Technology Discussion Thread: China censorship of google

[Shi Huangdi]

Since Urban Ranger has closed down Asher's thread regarding because he thinks it has gone downhill. So I figured we could restart the thread here so we can have a serious discussion on sociopoltical ramnification of the google refusing acsess to Chinese Communist Party banned websites to computers acsessing the internet from China. Here is a link to the original article:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=134302

Personally, I think this very bad. Pressuring google to do this represents another disturbing incident showing how far China is willing to go to prevent it's citizens from obtaining free acsess to information rather. Rather then liberalizing, China is reaffirming it's status as a totaltarian state where the government tries to control what news the people can and cannot acsess. We can only hope that this censorship will one day end, and that the Chinese government and those who supported it can share space in the history books with all the other villians of the history's totaltarian regimes, and that one day we can celebrate that the influence of people who support awful regimes such as the PRC has passed.

[Q Classic]

Don't France and Germany have the same issue, at least in regards to censoring google, yahoo, and amazon over Nazi material?

Why is it bad when China does it, and not France and Germany? Because France and Germany censor only a heinous philosophy?

I mean, **** me, say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, at least it's an ethos!

[Urban Ranger]

I have removed a couple of irrelevant messages from this thread in the hopes that it won't deteriorate like the other one.

[Shi Huangdi]

Qcubed:

I agree that is pretty bad that France and Germany censor Nazi material. However, that is not as bad as what China is doing. Imagine of Jacques Chirac had decided to block the website of the Communist Party of France, and had decided to block out news articles potentital damaging to him, then it would be comparable, but as of now you can't compare what France and Germany do with what China does.

Of course, that analogy doesn't really work to well, because unlike in France, in China you aren't allowed to form an independent opposition party that is ideologically opposed to the way the government is running the country. If you tried to do so, you would likely wind up in Chinese prison.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
Don't France and Germany have the same issue, at least in regards to censoring google, yahoo, and amazon over Nazi material?

I remember we had something with Yahoo (I think it was with the aucitons in particular), but I don't remember any problem with google. I'm not up-to-date at all on French issues though (except those that pertain to the EU constitution )

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
Why is it bad when China does it, and not France and Germany? Because France and Germany censor only a heinous philosophy?

We're not discussing Korean eating dogs. There's no reason to be defensive because I don't really see anyone defending European censorship.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Jaguar
It is shameful that some entities think themselves immune to criticism.

I agree. China shouldn't resort to censorship

[Method]

Kuci

Wait, that's not right..

[Kuciwalker]

All Chinese should take a stand against censorship.

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
Don't France and Germany have the same issue, at least in regards to censoring google, yahoo, and amazon over Nazi material?

Why is it bad when China does it, and not France and Germany? Because France and Germany censor only a heinous philosophy?

I mean, **** me, say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, at least it's an ethos!

Forget it QC you're out of your element!
There's a slight difference between "all satan-spawn jews must die! long live zombie hilter!" and, say, BBC, which I believe has been banned by the Great Firewall of China in the past...

China's evil refugee-murdering government

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
All Chinese should take a stand against censorship.

I agree with you Kuciwalker. I believe it is the moral imperative of the people in a country to oppose tyranny when it exists in their own country. But what is worse is that some Chinese actually support their government which censors the people, it is these who by their support are guilty of keeping the countrymen in chains.

[Tingkai]

Everyone should take a stand against unreasonable censorship, not just the people in China.

One thing though, is google widely used in China?

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by Tingkai
Everyone should take a stand against unreasonable censorship, not just the people in China.

One thing though, is google widely used in China?

Of course, you are correct about standing against censorship.

About google, isn't there alot of tech-saavy Chinese? I would assume that they would want to use the best search engine available.

[Kuciwalker]

Solidarity!

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi


Of course, you are correct about standing against censorship.

About google, isn't there alot of tech-saavy Chinese? I would assume that they would want to use the best search engine available.

Assuming it works well with Chinese characters. I don't know. It might,

What do people think of Google's argument that it is better to create a news search engine site that has some banned material rather than being banned completely?