I was using 8.8.8.8 for my DNS (I think it's google DNS?), but it was ridiculously slow for me. Wasn't sure if I was being penalized somehow for switching DNS provider and ended up changing back to my IP's DNS.
It's a good point about the 9Xers. I don't know how politically aware or motivated they are, but I do know that, like the rest of us, they want free access to information and communication. Even if it is just to send instagrams of their bun cha.
Switching DNS providers could cause problems simply because your new provider doesn't do as good a job in your area, not because of any intentional penalization. You could try opendns (208.67.222.222), or some other 3rd party provider.
