Random Culture

Google China Censorship

If you want to see a tangible example of Google's censorship in China, you don't need to look any further than the following example:

An image search on Google China for "tiananmen":
View Results

An image search on Google US for "tiananmen":
View Results

Google China Censorship

If you want to see a tangible example of Google's censorship in China, you don't need to look any further than the following example:

An image search on Google China for "tiananmen":
View Results

An image search on Google US for "tiananmen":
View Results

China Afraid of the Pope?

While the media may have blown out of proportion some ideas about Chinese Internet censorship, it certainly exists in some capacity. China's biggest portals, Sina and Sohu, have censored prayers, blessings and comments about the death of Pope John Paul. According to a Sohu official that confirmed this censorship was happening, "Religious issues are special. We are afraid of problems arising."

Link via Smart Mobs.

China Afraid of the Pope?

While the media may have blown out of proportion some ideas about Chinese Internet censorship, it certainly exists in some capacity. China's biggest portals, Sina and Sohu, have censored prayers, blessings and comments about the death of Pope John Paul. According to a Sohu official that confirmed this censorship was happening, "Religious issues are special. We are afraid of problems arising."

Link via Smart Mobs.

Net Censorship in China

It's been a while since I've posted about China, but as I've stated before, it's an important country to keep your eye on as it grows, and learn about what the future has in store.

The World Changing blog points to an interesting presentation at the SXSW festival about blogs and censorship. The presentation was by Benjamen Walker, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and it addresses the misconceptions the western media has about net censorship in China... Illustrated by this NY Times article from about a week ago.

Some interesting excerpts:

Misconception 1:  We in the west assume that millions of Chinese are searching for information to aid their revolutionary struggles.

Truth:  Most Internet users in China are looking for the same thing most Western users are looking for.  Porn.

Misconception 3: There are 30,000 to 50,000 "Internet police" who do nothing but monitor people's email, web surfing, etc.

Truth: This is a number invented by officials for official propaganda missives, aimed at the national media, not Western reporters, who nonetheless take up information ministry press releases as legitimate and use them as source material.

Net Censorship in China

It's been a while since I've posted about China, but as I've stated before, it's an important country to keep your eye on as it grows, and learn about what the future has in store.

The World Changing blog points to an interesting presentation at the SXSW festival about blogs and censorship. The presentation was by Benjamen Walker, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and it addresses the misconceptions the western media has about net censorship in China... Illustrated by this NY Times article from about a week ago.

Some interesting excerpts:

Misconception 1:  We in the west assume that millions of Chinese are searching for information to aid their revolutionary struggles.

Truth:  Most Internet users in China are looking for the same thing most Western users are looking for.  Porn.

Misconception 3: There are 30,000 to 50,000 "Internet police" who do nothing but monitor people's email, web surfing, etc.

Truth: This is a number invented by officials for official
propaganda missives, aimed at the national media, not Western
reporters, who nonetheless take up information ministry press releases
as legitimate and use them as source material.