The best part of a social networking site is that it lets you keep in contact with others all over the world. You can poke other Facebook users across the continent, link a YouTube video to someone around the globe, or update your WordPress blog for international readers. Unfortunately, there are times when censorship gets in the way – and it isn't an uncommon occurrance.

Believe it or not, some countries can ban (and have banned) a number of social networking sites several times within in a couple of years for different reasons. Some of them get unblocked a few days later, some don't. The status of website bans in different parts of the world have changed so often that it has made it difficult to keep track of them.

For those trying to keep up with an ever-changing world social networking ban race, here's a visual summary. This isn't a comprehensive listing, but a start on documenting online censorship around the globe beginning with the social media and networking sites you love to use.

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