5 ms·

Guess what OS North Korean Passport Control uses?

21 points by lupin_sansei 18y ago

markbao 18y ago
This was one of those "So what? ...oh." moments. How did the NK government manage to get a (legitimate?) copy of Windows past embargos, and how did the photographer manage to sneak in a camera? I'm guessing the government purchased from a distributor without NK trade sanctions.
- Xichekolas 18y ago
  I doubt the government purchased anything. It's ridiculously easy to download a pirated version of Windows, or just jump across the border to China and buy a CD for 50 cents.
- rms 18y ago
  It's very possible to bring cameras to North Korea. See this brilliant documentary filmed guerrilla style in North Korea. http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1438428757 http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1438428757 http://www.koryogroup.com/tours/grouptours.htm http://www.koryogroup.com/tours/grouptours.htm if you want to go yourself...
  - jobeirne 18y ago
    wow, that's a really awesome video series.
Xichekolas 18y ago
Well of course they use Windows... all the good software for monitoring/censoring net activity is written for Windows.
- thamer 18y ago
  I don't think there's much net activity in North Korea, to be honest. You might be thinking of China? In any way filters are usually working at the ISP level, not on client machines. See http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/22/cisco-internal-memo.html http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/22/cisco-internal-memo.htm... That and voluntary censorship/collaboration by companies: - Google censors itself for China: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4645596.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4645596.stm - Yahoo 'helped jail China writer': http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4221538.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4221538.stm
  - Xichekolas 18y ago
    Yeah, I'm embarrassed to say that I replied before I really thought this one through. Of course they wouldn't let computers that deal with passports/customs access the web, NK or otherwise.
colinplamondon 18y ago
Ha! When I did a visa run to Burma last week they were all running Windows Vista- if it weren't for the pissed off looking guy with a sub-machine gun leaning against the wall I would've taken a picture :)

21 points by lupin_sansei 18y ago

This was one of those "So what? ...oh." moments. How did the NK government manage to get a (legitimate?) copy of Windows past embargos, and how did the photographer manage to sneak in a camera? I'm guessing the government purchased from a distributor without NK trade sanctions.

Xichekolas 18y ago
I doubt the government purchased anything. It's ridiculously easy to download a pirated version of Windows, or just jump across the border to China and buy a CD for 50 cents.
rms 18y ago
It's very possible to bring cameras to North Korea. See this brilliant documentary filmed guerrilla style in North Korea. http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1438428757 http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1438428757 http://www.koryogroup.com/tours/grouptours.htm http://www.koryogroup.com/tours/grouptours.htm if you want to go yourself...
- jobeirne 18y ago
  wow, that's a really awesome video series.

Xichekolas 18y ago

Well of course they use Windows... all the good software for monitoring/censoring net activity is written for Windows.

thamer 18y ago
I don't think there's much net activity in North Korea, to be honest. You might be thinking of China? In any way filters are usually working at the ISP level, not on client machines. See http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/22/cisco-internal-memo.html http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/22/cisco-internal-memo.htm... That and voluntary censorship/collaboration by companies: - Google censors itself for China: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4645596.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4645596.stm - Yahoo 'helped jail China writer': http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4221538.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4221538.stm
- Xichekolas 18y ago
  Yeah, I'm embarrassed to say that I replied before I really thought this one through. Of course they wouldn't let computers that deal with passports/customs access the web, NK or otherwise.

colinplamondon 18y ago

Ha! When I did a visa run to Burma last week they were all running Windows Vista- if it weren't for the pissed off looking guy with a sub-machine gun leaning against the wall I would've taken a picture :)