Yeah, it's Wednesday. I know that. This one's a good one, though:
In a nutshell: There was a recent attempt to hack gmail accounts of prominent human rights activists in China coming from China. Based on Google's investigations, the attack was most likely by the Chinese government. In retaliation, Google will no longer be filtering searches on google.cn, and may pull out of China all together.
We'll have to see if Google actually follows through with these threats, but if so, this is fantastic. The Chinese government has been horribly restrictive about what information circulates from the internet to citizens. By no longer supporting these actions, Google can deal a major blow to censorship in one of the most populous nations in the world.
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Thursday, June 18, 2009
TheTorrents and ISPs Dilema
An extremely interesting story has popped up over at Tom's Hardware. In Norway, one of the hotbeds for internet and intellectual property law, may see a landmark trial soon. Norway's largest ISP is being sued because they refuse to block the controversial file sharing website, The Pirate Bay. The suit is being brought by, among other agencies, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). No, I didn't know there was such a thing either.
Let's pretend that the IFPI wins. This would essentially lay the groundwork for any company forcing an internet service provider to block anything that is against their interests. Sound familiar (I'm looking at you, China)? I could rant about this for some time, but I think this quote from the ISP being sued wraps it up nicely:
Let's pretend that the IFPI wins. This would essentially lay the groundwork for any company forcing an internet service provider to block anything that is against their interests. Sound familiar (I'm looking at you, China)? I could rant about this for some time, but I think this quote from the ISP being sued wraps it up nicely:
“This would be the same as demanding that the postal service should open all letters, and decide which ones should be delivered.”Indeed.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
China is at it again.
How about I open up the real posts with a rant?
I have become a passionate defender of free speech. Open forums to share ideas are paramount to the advancement of society -- especially in science. China doesn't think so. It appears that youtube has been blocked again, the last time being the ban during the Tibet riots.
An initial, and perhaps well-founded, reaction to this story may be, "so what?" So what if the Chinese are cut off from youtube poop edits of Billy Mays and fifteen-year-olds proclaiming that high school problems really matter? A large percentage of youtube is dedicated to crap. Even though it's funny crap, of what importance is it?
As it turns out, there are youtube videos dedicated to serious debate, the proliferation of ideas, and good ol' fashioned, healthy free speech. Take as an initial example the Beauty in the Universe channel, which is dedicated to exploring knowledge of the Earth and nature. Or, more importantly, DonExodus, who works diligently to educate people on the origins and diversity of life on Earth, all the while fending off the onslaught of creationists who insist on poisoning the well of knowledge. These are only two of many contributors who submit material that educates viewers
and challenges worldviews. They make people think. This cannot be underestimated.
Now put this into the present context. During the Tibet riots, youtube was banned in China to keep citizens in the dark about what was happenin, to preserve positive views of the Chinese government. It is a method of control. It is subversive. The internet is more than jokes and porn, it serves as a medium to distribute knowledge of the world around this. To choke it off is deplorable. And it is happening again.
It just started snowing at PO Box 1663. This should make for an exciting weekend.
I have become a passionate defender of free speech. Open forums to share ideas are paramount to the advancement of society -- especially in science. China doesn't think so. It appears that youtube has been blocked again, the last time being the ban during the Tibet riots.
An initial, and perhaps well-founded, reaction to this story may be, "so what?" So what if the Chinese are cut off from youtube poop edits of Billy Mays and fifteen-year-olds proclaiming that high school problems really matter? A large percentage of youtube is dedicated to crap. Even though it's funny crap, of what importance is it?
As it turns out, there are youtube videos dedicated to serious debate, the proliferation of ideas, and good ol' fashioned, healthy free speech. Take as an initial example the Beauty in the Universe channel, which is dedicated to exploring knowledge of the Earth and nature. Or, more importantly, DonExodus, who works diligently to educate people on the origins and diversity of life on Earth, all the while fending off the onslaught of creationists who insist on poisoning the well of knowledge. These are only two of many contributors who submit material that educates viewers
and challenges worldviews. They make people think. This cannot be underestimated.
Now put this into the present context. During the Tibet riots, youtube was banned in China to keep citizens in the dark about what was happenin, to preserve positive views of the Chinese government. It is a method of control. It is subversive. The internet is more than jokes and porn, it serves as a medium to distribute knowledge of the world around this. To choke it off is deplorable. And it is happening again.
It just started snowing at PO Box 1663. This should make for an exciting weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)