Google in China
Goggle has decided to self-censor its content in China. I wonder if that's why the students have had a hard time connecting to Google lately. I wish I could talk about the impact this will have on China, future generations, and my students. But I'm afraid if I say to much this site, like many others, will get sucked up by the 'Super Filter'.
So I hope someone else can pick up this conversation and expand on it.
From Reuters: Google: China decision painful but right
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Google Inc. co-founder Sergey Brinsaid his company's decision to self-censor its Chinese search systemfollowed a change of heart over how best to foster the free flow ofinformation.
Google said on Tuesday it will block politicallysensitive terms on its new China search site and not offer e-mail, chatand blog publishing services, which authorities fear can becomeflashpoints for social or political protest. Those actions go furtherthan many of its biggest rivals in China.
"I didn't think Iwould come to this conclusion -- but eventually I came to theconclusion that more information is better, even if it is not as fullas we would like to see," Brin told Reuters in an interview inSwitzerland.
Google, whose high-minded corporate motto is "Don'tbe evil," had previously refused to comply with Internet censorshipdemands by Chinese authorities, rules that must be met in order tolocate business operations inside China -- the world's No. 2 Internetmarket
From FT.com: GoogleÂ’s China site sparks bloggersÂ’ outrage
Google on Wednesday came in for some harsh criticism from bloggers,outraged at its decision to set up a censored Chinese version of itswebsite which will block results in order to avoid angering thecountryÂ’s Communist government. The site will not provide Gmail orother services that will open up its use to unfettered expressionA quick query on GoogleÂ’s own blog search serviceservice brought up hundreds of references to the move. A random sampleshowed that most bloggers were vehemently against the policy.