I have some questions for Chinese and China-based bloggers out there. (Please forgive my rusty Chinese… I'm much better at reading than writing, I'm afraid.)
The extent of China's web filtering is often dismissed in the West as not such a big deal because people can use proxies to get around the blockages. People seem to have different opinions about how widespread the knowledge of proxies actually is in China. If you're in China right now or have been spending a lot of time there recently I'd like to know what you think about the following questions:
在国外经常有人说，因为有代理，中国有很多网站上不了没有太大关：真想看这些网站的人总有办法。不同的人对这个问题有不同的看法, 所以我想问中国的 blogger 几个问题:
- Of the people in China who use the internet regularly, what percentage do you think know how to use proxies? Of the people you know, what percentage know how to use proxies? 在中国经常上网的人当中，你估计百分之多少知道怎么用代理？亲自身边的人当中，你估计百分之多少会用代理？
- Out of that group of people, what percentage do you think frequently use proxies to access blocked sites? 会用代理的人当中， 你估计有百分之多少经常用代理上被封的网站？
- In other words, among the proxy-savvy Chinese internet users, to what extent does it matter if things are blocked or not? How much does filtering impact these people's information experience on the internet? 换句话问：在会用代理的中国网民当中，一些网站被封不封有多大的关系？中国政 府封一堆网站对中国 网民的“网上经验” 有多大的影响？
- More generally, amongst all internet users in China at large, how do you think internet blocking and filtering impacts what Chinese internet users do and do not know about their own country and about the world at large? 总的来说，在中国国内访问不了很多网站的情况之下，你觉得这个情况怎么影响 到中国网民对自己的国家和国外的理解？
It would be great to know your views. If you want to answer this on your own blog, please post the link in the comments section here if the trackback doesn't show up automatically. I would especially love to know what the Chinese bloggers think about this question. 麻烦blogger们在自己的 blog 上,或者在下面的“comments” 里面发表自己的意见!
You know, Wake Up, I’m so sick of socialists like you assuming that I am so stupid I vote for Bush accidentally.
We put a LOT of hard work into expanding our hegemony, enslaving other peoples, and being fascist. I would appreciate a little respect for our hard work spreading evil.
Enjoy sharia after we build the wall.
I guess about 5-10% of web users in China know how to use proxy, but far less percent of user will use proxy to access the blocked sites. Most of web users will not be concerned about the blocked sites, and most of them may think it is because of the temporary networking problem, and after that, they forget the site. To this extent, I think blocking sites do impacts the webusers to know outside worlds. Proxy is not an effective alternative to it.
Either Wake Up! is not a native speaker of English, or he/she/it has yet to pass eighth grade English. One would *hope* that Harvard would not accept someone with so little command of the language.
As to his screed, if he’s Canadian, which I doubt, he wasn’t born there. I certainly would not blame our Canadian friends for him.
On topic, I really don’t think it helps the cause of Chinese bloggers that Microsoft has been cooperating with the Chinese government on blocking certain phrases…. I believe the word “freedom” is one that’s banned on Chinese servers. It may not make a lot of difference to those of us outside China…. but within China, it could literally be a matter of life and death if the computer or the Internet provider is set to send an automatic message to MSS flagging an “inappropriate” web search.
If there’s anything we can do to help the Chinese people, we owe it to ourselves to do it.
“Justifying 3000 American lives lost in a plane accident”
Am I reading it right? Is he seriously saying that the attack on the twin towers was a “plane accident”?
(Well at least he’s not accusing America or Israel of doing it)
“One would *hope* that Harvard would not accept someone with so little command of the language.”
Too late…
Tenure.
Let’s cut “Wake Up” a little bit of slack. After all, it can’t even get into the 21st Century with the rest of us. If you were stuck in a time warp, you might be completely batshit insane too.
There but for the grace of God, good genetics and a lack of hallucinogens go I.
!!Wake Up
BTW it is the Twenty-First Century now. The rest of your screed is equally accurate. Also, use a spell checker. you’ll look less of an illiterate moron. F-minus
Is this poster actually affiliated with Harvard Law? If so, what the hell has happened up there that would result in such incoherent, illiterate, and ignorant ranting?
Wake Up seems quite proud of that incoherent screed. Having posted it here the day before and gotten no response, s/he was apparently undaunted and sought out new trolling grounds. Pay dirt.