GMail really slow?

[Quintillus]

Anyone else noticing this? The past week or so GMail has often (but inconsistenly) been loading slower than 28.8 kbps dial-up for me, and it's getting rather annoying. So I Google News'ed it, and found this article:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscent...on_in_china_could_signal_tighter_control.html

Chinese Internet users have reported greater difficulty accessing Gmail in recent weeks, prompting speculation that the Chinese government is again stepping up its efforts to control the flow of information on the Web.

Gmail users are complaining on Chinese microblogs that the service has been slow or inaccessible. Google has reported no problems with access in China, but the complaints are ongoing and appear to have started late last month.

"Gmail access has been very poor in the last several days," Mark Natkin, managing director of Beijing-based Marbridge Consulting, said in an interview Monday. "And it doesn't appear to be related to the earthquake in Japan, as other friends immediately outside of mainland China have reported having no difficulty."

and another article,

http://www.zdnetasia.com/reports-china-tightens-grip-on-vpns-gmail-62207905.htm

China has reportedly stepped up efforts to block virtual private network (VPN) services, with Gmail users in the country said to be experiencing slow and limited access.

I do happen to be accessing GMail over a VPN, but I am nowhere near China, and the VPN isn't in China, either.

I'm wondering if maybe this is side effect of China trying to block GMail in China, similar to how Pakistan blocked YouTube from the whole Web instead of just in Pakistan a few years back.

Even if it isn't related though, the censorship within China continues to disgust me and make me glad I'm not (knowingly, at least) using any web services based in China.