of certain IP addresses.

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